Does domain extension matter?

[pdx78]

I am developing a new site in Japanese, and am trying to figure out if I should stick with my .ca domain, or get a .jp domain for it.

For example, does google japan give better results for a .jp domain, over a .ca domain? Or is it totally irrelevant of the domain extension?

[rfgdxm1]

Extension is irrelevant.

[MHes]

Extension is relevant

Local searches show sites with either the appropriate country extension or hosted in that country. I would guess Japanese searchers click the 'Japanese only sites' option.

[OptiRex]

Where you are hosted is more relevant than the domain extension.

If you want to be listed in Google.jp then get a Japanese-based host, hosting in the US etc will not be shown on Google.jp unless the option of "seach www" is selected.

[vincevincevince]

OptiRex - I've found (with the .co.uk) that it's a one or the other deal. Get hosting in the right place OR get a ccTLD for the right country.

[vmaster]

Extension is certainly relevant - alongwith the actual location of your hosting. Furthermore, some of Google's search partners ignore the hosting aspect as well, and simply filter the results to the specific country's domain extension only.

[Trax]

100% agree with what vmaster said.
It's exactly like that

[Jack_Hughes]

domain extension is also important from an end user perspective too. If I see two results in the SERPs one with my country extension another with a generic extension like .com then, if what i am doing is in anyway country specific like shopping, then i am going to choose the link closest to me. I usually assume that .com are american sites.

So, if i want to buy a widget online and i type a search into google, in my case, i will click on the .co.uk link before a .com link. the .com may well be a uk company, but i won't know until i click on it.

we're just in the process of moving from a .com to .co.uk for precisely this reason.

[rfgdxm1]

>Extension is relevant

>Local searches show sites with either the appropriate country extension or hosted in that country. I would guess Japanese searchers click the 'Japanese only sites' option.

Which means that if he has Japanese hosting, the extension is irrelevant. I should have been more specific; however on that condition Google Japan will give the same results.

[OptiRex]

>I usually assume that .com are american sites.

Jack_Hughes, it's a dangerous game to play assuming your potential customers perceives the same that you do, however if all you want are UK sales then do make sure your site is hosted on a UK based server otherwise Google.co.uk will not display it in those results.

There are many European companies, in fact many companies worldwide operating with .com extensions since for a long time it was the default extension of choice simply on cost grounds. We have in excess of 100 .coms but only 10 .co.uk's even though we are primarily a UK based company selling globally.

[arthurdaley]

If you ask me, you're better off going with the local country code domain. At least you'll be able to host it anywhere you like. Although I'm in the UK I use US hosts for some of my sites simply because you can get a much better deal on purchasing large volumes of bandwidth. In my experience, and I have shopped around a lot, UK hosting companies seem to offer a much worse deal overall.

[Jack_Hughes]

OptiRex, of course it would be different if we were a UK company targetting the world, but we are not. we are a uk company targetting the uk. in that context i think it entirely sensible having a .co.uk domain.

[OptiRex]

>In my experience, and I have shopped around a lot, UK hosting companies seem to offer a much worse deal overall.

arthurdaley - I could not have agreed with you more until a couple of months ago and my persistence finally located a superb UK host with servers in both the UK and USA, they charge the same for whichever location you use and extra bandwidth, if required, is as competitive as any US host.

Obviously I cannot mention them here but sticky me if you like.

Jack_Hughes - are you going to re-direct from your .com or let it die?

[Jack_Hughes]

OptiRex - we are redirecting from the .com domain to the .co.uk. this will/is disturbing our se listings but the price will be worth it in the long run. i expect that it will take a number of months to get the traffic back to pre-.com levels. c'est la via.