Hi I work for a British company which has two well established websites – a .co.Uk for the UK, and a .com for the US and rest of the world (in language directories). The Uk site is hosted in the Uk, the .com in US.
The websites do reasonable well in Google on both sides of the Atlantic. The company is a small but quite well known brand.
The company is now thinking of redirecting the .co.Uk to the .com as it would be cheaper to maintain.
What would you advise?
Redirecting the .co.uk domain to the .com domain can be a good way to save money on hosting and maintenance costs. However, it is important to consider the impact that this will have on your search engine rankings and user experience.
Here are some things to think about:
- Search engine rankings: If you have a well-established .co.uk domain that is ranking well in Google, redirecting it to the .com domain could have a negative impact on your rankings. This is because Google will see the redirect as a change in the website’s content and authority, and it may take some time for the new .com domain to rank as well as the .co.uk domain.
- User experience: When a user enters the .co.uk domain in their browser, they will be redirected to the .com domain. This can be confusing for users, and it may make them less likely to visit your website again.
If you are considering redirecting your .co.uk domain to the .com domain, I recommend that you do the following:
- Do a search engine analysis: Check your search engine rankings for the .co.uk domain and see how they compare to the .com domain. If the .co.uk domain is ranking well, you may want to consider keeping it and paying for separate hosting and maintenance costs.
- Test the redirect: Set up a redirect and test it with users to see how they react. If users are confused or frustrated by the redirect, you may want to reconsider.
- Make sure the .com domain is up to date: Make sure that the .com domain is up to date with the same content and functionality as the .co.uk domain. This will help to minimize any negative impact on your search engine rankings and user experience.
I recommend that you carefully consider the factors involved before making a decision.
However there are few more points that can help
Switch from .com to .co.uk
- The .co.uk domain is probably stronger in Google UK.
- The company can ensure that its website is more visible to potential customers in the UK.
Can .co.uk rank in USA?
- .co.uk domain can rank in the US. Google no longer considers the domain extension as a ranking factor.
Which domain extension is useful for both us and uk
- The .com domain extension is the most popular domain extension in the world and is considered to be the most generic.
- .com is a good option for businesses that are targeting customers in both the US and UK.
Target audience factor while deciding domain extension
- .com domains are more familiar to Users.
- .com domains are the most popular domain extension in the world and are seen as being more reputable and trustworthy than other domain extensions.
- This can help to build brand recognition and trust in both the US and UK.
- .com domains are more versatile can be used for businesses of any size or industry.
If you are not sure which domain extension to choose, .com is a safe option that will be beneficial for businesses that are targeting customers in both the US and UK.
