What’s the difference between .com, .gov, and .co.uk? And do keywords in your domain name actually matter for SEO? We're answering some of your big website domain questions in today's blog.

When it comes to getting started on building your website, one of the first big decisions you'll be making is choosing your domain name. It’s not just about picking something that's catchy and memorable. It’s also about making a good first impression, building trust, and even boosting your SEO.

What do different domain extensions mean?
It can help if you think of domain extensions as the ending to your website’s name. Here’s a quick rundown of the most common ones:

• .com: This is the classic choice for businesses worldwide. It’s short, recognisable, and trusted globally.
• .co.uk: A favourite for British companies targeting UK audiences. It feels local too, which can help with trust.
• .gov is reserved for government websites and .org is mostly used by non-profits. These extensions are harder to get, needing to be acquired by a company or organisation.
• Newer Extensions (.shop, .tech, etc.): These can work well for niche industries, in fact we use this ourselves for furness.media!

The domain extension you choose can in some ways influence how people perceive and interact with your site. For instance, would you feel confident clicking on a .xyz site over a .com or .co.uk? Probably not.

Does your domain extension affect SEO?
This is a website domain question our customers often ask. The short answer to this one is not as much as you’d think. Search engines don’t really care whether your site is .com or .co.uk - they’re more interested in what’s on your site and how useful it is to online users.

Including keywords in your domain can give you an advantage in search rankings. Especially if they match what people are searching for. For example, if you sell plumbing services in Carlisle, a domain like carlisleplumber.co.uk will instantly tell search engines and users exactly what your site is about. This can make it easier for your website to show up when someone types 'plumber in Carlisle' into Google.

Search engines like Google do use keywords in your domain as a signal, but they won’t rank your site solely because of them. There are way more important factors, like the quality of your content, backlinks, and user experience. These have a much bigger impact.

It’s important not to overdo it though. If you cram too many keywords into your domain (think: bestplumbingservicescarlisle.co.uk), it can end up looking spammy and turn users off. This could damage your trustworthiness and user engagement. This in turn, can negatively affect your SEO.

Choosing the right domain name

Here are some of our simple tips for picking the perfect domain:

Keep it short and memorable: Long or complicated names are easy to forget and annoying for people to type.
Reflect your business: If you’re a local café, something like bestcoffee.co.uk is better than 123bestcoffee.net.
Avoid numbers and hyphens (unless they're in your business name): They can confuse people and make your site look less professional.
Think about your audience: If most of your customers are in the UK, go for .co.uk. If you’re global, .com is a pretty safe bet.

Your domain is the start of your story
Choosing a domain name is one of the first steps in building your online presence, but it’s a really important one. A good domain name builds trust, reflects your brand, and as a result helps connect your business or organisation with the right audience.

If you’re feeling stuck or want some advice, we’re here to help. Contact us today and we can chat about your business goals and find the perfect domain to help you shine online. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook to keep up with all our news, tips and advice - we'll see you there!