Technology

Different Types of Domains and Best SEO Practices

The first step in establishing an online presence for your business is owning a domain. It serves as your physical address and allows users to access your website through their browsers.

Well-thought domain names can help your business in the following ways:

  • Create a professional look
  • Increase brand awareness
  • Help market your products and increase sales
  • Build credibility
  • Protect your trademark and copyright

What is a domain?

A domain, also known as a domain name or web address, is an address that users type into the address bar of their browser to find a website.

A registered domain name is unique to you. It is similar to a street address in the physical world on the Internet.

What are the elements of a domain name?

The following are three main elements of domain names:

  • Top-level domains (TLDs)

TLDs, also known as extensions or domain endings, are the suffix or the last part of the domain name. For example, if your business’s domain is www.example.com, the TLD is “.com”.

There are a lot of suffixes available, including:

  • .com – commercial business
  • .org – organisations
  • .gov – government agencies
  • .edu – educational institutions
  • .net – network organisations

TLDs are classified into three broad categories:

  • Generic top-level domains (gTLDs): This category identifies the domain class with which it is associated, such as .com, .org, .edu, and so on.
  • Country Code top-level domains (ccTLDs): It is a two-letter extension, such as .in, that denotes a particular country, autonomous territory, sovereign state, or geographic location.
  • New top-level domains (nTLDs): These extensions are more customised, flexible, and relevant to brands, organisations, and services. Examples of nTLDs include .voyage, .app, .ninja, .cool, and others.
  • Second-level domains (SLDs)

SLDs, or domain titles, are the central part of a domain name. It is usually a combination of words that describes a business or website. In www.example.com, the word “example” would be the SLD.

  • Subdomains or third-level domains

Subdomains come before the second-level domain in the URL. They specify the type of server to which the domain connects when accessing website data. Earlier, they used to be considered a requirement but are now an option in the URL.

Many website owners create subdomains to represent different sections of their websites. Here are some examples:

  • – It is the most common third-level domain and stands out for the world wide web.
  • or store. – It directs visitors to the e-commerce portion of your website.
  • – It directs visitors to the blog section of your website to help gain online traffic and market their products.
  • – It provides customer support services, resources, or tutorials to help customers with inquiries and issues.
  • – It hosts an application or allows users to access it via the internet.

Best SEO practices for choosing the right domain name

If you want your domain name to help your business get more search engine traffic, make sure to follow these SEO best practices.

  • Make it simple to type, spell, pronounce, and remember.
  • Avoid using numbers and symbols.
  • Make it your business’s name.
  • Use keywords to improve your SEO rankings.
  • To avoid brand confusion, make sure it’s distinct from other brands.
  • Choose a TLD that corresponds to the goals of your organisation.
  • If you want users to recognise your website, use the popular “.com” extension.
  • Use an online domain name checker to see if your ideas are available.
  • If you already have a local SEO strategy, you can choose to localise your domain.

Conclusion

By now you must have understood that domains are more than just a requirement for getting online. You must make the most of it to ensure that it accurately represents your brand and is integrated into your current SEO strategy. You can explore multiple domain name options using domain name suggestion tools offered by various providers and pick the one suitable for your business. Once done, buy the right web hosting and start creating your website.