When it comes to having a successful website, the power of your domain name is an important factor. This is especially true with regards to search engines, so even if you’ve already been looking at a domain name check, don’t register a domain until you have all the facts.

Search engines factor in lots of different information when determining which sites to prioritize for a user’s query. The text you choose to register (the part that comes between “www” and “.com” or another extension) is important, but so is the extension itself. Some of these extensions have been around longer, or are simply associated with websites that have greater integrity.

When you do a domain name check in preparation to register a domain, you’ll see that you have the choice of many different domain extensions. These may come at different prices or have different domain availabilities. Here’s an overview of the most popular, and which each is appropriate for:

• .com is popular for worldwide businesses with a global audience. This is the most common domain extension of all
• .org is primarily used for nonprofit organisations and other charities
• .gov cannot be purchased by the public: it is specifically for government use
• .org.uk is for UK nonprofits, specifically and otherwise works like .org sites
• .co.uk is the “.com” of the UK, and is the most popular domain extension for UK-based websites and businesses

.co.uk · .org.uk · com · Domain Name · register a domain

In the world of internet marketing, web hosting, and all other things website-related, it’s common to hear that something “is king”. For example, SEO professionals are known to declare that “content is king,” while those who register domain name addresses will sometimes say “.com is king” over other extensions such as “.net” or “.org.”

But is that true? Is .com really the best domain extension for every website? Not surprisingly, the answer is more complex than a simple yes or no. The appropriate extension depends largely upon the content and purpose of the website itself, as well as on the target audience that the website’s owners seek to reach.

• .com is the most popular extension on a global level. If your website, especially a business website, is meant to appeal to an audience in more than one country, regardless of geography, then you should put emphasis on .com domains during your domain names search process.
• .co.uk is, of course, popular in the UK, and serves a very different purpose. If your business is relevant to nearby customers (within your town, county, or country), then a “.co.uk” domain extension adds legitimacy by showing that you are nearby.

To provide an example, a company that sells party supplies online would do well to sequester a .com domain name, as their target audience comes from many countries and is more likely to trust a business with a common extension.

However, a company that does roof repair in northern England does not need to worry about global customers. This is a company that provides localized service within the UK to customers in the UK. The more clear it is (to both customers and search engines – we’ll address this further below) that this is a UK company, the better. This means a .co.uk web address extension (often made more affordable when purchased as a package with UK web hosting) is a good idea for that website.

The difference in domain name extension matters beyond customer perception. Search engines take many factors into account when returning search results for peoples’ queries. Extension can be a part of that, especially for local businesses. The more obvious it is that you provide the services searchers are looking for, the more likely you are to show up high in search results. So if someone searches for “UK roof repair” and your roof repair site has the “.co.uk” extension, you’re likely to benefit from that correlation.

This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but it’s something to take into consideration when you’re running a domain name check for a potential new website. If you can find a domain name for sale that includes a keyword relevant to your business, and also has the right extension for your needs, your website gains a layer of legitimacy simply by having a good address.

.co.uk · com · domain extension · Domain Name · domain name extension · search engines · SEO · UK company · web hosting

When you set out to buy a domain name, have you considered not just the title of your domain itself, but also the extension? Domain name registration includes access to dozens of different domain extensions, such as .com, .net, .org, .uk, .biz, .me, and many, many others.

The extensions .com and .uk are most popular for people who buy domain names for UK-based websites. For most websites, having just one domain name may be sufficient. However, there may well be good commercial reasons for buying domain names with additional extensions.

Why would one do this? Well, put simply, to protect your brand. In other words, to prevent someone else buying the same domain name but with a different extension in order to compete with you (for example, you’ve worked hard to promote BusinessName.com and they plan to buy BusinessName.net).

However, before you pursue multiple extensions for domain name registration, make sure you understand what not to do if you have several domain names. For any business website, careful though with a regards to search engine optimisation is a must. Therefore when buying multiple domain name extensions, you should not simply clone your site and put a copy of the same thing at each address. This will trigger Google to think you are a spammer, and hurt all sites. You should either redirect the variations to your main site, or create unique content for each domain name you buy.

.co.uk · .me · .org · buy domain name · com · Domain Name Registration · Google · search engine optimisation