Domains

A domain is the easy-to-remember name of a website (e.g. example.com) instead of the IP address. It consists of a top-level domain (.de, .com), a second-level domain (the name) and optionally a subdomain (www). The extension signals the target market to Google.

Technically, every website and every online shop can be reached via an IP address – a string of numbers that hardly anyone can remember. The domain is the easy-to-remember name under which a website can be found on the internet, for example example.com. Domains follow a fixed structure that is read from right to left: on the far right is the top-level domain (TLD), such as “.com”. Before it comes the second-level domain, i.e. the actual name – here “example”. Optionally, a subdomain (third-level domain) precedes this, usually “www”. Besides “www”, any number of other subdomains are possible, such as “shop.example.com” or “mail.example.com”.

The extension “.de” is a country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) and stands for Germany, “.ch” for Switzerland and “.at” for Austria. There are also generic extensions such as “.com” (originally for commercial offerings, now used internationally), “.org” for organisations or “.net”. Since 2013, numerous new extensions have been added, such as “.shop”, “.online” or city extensions like “.berlin”. For SEO, the extension is above all a signal of country targeting: a ccTLD such as “.de” or “.ch” shows Google which market the site is intended for. Generic extensions such as “.com”, on the other hand, are suitable for international sites that target different countries via hreflang annotations.

Why register a domain for your website at all?

Domains were introduced because people can remember names better than strings of numbers. The Domain Name System (DNS) automatically translates the name into the matching IP address when it is called up. At the same time, domains create recognition and trust – for example when they appear in the search results. A clear brand name in the domain immediately shows users who is behind an offer.

Each domain can only be assigned once. Extensions are managed by registries – for “.de” this is DENIC, for “.ch” SWITCH. Registration is done via providers (registrars), who register the domain on behalf of the owner. There are rules for domain names: letters, digits and hyphens are allowed; upper and lower case make no difference. Umlauts such as ä, ö and ü are possible for many extensions, including “.de” and “.ch”, as so-called internationalised domain names (IDN). Special characters such as !, % or #, on the other hand, are not permitted.

Registering a domain

Anyone starting a website or shop first checks whether the desired name is still available. If it is, it can be registered via a reputable registrar or hosting provider, usually for a small annual fee. It makes sense to secure the brand name in the most important extensions right away and, if necessary, redirect them to the main domain. For SEO, what counts above all is a short, memorable and brand-strong domain; keyword domains such as “cheap-shoes-online.com” hardly bring any ranking advantage today.