How Domain Extensions Have an Effect on SEO?

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 own goals or goals that can represent its users. For example, .id becomes the Indonesian state ccTLD extension, .website becomes a special domain extension for websites, and so on.

So, do domain extensions have an effect on SEO?

The questions above often color the discussion channel when talking about the topic of search engine optimization.
The confusion and dilemma 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.
To increase the knowledge of dutyfile friends, on this occasion we will try to answer the questions above based on our knowledge and experience.
However, the facts on the ground speak differently, here are the analyzes 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 lesser known domain name in order to compete with popular domains.

2. Credibility in the Eyes of Visitors

As dutyfile friends know, 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 large websites also use the .com extension as their primary address. For example, wikihow.com, Google.com, yahoo.com, bing.com, detik.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.
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 Indonesians, it is highly recommended to use the .id 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 of 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 adapt this concept. As for Google itself has begun to release the voice search feature on Android-based smartphone devices.
When entering the era of voice search, domain extensions with easy pronunciation will more or less help dutyfile friends to win the competition.
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?

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, with a total of 150 million registrations per 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 are dominated by websites that use the .com extension.

2.More Price Affordable

When compared to other domain extensions such as .id or .net. The price for renting a .com domain per year is relatively cheaper.
As an illustration, here's a list of domain extension prices on dutyfile.com in June 2021:
Domain .com : IDR 145 thousand / year
Domain .id : IDR 200 thousand / year
.net domain : IDR 187 thousand / year

3.The .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.
Choosing the right domain extension for business is not easy. In addition to considering in terms of SEO, you also have to consider popularity and convenience in terms of branding.
As for if you want to buy a domain to build a website, dutyfile has a choice of more than 500 domain extensions that you can choose according to your needs.
Come on, buy your dream domain right now and get a special discount for purchasing a bundling package with cloud hosting.
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