How nTLDs Affect Your Website SEO

Nowadays, with over 2 billion websites available on the Internet, register a domain name that doesn’t exist before or isn’t absurd is difficult. You may have heard the stories such as new businesses getting into trouble finding their selected domain name on which they spent a lot of money and even invested in a logo, is already registered to another website owner. In this article, we are going to analyze how nTLDs affect your website SEO.

To avoid such troubles, the Internet innovated a new method: nTLDs (top_level domains). But what are TLDs?

For better understanding, let’s take a look at the URL’s primary shape; take https://www.mydomainname.com as an example.

The first part, https:// is the transfer protocol; the “s” here shows the website security.

The second part www. is actually a prefix coming before the main domain. 

The third part, mydomainname, is the main domain, which should be distinctive from all the same top_level domains.

The last part, .com, is the top_level domain, which is the most commonly used one and is followed by things like .gov, .edu., .co, and .net.

What Are Other Top_Level Domains?

If your selected a domain name with the .com top_level domain variations isn’t available, you can choose one of the new following, instead:

• .store
• .co
• .site
• .tech
• .online
• .biz
• .inc
• .me
• .club
• .design
• .space

So if you are the one selecting a company brand and investing in a logo before purchasing a domain name, don’t worry about it being taken by others; instead, you can choose a more descriptive nTLD. 

Some larger and well-known organizations use their company names as their top_level domains, for example: .google or .netflix. Some website owners use their geographical locations as a top_level domain, like .ca for Canada, .ru for Russia or .NYC for New York City. Another top_level domain taken by website owners is a descriptor one, such as .biz or .inc. Keep in mind that it’s better to select a top_level domain that best describes your website.

How to Select a TLD and Register Our Favorite Domain Name

First, open the page rackset.com

Then enter your selected domain name in the search box.

This will guide you to the main page of the domain search.

If the .com version of it isn’t available, retest your favorite domain name with other prefixes.

The search result will show you whether it is available or not.

After making sure it is not already taken, you can purchase it.

TLDs and SEO: How nTLDs Enhances Your Website SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO), in simple words, means improving your site in a more visible way for relevant searches. Google ranks your website in search results based on some specific keywords. In site ranking, factors like your domain, your page’s content, the site structure, backlinks, etc., are essential.

The ranking factors relevant to your domain name specifically are: 

1. Keyword in your domain name
2. Domain age 
3. Exact match domain
4. Domain registration length

You may think that a popular TLD such as .com is significant in the ranking, but actually, it is not, and you can select any TLD you want. So do not worry if your chosen domain name isn’t available with the .com version; try another one instead. The only TLD that makes a difference in ranking is a country-specific TLD. When you select a .ru TLD, for example, for your domain, Google may link your website to Russia and return your site for searches located there; so if you are not located in a specific country, it’s better not to use this TLD.

Choosing the Right TLD

Let’s find out the tips you should consider in choosing the right TLD;

• Choose a TLD Relevant to Your Industry

Choosing a, for example, .sandwich TLD may look fantastic, but it is absurd if you sell something else. So it’s crucial to choose a TLD that is relevant to your industry. As a freelancer who has a website all about himself, a .me TLD is the right choice, and similarly, for a technical website, a .tech TLD should be taken.

• Pick a TLD Over a Distinct Domain Name.

When it comes to your domain name, you shouldn’t risk, at all because your domain name does play an important role in SEO and how people search for you on the Internet. For example, if a visitor wants to find a doctor’s office (assume Dr. Smith), he will type the Dr. smith office in Google, not his nickname or funky email address. The same happens for a company. If you want to get the best result in searches, try to choose your company’s name as your primary domain and pick a distinct TLD instead of just a .com TLD and an insane main domain name. 

• Purchase the Related TLDs with Your Domain Name

If you’ve just started a business and want to extend it quickly, it is recommended to buy all its related TLDs. For example, if your company name is dr. Smith and your website is drSmith.co, purchasing drSmith.me or drSmith.info, etc., is advantageous for you because you can point them to the main domain name in your hosting accounts. This way, you won’t be worried about other companies having similar names as yours taking your searches accidentally landing on the wrong website.

• Select a Country TLD

Suppose the .com version of your selected domain name is available. In that case, it is wise to buy it, and respectively if you are located in another country, a country TLD is advantageous to purchase.