
Domain Name Influence On SEO

What’s in it for my business if I choose a .ke extension over a .com or a .biz extension? Do I get a fair perceptibility score with search engines and SEO by choosing one extension over the other? Is the domain name influence different per location? These are the questions we get almost daily from clients seeking to register domains for their businesses. Even for those seeking to register an alternative domain for their online business, the concern is always the same. In this article, I will answer these and more queries about domains and suggest ways on how to get it right.
Domain Name Influence On SEO
Top-Level Domain(s)
A top-level domain is one of the domains at the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System. It is installed at the root zone of the namespace.
For SEO (Search Engine Optimization) TLDs are pivotal in building your SEO Strategy both nationally and internationally. You can employ a long-term strategy and build your Domain Authority within your business niche. Once you can command that authority, you will be able to set the pace and receive preferential treatment in Search Engine Results Pages, an enviable position in the eCommerce industry. Building authority is a long-term goal that cannot be achieved overnight. You need to get that domain and website and then consistently meet your SEO goals. Top-level domains include; .com, .net, .biz, and .org.
Generic Top-level Domain
Generic TLDs are very effective when you are entering a competitive field or are operating in a competitive field and want to stay ahead of the pack. It is an effective way to capture your keywords in your domain (a key ranking signal) and sometimes hint at what your site is about even before visitors click to visit. With gTLDs, you also have room to be creative and reach your audience more effectively. For a photo studio, you can have something like photo.studio or furniture.solutions for an online office furniture enterprise. This boosts your SEO and ranking in that the entire domain is made up of your target keywords or what prospects may most likely search for when they want to find you. In the long-run, search algorithms get to associate your business with the search term.
Country Code TLDs
Country Code Domains, ccTLDs, are a great option when you want to run a business that will only target a group of people within a country or an outlined geography. They do not have any particular advantages over other extensions like .biz or .net but the effect is that people get to associate with it more easily. For example, .ke is specific to Kenya. That continued engagement from the locale is what will push your online business up the ranking.
The only advantage of this is that you can define your audience and target them more outrightly. It is however not a guarantee that you will do well with a ccTLD without an effective and long-term SEO strategy.
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