.mc, .fr, .com extensions: What impact on SEO?

Here are the key points to remember in this article:

• Domain extensions have no direct influence on a website's SEO. Keywords such as .paris, .auto, .bzh have no benefit for natural referencing.
• Google uses geographical extensions (.fr, .mc, .it...) to geolocate the website and position it better in the search engines of the target country. It is advisable to use them as part of a national or local communication strategy.
• Generic domain extensions (.com) should be favoured as part of an international communication strategy, as they are not associated with a specific region and are recognised worldwide.
• In the eyes of users, certain extensions can have a positive impact on click-through rates in the SERPs.

SEO impact of geographical extensions (ccTLDs)

Definition of ccTLDs

ccTLDs (country code Top-Level Domains) are country-specific extensions, such as . fr for France or . mc for Monaco.

Advantages of geographical extensions

Search engines like Google use ccTLDs to understand the geographical relevance of a website. A site with a .fr extension will naturally be favoured in search results for users located in France.

However, within a French SERP (results page), using a .fr extension does not provide any additional advantage over a regional extension such as .alsace in terms of natural referencing.

ccTLDs for international use

It could be mistaken, but the scope of ccTLDs is not limited to a specific country. During an interview, John Muller, a member of the Google Search team, answered the following question: "Can ccTLDs work for a global website?

"The answer is yes. While a country code domain name helps our systems to geotarget for that country, it still allows for global visibility.

The only limitation is that you can't specify other countries for geotargeting. For example, if you have a .fr website for France, you could use that globally. But you wouldn't be able to explicitly geotarget users in Brazil."

SEO impact of generic extensions (gTLDs)

Definition of gTLDs

gTLDs are not tied to a particular country. They are flexible extensions that can be used by companies or individuals seeking to reach a global audience. For example: .org, .net, .info

The .com extension

Initially intended for websites of companies engaged in commercial activities, it is now used by sites in a variety of sectors throughout the world.

Companies wishing to reach an international clientele or create a multilingual platform often prefer this extension because it is not linked to a specific region or country. This is advantageous for companies looking to optimise their international communications.

The credibility associated with the .com extension can also improve the click-through rate (CTR), an important factor in SEO. Users are more likely to click on .com links because they are perceived as reliable and professional.

SEO impact of new generic extensions (nTLDs)

Definition of nTLDs

There are hundreds of new TLDs that appeared in 2008: .xyz, .tech, .biz, etc. They are used to indicate a site's sector of activity or purpose.

For example, a technology-oriented company might choose .tech to reinforce its brand image. A start-up could choose .io to evoke its link with innovation and new trends.

nTLDs for search engine optimisation?

Google has stated that keywords in a gTLD provide no ranking advantage. A domain such as mycompany.tech is treated similarly to mycompany.com in terms of search engine ranking.