What is a top-level domain (TLD)?

Creating a correct website domain name is very important. WEDEX will tell you what a TLD is and how to use it in brand promotion.

What is a top-level domain

Absolutely all domains on the Internet are formed from several components, in fact, the same levels, including the highest one. The levels are separated from each other by a simple dot. But what are they for and what do top-level addresses have to do with it?

Any website name has at least two address levels. However, the number of levels may depend on the direction of the site, the terms of use, or the needs of the owner. For example, the address of our website is wedex.com.ua. This address has the following components:

• wedex – the third-level address or Third-Level Domain. This component is also called the main name of the site.
• com is a second-level address or Second-Level Domain. It is an abbreviation of the word «commercial» and is often used for commercial websites.
• ua – the same top, first or highest level domain or Top-Level Domain. In the case of our website, it is a symbolic code for Ukraine.

The third and second levels of addresses can be invented independently, as this is provided by registrar companies. However, the top-level domain or TLD will have to be chosen from among the proposed ones, because TLDs are clearly defined by ICANN.

Types of top-level domains

The most important things on the Internet are TLDs, or top-level domains. These addresses are also called top-level domains of the network root zone.

Common top-level addresses

Generic first or top-level addresses refer to TLDs that denote a particular area of a website. The most common examples:

• .com is the most popular TLD. The origin of the name is explained above. A large number of sites use .com even if they are not related to the commercial sphere – this top-level address is so associated with the very essence of the Internet. Examples: facebook.com, google.com.
• .org is an abbreviation for «organization». A top-level or highest-level address intended for websites of public and non-profit organizations. Examples: wikipedia.org, redcross.org.
• .net – was conceived as a TLD for websites that conduct some kind of activity directly on and about the network, but later became a common top-level address for various areas. Examples: sourceforge.net, behavior.net.
• .io – was originally intended as a top-level address for the British Indian Ocean territories, but later gained popularity among tech startups and companies. Examples: the weather service tomorrow.io.
• .co – this top-level address is used as an abbreviation for «company» or «corporation», although it was intended to refer to Colombia. Sometimes used as a quick alternative to .com. Examples: bitly.co, over.co.

Reserved and national top-level addresses

There are also reserved top-level addresses. These include top-level namespaces for government agencies and enterprises. In order to register a website with such a TLD, you need to have the appropriate permits from the state:

• .gov is an abbreviation for «government», i.e. government. The .gov top-level address is intended exclusively for US government portals and websites. In other countries, the formation of such a top-level domain is as follows: .gov + country code. Examples: whitehouse.gov, fbi.gov.
• .edu is an abbreviation of «education», i.e. education. The .edu top-level address and its derivatives (with a country code) are intended only for accredited educational institutions, i.e. schools, universities or institutes. Examples: harvard.edu, mit.edu.
• .bank – this top-level address requires official confirmation that the applicant works in the banking sector. This name type also includes .insurance. Examples: wellsfargo.bank, usbank.bank.

Separately, there are top-level domains that have been reserved by specific countries. These top-level addresses are familiar to almost everyone, as they usually consist of a two-digit code. Unlike governmental TLDs, national top-level domains can still be registered by an ordinary person, but the procedure is more complicated.

To access a top-level address, a user may be required to provide documents proving trademark ownership, citizenship, or residence. In most cases, it is faster and easier to create a website address with a common top-level or first-level domain and add, for example, .ua, which refers to the Ukrainian address space.

A little about the formation of subdomains

Subdomains are addresses that are part of the main domain. The simplest example: your website has three versions – Ukrainian, English, and Polish. For more flexible customization of these versions, you can create a subdomain of the main site. It will look like this:

• example.com – the main domain of the site with the top-level address, the default language is Ukrainian.
• en.example.com – the address for the English language. Pay attention to the «en» prefix, which will tell the user that this is the English version. The top-level address does not change.
• pl.example.com – similar to the previous paragraph, the prefix «pl» indicates the presence of the Polish language.

The advantage of creating subaddresses is the possibility of additional indexing of pages by search engines. Another option for using subdomains is to place individual pages on their own subdomain.

TLD and DNS connection

The concepts of a top-level domain and DNS are closely related. First, let’s find out what DNS is.

In simple terms, DNS is a kind of «phone book» of the Internet with all the available website addresses. Top-level addresses act as pointers for the DNS. Without a TLD, it is impossible to ensure an effective network DNS hierarchy and link building.

To ensure stable indexing of your website by the top-level address, you should choose trusted DNS providers. They will ensure stable operation of the DNS server and help protect against fraudulent actions with your website address.

There is also such a thing as DNSSEC, which is an additional DNS security setting that should be configured to prevent spoofing of DNS records.

Another example of using DNS to ensure website security is the use of multiple DNS servers. In case of problems with one DNS, the other will continue to provide access to the site.

How to choose the right top-level domain

Top-level domains indicate the theme of the site. With the right name formation using a top-level domain, you are more likely to attract your target audience.

The TLD should be chosen based on the subject matter and direction of the website. For example, you run a commercial business and need an online store. Then creating an address with a .com or .com.ua top-level domain will be a more appropriate option.

If you need to create a blog or a narrowly focused website, you should pay attention to top-level domains that provide more detail on the topic. Examples: .me, .photo, .online, .education, .design.

The correct formation of a domain name with a first-level address is also extremely important for small businesses. While The New York Times can afford to use a rather abstract nytimes address with a .com top-level domain, a meat producer or florist cannot. In this case, it is more appropriate to create a more understandable address using a niche-specific top-level domain.

The impact of domains on SEO

There is no definite answer to the question «How much does a top-level address affect SEO optimization?». But a properly formed domain with a top-level address is important both for the brand as a whole and for SEO optimization. The key criteria are the length of the site name, taking into account the top-level, the clarity of this name, and the relevance of the top-level subject to the name.

Having a keyword that helps to understand the niche of the site is good, but it should not be overused. Too long and unnatural names will also have a negative impact on CTR and the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

This seriously affects the SEO promotion of a website in search engines:

• Regional binding – the presence of a country code in a TLD directly affects the ranking of a website by Google crawlers. For example, .ua top-level domains are more likely to appear in Ukrainian search results than German sites with a .de top-level address. Generic top-level domains such as .org, .com, or the newer .tech, .online will work well with websites without any region-specific link, but the impact on SEO will be less localized.
• Domain name – the website address should be short and to the point. Having keywords in the name makes sense, but with the latest updates to Google’s algorithms, this influence has decreased significantly.
• Brand – a domain should be associated with a brand. This will help create a long-term SEO strategy through brand awareness.
• Multiple domains – if a brand has several addresses, it is important that all of them are correctly «linked» to the main one. Otherwise, there’s a chance of traffic separation and loss.
• Domain history – the history of a domain is extremely important for search engines. Old addresses are more important for search engines if these sites have long been publishing high-quality content.

How to register a top-level domain

To register a top-level domain, you will need the services of a registrar company. There are many companies offering such services online, so it’s best to pay attention to well-known companies with a high user trust rating.

To make life easier for their clients, registrars often offer hosting services. This makes sense, because you can not only quickly register a website’s address, but also start working on the site as soon as possible. However, decentralization of hosting and domain registration services is a safer solution.

Domain security and protection issues

In order for your domain and hosting to serve you for years and benefit your business, you should remember the basic rules of computer security:

• All services related to your hosting should have two-factor authentication, including emails.
• A strong password that can only be accessed by people you authorize.
• Availability of backups on the hosting.
• You should log in to any administrative panels of your website or hosting through your own system.
• Updating website software and website builders is crucial – they contain improvements to website security.

As for direct threats to the domain itself, here are some examples:

• phishing
• DDoS attacks
• malware that can corrupt DNS records.

The future of top-level domains

The Internet is evolving, and new interesting initiatives from ICANN are being created along with it. Thus, since 2011, ICANN has been conducting New gTLD initiative activities on an ongoing basis. This program is aimed at expanding and clarifying generic top-level names. For example, such TLDs as .computer, .photo, .coffee, .life, .guitars, and many others have recently appeared.

Thanks to these decisions, many TLDs have emerged that will allow businesses to better stand out from the competition and add more context to the TLD.

Conclusions.

Choosing a top-level domain is an important step in brand building and business development. From this article, we learned which domains are best used for specific areas, why some TLDs require a passport and documents, and how a domain affects SEO. Stay with WEDEX and learn about other useful internet marketing tools!

Oleksandr Romanenko

Team Lead/Senior SEO specialist

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