Effect of Domain Extensions on SEO (ccTLD, TLD, .Com)

 

Choosing a domain name is an important task that must be done before creating a website. There are many types of domain extensions, but which domain extensions have an impact on SEO?

Please note, each domain extension has its purposes that can represent its users.

For example, .ng is the Nigerian state ccTLD extension, .website is a special domain extension for websites, and so on. 

So, do domain extensions affect SEO? 

The questions above often colour the discussion channel when talking about search engine optimization. 

The confusion was even greater when in mid-2014 Google introduced the concept of Local SEO, where ccTLD domains are said to be easier to penetrate local keywords in search engines.

In this article, we will try to answer the questions above based on our knowledge and experience. 

The Effect of Domain Extensions on SEO

what is the effect of domain extensions on SEO?

Domain extensions are not mentioned directly to affect the SEO of a website. 

However, the facts on the ground speak differently, here's an analysis of what we managed to find based on experience. 

1. Affects CTR (Click Through Ratio)

You may believe it or not, but based on our observations, websites with long domain names, containing dashes (-), numbers, and using new domain extensions are relatively rare on Google.

Is this phenomenon a coincidence? Nobody knows, but we have a pretty plausible theory to explain it.

Domain names with less popular extensions such as .cf, .photo, .coffee, etc. are rarely seen on the first page because they get low CTR when competing with websites that use popular TLD domains.

Over time, this can indeed be overcome. However, it takes a longer time to build an authority website with a less popular domain name in order to compete with popular domains.

2. Credibility in the Eyes of Visitors

Among the hundreds of domain extensions currently available, the .com domain extension is still the leader in terms of the number of users.

These statistics certainly have an impact on the knowledge and experience of users when searching for information in cyberspace.

Today, most of the major websites also use the .com extension as their primary address. For example, wikihow.com, Google.com, yahoo.com, bing.com, and so on.

From a search engine optimization perspective, our experience also shows that .com domain extensions are easier to rank for. Especially when compared to TLD extensions like .info, .cf, or .me.

On the other hand, Google itself a few years ago released a new algorithm called Google Pigeon. One of the main focuses of this algorithm is to provide more value for users of ccTLD (Country Code Top Level Domain) domain extensions.

Also read: How To Increase Your Blog's Domain Authority (The Definitive Guide)

The goal is that visitors in a country can get relevant information on search engines by reading websites from ccTLD domains in that country.

For example, if the majority of your website readers are Nigerians, it is highly recommended to use the .ng extension. Meanwhile, websites with a target audience of the United States should use .us.

Remember, don't be behind! Because the ccTLD extension will be very difficult to rank keywords outside these countries. But not impossible.

3. Facilitate Adaptation To New Technology

Every year technology is growing according to the demands of the times. In this new era, one of the technologies that is predicted to boom is voice search.

It has been noted that many technology companies have begun to adopt this concept and Google is not left behind in this as it has begun to release the voice search feature on Android-based smartphone devices.

Yes, you should know that only domain extensions with easy pronunciation will win the voice search competition and rank above.

For example, which domain name is easier to pronounce, www.netplasa.cf or www.netplasa.com? The majority of users certainly prefer netplasa.com.

Why Do .Com Domains Dominate Search Results on Google?

.com domain

Does the .com domain extension have any effect on SEO? There are at least three reasons that could be the answer to the question above. Here are the explanations for each.

1. More Number of Users

As previously explained, a total of 150 million registrations were recorded in the year 2020, the number of .com domain extension users currently cannot match.

So, it is very natural that in the top 10 Search Engine Result Pages (SERP) the majority is dominated by websites that use the .com extension.

2. More Affordable Prices

When compared to other domain extensions such as .ng or .net. The price for getting a .com domain per year is relatively cheaper. 

As an illustration, the following is a list of domain extension prices on garanntor.ng in November 2021:

• .com domain : N 4,500 / Year
• .net domain : N 5,000 / Year
• .ng domain : N 8,500 / Year

3. .Com extension is suitable for all types of websites

According to its designation, the .com domain is intended to accommodate all the needs of commercial websites. As a result, whatever the topic and type of website you want to create is still suitable and feels right if you use a .com domain.

Conclusion

That's a more complete explanation regarding the effect of domain extensions on SEO based on our experience so far. 

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