.com vs .co.uk
For a UK business, the choice between .com and .co.uk is mostly about who your customers are. A .co.uk tells visitors and Google that you are a UK business, which builds local trust. A .com works everywhere and is the default people type when they are not sure.
| .com | .co.uk | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Generic | Country code |
| Run by | Verisign | Nominet |
| Available since | 1985 | 1985 |
| Best for | Commercial and general use – the most recognised extension worldwide. | Commercial sites aimed at the United Kingdom – the most trusted extension for UK businesses. |
| Geography and Google | Global – Google treats it as a generic extension | United Kingdom – Google uses it as a signal that the site targets the UK |
| Who can register | Anyone | Anyone |
| HTTPS required | No | No |
| Time from expiry to public release | About 65–80 days | About 90–95 days |
Which should you choose?
Choose .co.uk if you mainly sell to UK customers – it signals a UK business to visitors and to Google. Choose .com if you sell internationally or plan to. Many UK businesses register both and redirect one to the other.
What it means for SEO
Search engines rank pages on their content and links, not on the extension. A country-code extension tells Google which country the site is for; generic ones (including .io, .co and .ai) work worldwide.
Frequently asked questions
Does .co.uk rank better in the UK?
Google uses .co.uk as a signal that the site is meant for the UK, which can help in UK results. A .com can rank just as well in the UK when the content is clearly for UK customers.
Should I register both?
Usually yes. They are cheap, and owning both stops someone else using your name. Choose one as your main site and redirect the other to it with a 301 redirect.