Every website and every URL has a top-level domain, a term usually abbreviated as TLD. The TLD is the last part of a root domain, for example .nl or .be. It is called a TLD because it is considered the highest level of a domain name. Another name for the TLD is extension.
Many entrepreneurs and website builders pay relatively little attention to the TLD. We think that’s a shame, because this small part of your URL can be very important. You can read why later in this article. Before we get to that, for the sake of completeness, we’ll first break down a URL so you have a clear understanding of where the TLD fits into such a URL.
A complete URL breakdown
The TLD is certainly not the only component in a URL. Entrepreneurs and website builders should, in principle, be familiar with every component of such a URL. That is why we explain here what these components are. As an example, we use the URL https://voorbeeld.digitalwizards.nl/online-marketing/. This can be broken down as follows:
- It starts with the so-called protocol, consisting of https://
- Next comes the subdomain: example
- digitalwizards is the domain name
- The TLD discussed in this article is .nl
- The domain name and the TLD together (digitalwizards.nl/en) form the root domain
- The URL ends with the subdirectory online-marketing
What kinds of TLDs are there?
There are several types of TLDs you can choose from when starting a new website or updating an existing one. The following TLDs are typically the most common:
- Country-specific TLDs, such as .nl, .be, and .fr. These are also known as country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs). If your organization targets (customers from) a single specific country, it makes sense to choose a country-specific extension. Good to know: as a visitor to such a site, you expect to find it in the language indicated by the TLD. On a site with a .nl extension, you typically post information in Dutch.
- Is your company active internationally? And are you planning a website in two or more languages? Then it makes sense to choose the .com TLD. Consumers associate a .com website with international operations.
- .com is an example of a generic TLD. Generic TLDs usually have three characters or more. Other well-known examples include .org, .info, and .net.
- Sponsored TLDs, typically abbreviated as sTLDs. Here, the extension refers to a sponsor or a party that enables the website’s existence.
For this reason, pay attention to your TLD
The TLD you choose has no impact on your SEO. Still, it’s important to choose your TLD carefully. After all, a website name serves as an essential calling card to your potential customers. In that regard, you’ll benefit most from a TLD that’s recognizable and easy to remember. This makes you appear more trustworthy than with an extension that’s unknown to the general public. With an unknown TLD, your website may be perceived as a spam site, even if people haven’t even searched for your site yet.
