The top-level domain (TLD) is the part of the domain that comes after the dot. There are over 1,000 TLDs. Choosing the right top-level domain has an impact on your SEO. You can view a list of all valid top-level domains at icann.org. Some of the most popular top level domains are:
.com
Derived from the word commercial. Currently the most popular TLD used in 48% of the worlds websites. Introduced in 1985.
.org
Intended for non-profit organisations. Used by over 10 Million web sites globally. Also introduced in 1985.
.net
Derived from the word network and originally intended for network technology organisations. This intended use was never enforced and the domain is a very popular for general purpose commercial use.
There are many other common top-level domains including .info, .biz, .gov (government), .edu (education) and .mil (military).
Country code top-level domains (ccTLD)
There are also country specific top-level domains such as .us (United States), .uk (United Kingdom), .au (Australia) and .il (Israel). These country code TLD can be combine with other TLD to form popular combinations such as:
- .co.uk, .gov.uk, .org.uk, .net.uk
- .com.au, .gov.au, .org.au, .net.au
Top-level domains for SEO
In order to maximise your SEO it is usually best practice to choose one of the common top-level domains such as .com and .net. These domains are what people are most familiar with and therefore more memorable. These domains also have an inherent authority. For example .com will usually trump .pizza (yes .pizza is a existing top-level domain). That said, the top-level domain you choose is less important that other SEO factors such as content, keyword, inbound links and site performance.