Root domain is a term that frequently appears in the fields of IT and online marketing. A root domain (sometimes also called a main domain) consists of a combination of a domain name and an extension. In the case of Digital Wizards, the root domain is digitalwizards.nl/en.
Later in this article, we explain the relationship between the root domain and other domain levels. We also provide a number of tips for choosing a suitable domain name. First, we’ll delve deeper into the importance of a root domain for link building.
Important for link building
The root domain can play an important role in your link building. This has everything to do with the authority of a website where you place or have a backlink placed. This authority is important because it directly influences your link value and link profile, and thus ultimately your overall SEO results.
Many people tend to look only at the homepage or a specific subpage when determining the authority of an external site. However, the root domain as a whole says more about this authority.
The best way to analyze the authority of an external website’s root domain is to use a tool specifically designed for that purpose. Examples of suitable tools include Majestic, Ahrefs, and SEMrush.
How does a root domain relate to other domain levels?
Root domain is certainly not the only term that relates to your URL. To fully understand this, it’s helpful to know the other key terms as well. We’ll explain this using an example. Here, we’ll use page marketing terms as our starting point. This URL consists of the following domain components:
- https://: this section is referred to as the protocol.
- www is the subdomain.
- digitalwizards is the domain name.
- .nl represents the top-level domain (TLD). This is often also referred to as the extension.
- digitalwizards.nl/en is the root domain, or the main domain.
- The subdirectory is, after all, marketing terms.
Tips for creating a suitable URL
As a business owner, department head, and/or website developer, you naturally have a significant influence on how your website’s URLs should be structured. This should not be taken lightly, as a URL serves as an important calling card for your company as a whole. Below are a few tips to help you create a well-structured URL:
- Choose a domain name that isn’t too long and is easy to remember. This ensures that potential customers are more likely to type your URL into their address bar on their own.
- Your company name is usually suitable as a domain name. You can also choose to use a frequently searched term as your domain name.
- Avoid using special punctuation marks or symbols in your domain name.
- Choose an appropriate domain extension (TLD). For example, are you only active in the Netherlands? Then .nl is a logical choice as an extension. Companies operating internationally are more likely to choose .com.
