# Top Level Domains **URL:** \ **Category:** Blog, Website & Page Publishing\ **Tags:** content-seo\ **Created:** [June 5, 2024, 1:24pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/top-level-domains/108712 "2024-06-05T13:24:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RZieve](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/rzieve/32/202869_2.png) [@RZieve](https://community.hubspot.com/u/RZieve)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 1:24pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/top-level-domains/108712/1 "2024-06-05T13:24:54Z")
So, i have a business based in Africa that promotes tourism into Africa from overseas. Currently im working off a co.za domain Is there anything negative about using the .co.za to promote to the UK and USA? Should i preferably get a TLD like .com? Eventually i hope to promote into foreign speaking languages and would lik eto have a firm foundation with which to start. If i do go with a TLD, is there anything wrong with .co or .biz Thanks in advance ---
**Author:** ![karstenkoehler](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/karstenkoehler/32/68554_2.png) [@karstenkoehler](https://community.hubspot.com/u/karstenkoehler)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 1:31pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/top-level-domains/108712/2 "2024-06-05T13:31:57Z")
Hi @RZieve, Purely from a standpoint of familiarity, if you’re promoting to an American audience, a .com domain might be more familiar and by extension trustworthy than a top level domain that on a first glance seems novel and by extension potentially less trustworthy. If you have the option to run on a .com domain, that’s probably preferrable. Best regards ---
**Author:** ![RZieve](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/rzieve/32/202869_2.png) [@RZieve](https://community.hubspot.com/u/RZieve)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 1:44pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/top-level-domains/108712/3 "2024-06-05T13:44:32Z")
Thank you Karsten…appreciated. I do understand your familiarity perspective and take that into account. However i am looking at this from a SEO point of view. Is mydomain.co.za/us vs [mydomain.com/us](http://mydomain.com/us) going to make any difference to the way that Search Engines crawl, index or rank my domain? Appreciate your support ---
**Author:** ![karstenkoehler](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/karstenkoehler/32/68554_2.png) [@karstenkoehler](https://community.hubspot.com/u/karstenkoehler)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 1:50pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/top-level-domains/108712/4 "2024-06-05T13:50:52Z")
@RZieve search engines don’t disclose how exactly this would be handled. Generative AI provided a decent clarification: > * * * > > When considering SEO and how search engines crawl, index, and rank your domain, the choice between `mydomain.co.za/us` and `mydomain.com/us` can have implications. Here are some key points to consider: > > ### Domain Type and SEO Implications > > 1. **Geotargeting:** > > 2. **Crawling and Indexing:** > > 3. **Ranking Factors:** > > ### Specific Use Cases and Recommendations > > - **Local Business Focused on South Africa:** If your primary market is South Africa, `mydomain.co.za/us` might be preferable. It signals to search engines and users that your site is relevant to South Africa, which can help in local SEO. > - **International or Diverse Audience:** For a global or international audience, `mydomain.com/us` is generally better. It avoids regional limitations and is universally understood, making it easier to attract and retain users from different countries. > > ### Technical Considerations > > - **Geotargeting in Google Search Console:** If you choose a `.com` domain, you can use Google Search Console to set a specific country target if needed. This can help search engines understand the intended audience for particular sections of your site. > - **Consistent User Experience:** Ensure that your site structure, navigation, and content delivery are consistent and user-friendly across different domains or subdirectories. This enhances user experience, which is a significant ranking factor. > > ### Conclusion > > Both `mydomain.co.za/us` and `mydomain.com/us` can be optimized for SEO, but the choice depends on your target audience. For a South African-focused audience, the `.co.za` domain is beneficial. For a global audience, a `.com` domain is typically better. The key to SEO success lies in high-quality, relevant content, strong backlinks, and a positive user experience. > > * * * ---
**Author:** ![RZieve](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/rzieve/32/202869_2.png) [@RZieve](https://community.hubspot.com/u/RZieve)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 2:56pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/top-level-domains/108712/5 "2024-06-05T14:56:18Z")
Thank you Karsten, appreciated. I have another issue leading on from the previous. [mydomain.com](http://mydomain.com) isnt available unfortunately. I really like my trading name…IE mydomain. What is available is [my-domain.com](http://my-domain.com) I have done a bit of reading on this topic with regards SEO and come up with a mixed bag. Do you believe that having a hyphen in ones url can be advantageous, disadvantageous or neither here nor there. Again, thanks for the insights. Best rael ---
**Author:** ![karstenkoehler](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/karstenkoehler/32/68554_2.png) [@karstenkoehler](https://community.hubspot.com/u/karstenkoehler)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 4:15am UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/top-level-domains/108712/6 "2024-06-06T04:15:08Z")
@RZieve regarding the hyphen, here’s what you should consider from a technical point of view, again with the help of generative AI. > * * * > > - **Minimal Direct Impact:** > > - **Indirect Impact:** > > * * * Hope this helps! ---
**Author:** ![RZieve](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/rzieve/32/202869_2.png) [@RZieve](https://community.hubspot.com/u/RZieve)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 8:55am UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/top-level-domains/108712/7 "2024-06-06T08:55:29Z")
Thank u ---
**Author:** ![jnix284](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/jnix284/32/29_2.png) [@jnix284](https://community.hubspot.com/u/jnix284)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2024, 11:03pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/top-level-domains/108712/8 "2024-06-10T23:03:22Z")
@RZieve if your .co.za doesn’t have a hyphen and your .com does, I think that could cause some brand confusion and make people question if one or the other is legitimate. I would rather have the same domain and use .co or another alternative than .com to retain the same root domain for each region/language. ---
**Author:** ![RZieve](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/rzieve/32/202869_2.png) [@RZieve](https://community.hubspot.com/u/RZieve)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 8:51am UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/top-level-domains/108712/9 "2024-06-11T08:51:56Z")
Fair comment, thank u