What is a Top Level Domain?

A top-level domain (TLD) is the last text segment in a domain name, such as .com or .net.

Top-level domains are also called domain extensions, domain suffixes, and URL extensions.

TLDs seem like a small problem. But they are a major part of any online business’s marketing strategy.

And they look like this:

URL parts

Every website address has a TLD.

TLDs help identify, organize, and classify websites based on their content, purpose, or location.

For example, a .com TLD is typically used for commercial websites. While a .edu TLD is used for schools and educational institutions.

And a .de domain extension is used for German websites and online resources.

Your TLD can give users and search engines an idea of ​​the services your website provides, your location and your work sector.

Types of top-level domains

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) operate the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA)which regulates the use and allocation of domain names.

The IANA groups top-level domains into six main types:

Generic Top Level Domains (gTLD)

Generic top-level domains have three or more characters. And anyone can register them.

They are the most common TLDs. This is what users expect to see when they browse the web.

Here are some of the most popular gTLDs:

Despite their label, generic TLDs can still provide users with information about a website.

For example, .net often represents network sites, while .org represents organizations.

Some companies have started to make their gTLDs even more specific. As of 2011, established companies and organizations are allowed to apply for and register their own gTLDs.

As a result, you can now visit sites with TLDs like the following:

In 2014, geographic top-level domains (geoTLD) were introduced as a way to associate a website with a geographic, geopolitical, ethnic, linguistic or cultural community.

While geoTLDs are related to regions and communities, they are considered gTLDs because their registration is not restricted.

Examples of geoTLDs include the following:

  • .berlin
  • .amsterdam
  • .paris

From January 2023 there is 1,246 generic top-level domains.

Generic Restricted Top Level Domains (grTLD)

Generic restricted top-level domains (grTLDs) are similar to gTLDs. But their suitability is limited for special uses.

IANA requires proof of eligibility to register one.

The following domain extensions are grTLDs:

The .biz grTLD, for example, is designated for bona fide business and commercial use. Your average blog or affiliate site may not be eligible.

Sponsored Top Level Domains are a specialized TLD sponsored by private agencies and organizations.

These top-level domains are reserved for groups and organizations that share common themes and criteria. (Like businesses or government agencies.)

The sponsoring agencies have the final say on the eligibility requirements.

Examples of sTLDs include:

  • .gov
  • .museum
  • .edu
  • .mil (US Army)

Like generic top-level domains, sponsored top-level domains provide information about websites and their related industries.

For example, .edu is reserved for accredited educational institutions in the United States. And .gov represents US government websites.

Websites with sTLDs help users find official information quickly and are generally considered trustworthy.

To get an sTLD for your website, you must apply for one with a ICANN Accredited Registrar and ensure that you meet the specific criteria.

There are currently only 14 sponsored top-level domains in the IANA database.

Country Code Top Level Domains (ccTLD)

Country code top-level domains are two-letter extensions reserved for countries, sovereign states and territories.

ccTLDs are available to websites and organizations from the corresponding country or territory. Or to corporations that have a presence in the region.

Websites can use ccTLDs to demonstrate to customers in which country they are based and serve. ccTLDs also help Google geotarget your site for more accurate search results.

However, country code top-level domains only target countries and territories, not languages. International SEO and multilingual websites require more than just a ccTLD.

The following is a list of common ccTLDs:

  • .ca (Canada)
  • .br (Brazil)
  • .from (Germany)
  • .fr (France)
  • .ie (Ireland)
  • .in India)
  • .uk (United Kingdom)
  • .us (United States)
  • .io (British Indian Ocean Territory)

In recent years, websites have also used ccTLDs for branding purposes.

For example, .io is a ccTLD often used in the technology industry, while .ly (Libya) and .es (Spain) are commonly used to optimize full domain names, as in Apple’s itun.es.

In fact, Google took notice of this practice and started treating some ccTLDs as gTLDs.

As of January 2023, the IANA database listed 316 country code top-level domains.

Test Top Level Domains (tTLD)

Test stop level domains are a set of TLDs (and domains) reserved for testing and development purposes.

You cannot register these domains at the Domain Name System (DNS). Which means you can use test top-level domains to freely test software changes without fear of conflict with a current or future domain name.

tTLDs are typically only used for documentation and internal development processes.

The four main tTLDs include the following:

  • .test
  • .example
  • .invalid
  • .localhost

The IANA database lists several additional tTLDs.

Infrastructure Top Level Domain

An infrastructure top-level domain contains one TLD: the address and route parameter area (ARPA, or .arpa).

In fact, .arpa was the first top-level domain to exist.

You can’t register it as a TLD because it’s usually only used for internet infrastructure purposes.

Do Top Level Domains Affect SEO?

Yes, TLDs can affect SEO and your overall marketing performance.

However, TLDs are a minor factor compared to on-page SEO, backlink profiles, and other aspects of your marketing efforts.

Google has confirmed that the use of a custom TLD that includes keywords gives no advantage or disadvantage in search.

But while TLDs won’t directly affect your position on Google, they can affect how people perceive your brand.

It’s a matter of trust.

To users, some top-level domains look more legitimate than others.

For example, a 2022 study shows that .com and .org are among the most trusted TLDs to use for your website.

trust rating of TLDs

If users perceive your TLD as more legitimate, they may be more likely to click on your site in search results.

That means you could get more organic traffic with a generic top-level domain like .com than you can with a less common TLD.

Your TLD can influence other channels because users are more likely to click links anywhere they perceive to be trustworthy—not just in search engine results.

Here are the top 20 shady TLDs according to the computer software company Symantec:

shady TLDs

While TLDs can potentially affect your SEO and overall marketing effectiveness, the most important thing is to choose a TLD that accurately reflects your business and its purpose.

In this way, you will be transparent and reliable for users.

Choose the best TLD for your website and your users

Top-level domains indicate your site’s purpose and help attract your target audience.

If you want to target users by country, you may need a country code top-level domain. If your audience is global, a generic top-level domain might be the way to go.

A good way to determine which TLD will work best for your industry and target audience is to observe what your competitors are doing.

Simply looking at the TLDs they use is a good place to start.

But you can take the analysis a step further by using Semrush’s Backlink Analysis tools.

To get started, type in a competitor’s URL and click “Analyze.”

The main “Overview” report provides information about who is linking to your competitor’s website and how.

But if you scroll down to the “TLD Distribution” panel, you will see a breakdown of the referring domains by their TLDs.

TLD distribution report

Click “Regard full report” to get an expanded view of the data.

detailed TLD distribution report

This report is helpful in choosing a TLD because it’s fair to assume that most of the sites linking to your competitors are in a similar industry or community.

If most of the websites in your industry or community use ccTLDs such as .uk, this may indicate user preference for such TLDs.

But if neither your competitors nor the sites linking to them are using a TLD like .io, it might suggest you shouldn’t use it either.

Ultimately, though, you want to choose a TLD that accurately reflects your website and its purpose. And it aligns with the expectations and perceptions of your target audience.

List of top level domains by popularity

Not sure which TLD is right for you? Use the following TLD list to help determine the best option.

If your goal is to use a common TLD that users are familiar with, choose a more popular one. Or if you want to stand out, you might want to choose a more unique option.

Before you decide, review the top level domain list based on popularity:

Rank

TLD

Percentage of websites using TLD

1

.com

49.2%

2

.org

4.6%

3

.ru

4.0%

4

.only

3.0%

5

.of

2.4%

6

.uk

2.1%

7

.oh

1.7%

8

.fr

1.6%

9

.in

1.5%

10

.br

1.4%

11

.jp

1.4%

12

.It

1.2%

13

.and

1.1%

14

.pl

1.1%

15

.approx

1.0%

16

.namely

0.9%

17

.do

0.8%

18

.vn

0.7%

19

.tr

0.7%

20

.co

0.7%

21

.cz

0.6%

22

.es

0.6%

23

.gr

0.5%

24

.ch

0.5%

25

.information

0.5%

26

.cn

0.5%

27

.EU

0.5%

28

.for

0.5%

29

.io

0.5%

30

.il

0.5%

31

.id

0.4%

32

.tw

0.4%

33

.kr

0.4%

34

.mx

0.4%

35

.ro

0.4%

36

.be

0.4%

37

.ar

0.4%

38

.say

0.4%

39

.hu

0.3%

40

.nz

0.3%

41

.at

0.3%

42

.cl

0.3%

43

.dk

0.3%

44

.by

0.3%

45

.sk

0.2%

46

.we

0.2%

47

.no

0.2%

48

.xyz

0.2%

49

.rf

0.2%

50

.I

0.2%



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