TLD is Top Level Domain that you can see at the right of the dot (.) of your domain name.
Let us understand this with an example-
Example of TLD
www.ABC.com
In this example-
WWW is- Sub-domain
ABC is- Second Level Domain
Com is – TLD (Top Level Domain)
The most common and preferred TLD is .com. Some of the other TLDs that are preferably used are .net, .org, .biz, .ws,
The top-level domain can be defined as the final determining factor of the domain name and is also known as domain suffix.
There are several different categories of top-level domains, and the two of the most prominent ones are country-specific TLD and generic TLD.
Role of TLD
The top-level domains help in the identification of some specific parameters of the searching website such as-
- Business type
- Origin Country
- Government site
- Public site, etc.
The relation between DNS & TLD
The DNS or Domain Name System is used for nomination of online services, devices, servers, and other resources that are connected on the web. DNS is used for associating with company names, its websites along with the products and services that is offers.
We, humans, get information from the Internet via Domain Names while browsers work through IP Protocol Address. DNS plays a key role in translating Domain Names to IP address so that browsers can adeptly load the internet resources.
TLDs are actually the domain name extensions. There are several such extensions that you will be able to choose which is dependent on the business type that you have, location your business belongs to and many other factors.
It is important that you choose the domain name wisely so that it can have the perfect relevance to your business. Now let’s take a look at some of the types of top-level domain extensions so that you can have an idea over the same.
Some of the most common TLDs
1) .com TLD
It is used by most of the online businesses, plus it is also the most effective TLD that but it can be used for a number of other purposes as well
2) .edu TLD
This is one of the most commonly used domain names that can be used for educational institutions
3) .Net TLD
It is used for a number of reasons that can go from personal projects to E-Commerce businesses as well
4) .org TLD
This one is preferably used for the nonprofit organizations or petition website
5) .co TLD
This one is mostly used for companies
6) .biz TLD
It is used mostly for the business names
So, these were some of the most common TLDs that are being preferred by site owners across the globe.
There are a number of country-specific domain names, which can make you understand that the website belongs to that specific country. Some other types of TLDs are also there for depicting some specific purposes.
Let us have a look upon different types of Top Level Domains here and now-4
Types of Top Level Domains there are three types of TLDs
1) Generic Top-Level Domain
Also known as gTLD, Generation TLDs are the most common and preferred top-level domains. You can easily put .com in this category, as .com is the oldest one that has been enjoying its authority in the TLD world since long.
Be that as it may, nowadays, you can find several gTLDs. You can find easy options related to your business, such as .CONSULTING or .MANAGEMENT and they offer specific and personalized appearance to your domain name.
Still, .com as gTLD is considered the favorite of Search Engines that can help in getting better ranking. However, new-age marketers sometimes prefer opting for more specific TLDs that can make their domain name more meaningful.
2) Sponsored Top-Level Domain
Also known as sTLD, Sponsored Top Level Domains is used for depicting a particular community. It is provided by a sponsor of that particular community.
Very much dedicated to the specific audience groups, and that is why sTLD has proper rules for the sites that can opt for such Top Level Domains. Some of the common examples of sponsored TLDs are-
.GOV – used for Government Sector
.POST- Used for Postal Services
.AERO- Used for Aerospace Industry
.MIL- Used for Military Related Services
3) Country Code Top-Level Domain
Also known as ccTLD, and as the name suggests, it is used for highlighting the country origin of a site. It comprises two letters that are associated with the abbreviated used for particular geographic location. For instance, .CA is the ccTLD for Canada.
With some ccTLDs, you need to choose as per the location of your site origin while some other ccTLDs allow everyone to register for them as per their needs. So, you can find out many sites that prefer ccTLDs instead of gTLDs because they want to optimize their presence in a specific location.
Now comes the trickiest part of TLDs, which is associated with the SEO.
So, which TLD is best for SEO?
And the simple answer is gTLD .com is the best TLD to buy if you want to enjoy the best-optimized existence for your business on the web.
Let us now understand why you should do this-
Why is .com the best TLD to buy?
.com is the largest and oldest domain, and Google loves it for such feature sets. .com is simpler and more familiar that make it Google’s favorite because Google Algorithm considers the preference of its audiences as an important Search Ranking Factor.
So, a TLD with .com with enjoying more authority that other TLDs because .com ensures more effective, credible, memorable, and recognizable human interaction that the other TLDs. Users also prefer to type abc.com more than abc.CA or abc.consulting.
All in all .com is going to be the default TLD. Opting for new domain extensions may hamper your SEO success. So, if you are focusing on increasing the visibility of your site, it is advised to opt for .com TLD.
You may rank good for new TLDs later (if your TLD is associated with your business), but initial preference will always be given to .com by Google.
Sites with other TLDs may also rank good, but that ranking can be the combination of many other factors as well. So, when it comes to domain suffix role in SEO, .com will ensure the initial advantage that an SEO campaign needs for boosted online presence.
All in all, opting for .com TLD is the safest option to get the initial preference to optimize online presence.
To help you better, we have made three levels based upon the preferences that site owners should give to different types of TLDs-
Three Levels of TLDs as per the Preference
Level 1- Domains like .com, .edu, .gov that helps in benefitting SEO
Level 2- Functional domain suffixes with ccTLDs and gTLDs
Level 3- New and niche-specific domain suffixes
Let us have a look upon some of the other advantages that you can expect from .com TLD-
4 Benefits of .com Top Level Domain
1) Around 50% of websites use .com TLD
.com is the most preferred and oldest TLD across the world, and business even pays a good amount of money for purchasing .com domains.
2) Generally, people consider that every website has a .com extension
.com extension enjoys absolute authority in the market, and that is why we all have the general tendency of imagining that a site should have .com extension. Even Google has a .com extension. Other big brands across the world like Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, IBM all have .com TLD.
3) .com TLD ensures better Credibility & Establishment for your Brand
Normal people are not very much aware of different other and new extensions, but they do have some sorts of belief in .com. They also assume that an established business will, for sure, have a site with a .com ending. So, more traffic will be generated for your site.
4) Search Engines also favor .com TLD
Aforementioned points ensure more organic traffic for your site that will automatically direct Search Engines that your site is more effective in offering the right answer to the end-users. Google also gives preference to non-country specific domains in its universal search results.
So, these were some of the important benefits having .com as your Top Level Domain.
But what should you do if you do not get your preferred .com extension?
The best alternatives of .com extension are .org, .co and .net.
In case your business is working in a particular location then opting for country-specific TLDs, i.e. ccTLDs would also be helpful for you.
Wrapping it up!
Now, on the concluding note, we hope you would have understood what TLD or Top Level Domain is.
We also tried to clear the concepts associated with .com extension in domain names that will, for sure help you enjoy the optimized presence and increase in initial visibility of your site.
Still having any doubts in choosing the right domain name for your business? Feel free to share your doubts or issues in the comments, and our experts will guide you in the process.
