So you tried to register your business name with the .com extension and it was already taken – such a nuisance! You spent all that time brainstorming only to find out some random brand in another part of the world has claimed your dream domain and is doing nothing with it.
It’s an all-too-common theme in the digital era, where businesses and domainers alike buy up all the good extensions for their own brands or sell to other business owners. But there are more options in your corner, specifically the country code top-level domain name (ccTLDs).
As you can probably guess by now it is the extension that includes the country code in the extension. The most obvious example to us Aussies is .com.au and you will have likely seen thousands of web addresses with that extension.
This is one of the best options domain name registration Australia has as it not only allows you to potentially bypass those sneaky domainers but also provides SEO and credibility benefits!
Let’s take a look at why a country code TLD could be perfect for your Aussie business:
Story Stages
1. They provide SEO & local targeting benefits
ccTLDs provide an avenue for targeting your local Aussie audience. For example, you own an online swimwear store and you want to target beachgoers from Brissy to Perth. Enlisting the .com.au extension ensures that you will be more likely to show up in the search results of Australian beachgoers looking to receive quick shipping on swimwear.
This not only ensures you will receive more local traffic but is also fantastic for your SEO, and why? Because a ccTLD provides greater SEO value for local search results. Each individual’s IP address returns different results and this includes many local ones. This means that if someone looked up boardshorts Australia your website would more likely show up than a brand operating out of the United States.
2. It makes your brand locally-credible
People like to know that they are buying from a trustworthy local brand and not some dubious international supplier. They also like the notion that they will receive their delivery far sooner than if they bought the same product from the UK, US etc. Therefore, a ccTLD is ideal for instilling a sense of trust and credibility with your brand.
After all, many customers’ first experiences with your company will likely be entering your web address into the search bar. As such, having the .com.au extension ensures that you will immediately appear more credible than if you had a .com or .net extension.
3. It can give you your dream extension
Sure, you may not have been allowed to use your original domain name with just .com attached. But this is fine, especially when you consider the previous-two benefits of enlisting a ccTLD. Not only will you likely be able to use the same branding as you would have using a .com extension, but you will also receive all the benefits of having local traffic, SEO and heightened credibility attached to your brand.
It’s for these reasons that ccTLDs are so popular in Australia. They provide a combination of both human and technical advantages that make them the ideal option for businesses across the country. So, do you think it might be ideal to switch the style up a little and enlist a powerful ccTLD? We think so!