Editor’s Note: This blog post was originally published in 2012 and again in 2018. As of December 2020, it’s been updated and republished to reflect current information. The article was cleaned up, recommendations were reassessed, and references refreshed.
The simplest, most direct answer to the proposed question is that you generally want to go with a .com domain name.
However, every company or website has unique needs and challenges, so it’s not always as cut and dried. This article takes a closer look at each domain option and dives further into the world of top-level domains (TLDs).
For a more succinct description of each domain, check out the following video (It’s a bit old, but the information is still solid).
Why We Recommend a .com Extension
A .com domain name is the most common extension and still generally carries more significant value for companies.
That’s because most of your customers are going to assume your website is “[your business name].com.” That is unless the extension is part of your trademarked business name (more on this later).
The big question is: does a .com extension have any direct impact on your search rankings?
While it seems that .coms are Google’s preferred extension, it’s probably not the case.
Google’s only reason to prioritize one extension over the other is that Internet users default to .com domains. People expect sites to use the extension – many associate real businesses with .coms, and Google tends to play on user assumptions.
In fact, more than 50 percent of all websites on the web use the .com extension.
So one could say that a .com extension helps your rankings because users are more likely to click on abcd.com than abcd.anythingelse. Additionally, .coms are easier to remember, and a person is more likely to type in the wrong URL with other extensions.
When to Use a .org Extension
Using other TLDs can be beneficial in some situations. In particular, the .org extension is well-known and trusted.
.org stands for ‘organization’ and is the primary choice for charity or non-profit websites. The extension is also one of the originals established in 1985, so it’s been around for decades. It was created for anything that wasn’t commercial (aka non-profit entities).
However, restrictions were removed in 2019 after the registry changed ownership, allowing for-profit companies to use the extension. If you use .org correctly, it can give you a bump in social credence or validation. Many users perceive .org sites as more authoritative and credible than alternatives.
If you choose to use a .org, you’ll need to brand your company with the .org tied directly to your name. That’s because, as previously noted, most users assume companies use the .com extension. Tying the .org to your brand decreases the likelihood that people will visit other sites by accident.
As far as search rankings go, the extension performs well but has less sway than a matching .com.
When to Use a .net Extension
A .net extension is a popular option that’s often recommended to buyers whenever the desired .com domain is taken. The .net stands for ‘network’ and was originally designed for umbrella websites that serve smaller sites, such as web hosting companies.
If the .com name you want isn’t available, find out if the current owner is in the same industry before settling for a .net. That’s because you don’t want your customers becoming there’s.
In general, the .net extension is trusted and perceived as authoritative by consumers. It’s also been around enough that people can easily remember it.
From the SEO end of things, .net is better than other specialty extensions. But since it isn’t quite up there with .com and .org extensions, you might not get the same benefits as using those alternatives.
If your ideal .com name isn’t available, .net is typically a strong second choice.
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Are Specialty Names Worth It When You Can’t Even Get a .org or .net?
There are hundreds of domain extensions (from .aaa to .zw) that can be very tempting to get whenever the top 3 extension types aren’t acquirable.
Indeed, some companies do choose one of these extensions to be extra creative with naming conventions. Sometimes, companies may believe that a .crazyname will actually be more memorable.
If you have the time and ability to promote that kind of name, associate it with your brand, and work harder on the associated SEO tactics. That’s certainly an option. Otherwise, stay away from such domain names.
What If the Specialty Domain is Highly Relevant?
Some highly relevant extensions might work for your business, though restrictions may apply.
For instance, legal firms have to apply for the .law domain extension – it’s exclusive to legal organizations and qualified lawyers worldwide. Information such as bar registration numbers and the state or jurisdiction where the lawyer or legal entity is licensed may be required.
These types of regulated extensions (e.g., .edu and .gov) can be valuable and could impact your SEO. However, it’ll still take a lot of work to rank your site on search engines and make sure the name sticks in consumer minds.
Is .co Close Enough?
A .co domain extension could be both better and worse than .net. It’s too close to a .com extension, which is something of a double-edged sword.
For one, the closeness can cause customers to associate it with the same type of COMmercial activities. Second, people are far more likely to remember .co domains as a .com, typing that into the web browser.
So it’s best to always go with the .com version if it’s available. You can use .co as a fallback plan.
Choose Reliable Over Trendy
You may remember when companies used to get creative with country code top-level domains. A few that come to mind include Bit.ly, About.me, and del.icio.us. These domains looked cool, fun and sparked a trend of organizations using similar extensions for uniqueness.
But the trend didn’t last, and if you tried it today, it would probably seem pretty old fashioned.
Stick to what you know works before committing to a trend that isn’t trendy anymore.
Domain Names are More than the Extension
Your domain name is about to become a critical asset to your business and marketing efforts, so it’s important to make an informed decision.
The .com or .org or .net question is only the first thing that needs consideration when you start building your brand online. Beyond the extension, here’s what you need to know about domain names.
Domains should be:
- Memorable
- Short
- SEO-friendly
- Typeable
- On-brand
How is your domain helping your online marketing efforts? Is it time to make a change? Are you rebranding to get more business?
We can help.
Interesting post any thoughts on the .co etc and country specific like
.co.uk.
I have used a few .info but would agree that the main three are to date
the best options but when you are limited by budget or choice it is sometimes
very difficult to find a good domain.
I understand google is moving away from the importance on the exact URL name?
Mike
Excellent question. The country specific domain extensions will work excellently in the countries they belong too, but will have less seo sway in the US and other countries.
The .co.uk extension is a good choice if you are a uk entity and does have quite a bit of search engine sway, but your best bet will always be a .com if you want to have a global site (and especially if you want to do business in the US).
Many new startups are using the different domain extensions available, but this seems to be more to have a creative name (and they probably don’t want to shell out the cash for a quality .com).
Yes, Google is definitely starting to give less clout to exact match URL’s, although they do still have a decent amount.
Great post there Nate, I am not too SEO savvy, sjust to ask, what about custom domain names like .ML .Me etc? Do they have lower SEO grounds? Because am about to kickoff a new project but all other extensions seem hijacked already, can i go with mycompany.ml without fear of SEO dropouts? Because .ML quite blends with my brand.
My suggestion is to buy .com, org and net and set up a 301 redirect to the main TLD, which is the .com.
The value doesn’t necessarily weigh in the .com but what kind of names and keywords you use in the URL itself.
However, .com simply looks way better than any other TLD.
very informative but i am still confused. What about .info extension please write back about it. Thank you
What if I havea great .com, but someone else is the owner of the .net version and is just parking the domain? Is it a great risk to build a brand for my .com?
Daniel,
No it is not risky for you to build your brand on the .com. Most likely, the owner of the .net will never do anything with that site and even if they do, just build a better site/business and you won’t have to worry about it.
Even if they do a good job with their brand, unless their visitors remember specifically to type in .net, they will type in .com by default and go to your site.
You have the edge because you own the .com.
Conflicting information on the net regarding the .Net and .Org. It depends upon which site you read is giving out their opinions. It would be nice to have documented research in the pecking order of positions 2 and 3 for the top level domains.
Actually it is better to use. Com because of the domain that .net .org and others as well as .com but better and faster readable in the search engine is .com
speed is not measured around domain name extensions.
. Com is better if your site is for global level but if you want to target your country traffic only then country level domain is also good.
I am currently using a .org for my website, although I see nothing wrong with it. Currently it is just a blog, but in the future I do plan on selling website hosting services. I believe that it does not matter if it is a .org, .net or .com, as long as the content is good. When one searches for you at google, one with .ILikeCookies could rank at the top if that website is the most relivant. I have seen many cases where a .org or .net ranks higher than the .com competitor.
Is .US or .Com better for SEO for a US based company without sales in other countries?
My age is showing here with this comment. You are correct that at one time .com inferred commercial sales sites. If you had a business this is your choice. Dot org was for charities and non-profits. So you have those two right. But .net? To use .net, in my day, meant you had backbone network connectivity. You had huge speeds available, like T1. Sprint was touting this, and when you opted for a dial-up company you wanted the best speeds, so you looked at .net. So now you have it.
Cleared all of my doubt. com is best to choose.
I have a question I would like to know if I want to have .aaa without any extension of other things how can I make it happen?
Thanks for sharing these wonderful tips for choosing a domain extension. Well, .com domain is best as it is used for every purpose whether it is a blog, business website or anything else.
I firmly believe org extension is a very good choice for charity or non-profit sites, this is its most common use. … From the SEO end of things, .net is better than other extensions, but has lower google rankings weight than the matching .com and .org extensions.
what do you advise on starting a how-to or computer tips tech blog. .com or .net
Can a SM-LLC use .com or should it use .org
My business will be coaching and consulting services centered.
Thank you.
The problem is that most of .com domains are already taken. .Org is not really good for business. The only choice out of these 3 is .net. Just my suggestion.
Is it beneficial and worth the cost to pay the annual fee to hold the .net, .org (and other domains) if you have the .com address?
Actually, it’s better to use. .Net depends on .org and others, as well as the .com domain, but a better and faster way to read search engine is .com.
suppose I have a domain with .com and same domain name is taken with .net or .org!
is there any conflict or impact of choosing .com over .net or .org.. please answer back
Interesting topic! In my experience using country specified TLD’s doesn’t matter anymore because you can easily use a general TLD and change target country in Goolge Search Console.
In my country (Iran) webmaster’s prefer to use general TLD’s because it’s more trustworthy in people’s eye
Hi Nate,
Great content thank you.
I still think .com is most important factor for backlinks campaign.
As per our point of view .com domain option is the best one among others. If you are running a business and want to go specific reasons, you can choose .biz domain extension. The same for .org. If you are running a organisation, you can go for it. If you are running a internet service company or agency than go for .net domain extension. If you are running a information website than you can go for .info domain extension. I have given information as per my knowledge and domain extension details. Let me know if you have questions
I still have confusion to choose .org or .net, to me both looks same without any doubt. But in terms of SEO choosing .net is more preferrable than .org. What do you think?
Thankyou to clear my confusion about the domain Extention. I am using .com extension for my blog. Can anyone clear my 1 question? I am ready to start the affiliate marketing website to target in India so which extension is preferred for it?
I’ve always preferred the .com than any other extension. Lovely article. Thanks for sharing.
Very tough decision indeed
The most common question that comes to our mind while buying a domain. I really took out much time reading this article twice. And trust me, I really got a great deal of idea from this article.
I keep explaining this to my small newbie group, how important it is for us to understand this very concept of domain extension and TLDs.
Referred your post to my small group.
Thanks!
I always choose .com because everyone suggests that. Your article is amazing and it helps everyone to choose best for their new blog.
When doing a search and seeing the results on Google I rarely see any other domain extensions aside from the main ones (I am in the UK) .com and .co.uk are by far the most popular. There are .net and .org and .org.uk but nowhere near as popular as the main two.
The hosting companies are always pushing other TLD but I very rarely see them in search.
I’m starting a private practice as a therapist. The .com has been owned by someone since 2018 and they renewed their ownership in 2020. How much should I offer for this? Go Daddy estimate says it’s worth around $1k. I may be able to offer up to $500, but it will be tough with other start up business costs. The Go Daddy broker said if I can’t offer at least $500 I shouldn’t hire them to be a broker for me. I hired him and am worried the person won’t sell. I’ve already hired a graphic designer who’s designed logos so changing the name feels like out of the picture. Should I go with the .net or .co if they don’t sell? My designer things maybe the .net as a second option. I wish I would’ve thought of this more prior, then I would’ve chose a name where the .com is available. Please help. I’m in the process of trying to obtain it now.
Of course .com domain is the best option and ranks very well in all countries. If you have a local business, then you can purchase a local domain. For example, we have the UAE region, and almost always in the SERP we see .com and .ae domains.
Very rarely observed .org, .co, .net domains. Therefore, I advise you to purchase .com or the local domain of your country.
It is clear that .com is best, but most of the domains are not available, so as an alternative one can choose for .net if it is available.
Hi, I have 3 extensions. all are .com….but what about the .xyz? Does google prefer to give AdSense approval on these types of domains?
Love from India
Very informative. One quick question. Say I have a .com domain and .net domain. Is it better to park my .net domain or forward by domain to .com domain. What would be the best solution?
Hey Nate, Thank you for proving such amazing hacks for selecting the domain extensions. Although, using .Com extension is still the most preferred choice of each client in my 10+ years of experience. Great post. Thanks again!
Hey – Amazing article. Agree that the main domains are generally are ‘.com’, ‘.org’ and ‘.net’ that tend to do well on google search. However, these days many websites are utilizing ‘.co’ extension. So, would like to know the importance of that as well. Moreover, it shall be great to know how country specific extensions tend to perform compared to general domain extensions.
Great post thanks for sharing this valuable piece of information with us all. As we all know that getting a domain for your website is the first and fore most task that you’ll have to do before creating any website. And according to us .com domains are the best if you’re planning on creating a website that will be accessed globally and if you’re looking for a local domain then your country’s domain is better choice. Also if you are creating a website for an organisation you can use .org, .co and .net domain are best suitable. BTW amazing blog with such rich content.
Mice work keep it up.
This blog post simplified my decision. I was about to buy a domain. I was confused between buying a .in or .org because the .com was not available. Thank you so much for sharing this detailed and informative article.
My Website name is webusms.in is that work in India or globally. my thought are this work only .in extension india, so it perform globally also.
The .org domain extension is most often associated with non-profit organizations. This means, if you choose this type of domain extension for your business, you may run into the issue of some visitors thinking you re a non-profit organization.
Such a nice and informative post. I have .ae domain and it’s ranking on google 1st page with all targeted keywords
Using Google search console we can assign region easily if we want to do local SEO. You can choose any top-level TLD according to my experience.
Nice explanation .This will certainly help for new beginners who are confused or misguided when it comes to domain. I do agree with the points that you have mentioned in this article especially about .com domain. Overall a nice article to read.
How about .io domain, is it as good as .com domain?
Proper Order: .Com .Net Country ex. (.IN) .Org and the rest.
Exactly.. Domains like .Info or .Xyz takes a lot of time to Rank and also I think Google prefer .Com .Org and .Net domains over all other Domains.
I have been doing SEO on different TLD’s but in my opinion, Google doesn’t have a specific preference toward a TLD unless it’s limited to a particular niche or area like (.coupons, design, etc…), if you have a specific niche like for instance coupons I would highly suggest .coupon domain for instance as it already incorporates coupon keyword in each URL ensuring that overall you have shorter URL’s
Hi Nate,
Amazing Post! Thank you so much for sharing this informative post on how to select a good domain name between .com and .net . I totally with all your points that .com is much more valuable as .com is not only preferred by google but also preferred by general public. Whenever they heard of any brand & want to visit them online, they always try with a .com extensions or they simply search on google. That’s why most of the brands are only having the .com domain extensions. Also, whenever i want to buy a domain name i always look for .com and if its not available then i look for .net.
Also, other domain extensions like .xyz , .club, .online they take much time in ranking in search engines. But you can also rank them but need put much more efforts.
Cheers,
Abhay
I agree. I think not only Google prefers it but I think majotry of users prefer ‘.com’ or ‘.org’ as its what most big companies use.
Thank you so much, I have .blogspot blog and now I was going to buy a domain and I was searching for difference between .com .org and .net extensions. This post has helped me in an elegant way to select a domain for my future blogging.
I like this article. Thanks for this article. The domain options are really cool, I want to use .net in my site . This article helps me to choose me my one.
I think .com is still a standard now. If you want your business to be trustable, you should buy com domain for sure. Some other domains, e.g. io are getting popular as com is all sold out.
I think .com is the most used in all countries, also localized domains would be perfect for local business.
These are sound tips. I think that domain-name extensions like .blog, .life, and .money are fun, but people are still warming up to them. That being said, do you really think that strong, branded domain extensions are a bad move?
I mean will users really not click on something like “theawesome.store”? Might be worth doing an experiment on. .Com domains are becoming more and more rare, so it might be worth creating domains around some of the newer domain extensions.
I think it’s a Beautiful/organized way to move around the web. Shoppers love the concept of new and different!
Extremely insightful information. However, can i change my domain from a local domain to a CC TLD if im thinking of going global?
I was planning to launch a new website using org. extension and was bit confused . This content has cleared all my doubts. Thanks for the information.