.net.au vs .com.au for eCommerce - is there a difference?

[shags38]

Hello,
I am trying to ascertain for certain if a .net.au domain is treated differently to a .com.au domain for an eCommerce site given that all else is equal, i.e. does ccTLD hierachy come into play as far as search engines are concerned - if a domain was available in .net.au that had a suitable name (site product content within name) vs a similar .com.au is there any disadvantage in using the .net.au name?

cheers,
Mike

p.s. simply ccTLD aspect, all other aspects of a website performing are full understood and presumed in above query

 

[snoopy]

I don't think search engines would care unless the .net.au had a lower ctr.

The main issue will be spillover traffic and mass confusion. Difficulty communicating the domain, lost emails etc.

 

[shags38]

Hi Snoops, thanks for responding - not the SAME name .... similar, i.e. of the same domain [name = content] that Google attributes some PR to (minor these days but every bit helps) e.g. redapples.com.au vs redapplesshop.net.au (both contain the name of the product content on the site = selling red apples.

So I assume from your comment there is no hierachal difference that would affect Search Results Positions by the search engines due to ccTLD? ......... are you sure about this or is it just opinion?

cheers, Mike

 

[shags38]

The reason I am being pedantic about it is that .net doesn't carry the same weight as .com - so wondering if that carries over to ccTLD's for Australia which is unique (??) in having two ccTLD's

 

[snoopy]

The reason I am being pedantic about it is that .net doesn't carry the same weight as .com - so wondering if that carries over to ccTLD's for Australia which is unique (??) in having two ccTLD's

I have never seen anything to suggest that Google would weight a site based on extension (aside from cctlds which could be some type of signal).

What would be the logical purpose in say giving a .com site a greater weight than a .net site (unless less one had a better ctr)?

Australia isn't unique in having two extensions, lots of countries have that or more.

 

[findtim]

bottom line is " content is king" , i do beleive you also do have to do more work if its a .net.au, i own NONE other then the ones i own the .com.au for and even then only the best domains , so @ 5 total .net.au's
snoopy's right in you'll still get "bleed" to the .com.au from other sources and type-ins.
i personally wouldn't touch a .net.au and never have as a first choice.

due to ccTLD?

i beleive google does favour the .com.au over the .com, its just the .com's that win are huge players eg: accom sites, travel sites anything worldwide but ever ebay pops up as its .com.au but thats probably because ebay decided that and not google.
tim

 

[snoopy]

i beleive google does favour the .com.au over the .com, its just the .com's that win are huge players eg: accom sites, travel sites anything worldwide but ever ebay pops up as its .com.au but thats probably because ebay decided that and not google.
tim

I don't know about that. I think if Google figures out the .com site is Australian why would they care? (unless the .com has a lower ctr)

In my view Aussies love .com sites, and also .com.au sites bleed to the equivalent .com. Then again if you run a local site on .com without .com.au that will bleed as well.

Any Australian business should try to get get the .com.au/.com combination to cover bases.

 

[findtim]

why would they care?

i agree, thus get back to "content is king"
i always suggest a cairns resort/tourist type site gets .com and .com.au , but not dubbodentist or even sydneydentists

tim

 

[snoopy]

i agree, thus get back to "content is king"
i always suggest a cairns resort/tourist type site gets .com and .com.au , but not dubbodentist or even sydneydentists

tim

They will all see spill to some degree. Probably depends on whether the site is particularly important for say a dentist and whether they have much repeat traffic.

 

[Shane]

Hello,
I am trying to ascertain for certain if a .net.au domain is treated differently to a .com.au domain for an eCommerce site given that all else is equal, i.e. does ccTLD hierachy come into play as far as search engines are concerned - if a domain was available in .net.au that had a suitable name (site product content within name) vs a similar .com.au is there any disadvantage in using the .net.au name?

cheers,
Mike

p.s. simply ccTLD aspect, all other aspects of a website performing are full understood and presumed in above query

The difference is the trust factor.

This is especially true for an ecommerce site. People need to be able to trust you before making a purchase. They know and trust com.au. It's the gold standard for Australia. net.au isn't, and if the buyer has any doubts there's a good chance they're not going to give you those precious 16 digits and expiry.

I know your question was regarding SEO, but you have to think about CRO as well.

 

[snoopy]

The difference is the trust factor.

This is especially true for an ecommerce site. People need to be able to trust you before making a purchase. They know and trust com.au. It's the gold standard for Australia. net.au isn't, and if the buyer has any doubts there's a good chance they're not going to give you those precious 16 digits and expiry.

I know your question was regarding SEO, but you have to think about CRO as well.

I think .net.au is often associated with very small businesses, and most small business don't want to look small. The smaller the site the more I tend to worry about security.

For example went to book a motel room the other day and the site didn't even have a current SSL certificate. It wasn't a .net.au but if I landed on a .net.au I would definitely think "These guys are pretty amateurish" and I'd be checking everything before giving them any money

 

[shags38]

but if I landed on a .net.au I would definitely think "These guys are pretty amateurish" and I'd be checking everything before giving them any money

I have two .net.au eCommerce sites - one (www.HarmonyBall.net.au) is top of the class for the majority of it's keyword phrases and ranks #1 in Google SERP's with between 2 and 3 entries on page #1 on any given day, generating business within Australia and offshore (ranks page #2 SERP's on Google .com search for the same keywords - suffice to say our customers may disagree with the 'amateurish' tag Snoops.

I have proven to myself that getting a .net.au eCommerce site to rank is not an issue - I was just curious about the 'technical aspect of the hierachy of .net.au vs .com.au' and was hoping someone from auda may have chimed in with a technically factual answer .

Just curiosity, that's all.

So in answer to the anticipated question of "why would you want a .net.au and not a .com.au for an eCommerce site?" - it is not so much want as it is taking advantage of a (perceived) 'prime' domain 'name' where the .com.au version is being sat upon by the owner and not in use and is hence not competition and the (forgotten poor cousin) .net.au is available - in eCommerce, as against domaining, when searching for domain availability if the .com.au version of your first pick is not available then check out if it is actually being used (or has in the past) and if not then pounce on the .net.au version and build your site pronto - when successful tends to kill off the value of the .com.au version

I will concede the 'habit' factor of Australians tending to .com.au but if you are up there in the SERP's they will still click (who reads the url anyway?) - as is often said, content is king.

cheers,
Mike

 

[Shane]

I was just curious about the 'technical aspect of the hierachy of .net.au vs .com.au' and was hoping someone from auda may have chimed in with a technically factual answer .

It has nothing to do with auDA. Google is the one who decides if they're going to treat com.au and net.au differently as a ranking factor. I suspect they don't.

...then pounce on the .net.au version and build your site pronto - when successful tends to kill off the value of the .com.au version

I'd suggest the opposite is true. A strong net.au site is going to make the com.au more valuable.

 

[findtim]

TODAY, i had a client, sole trader JUST her in the business email me about getting another domain name, she suggested a few as she couldn't get the one she wanted ( 2 word .com)[as she is international], one had a hyphen in it, that was her most liked, they were all .com's
now this is a women in backstreet pakenham vic and even SHE knows not to select a .net !!!!
she went for a 3 word .com instead of a hypen and a .net option was never mentioned .
tim

 

[shags38]

I'd suggest the opposite is true. A strong net.au site is going to make the com.au more valuable.

How do you figure that? Who would want to pay for a .com.au domain and then build an eCommerce business competing head on with a STRONG .net.au site (if it was a weak site way out in the boondocks of SERP's then likely you are right).

 

[shags38]

TODAY, i had a client, sole trader JUST her in the business email me about getting another domain name, she suggested a few as she couldn't get the one she wanted ( 2 word .com)[as she is international], one had a hyphen in it, that was her most liked, they were all .com's
now this is a women in backstreet pakenham vic and even SHE knows not to select a .net !!!!
she went for a 3 word .com instead of a hypen and a .net option was never mentioned .
tim

Bravo - pity you're not on the same page - we are talking .net.au not .net - totally different kettle of fish

 

[snoopy]

How do you figure that? Who would want to pay for a .com.au domain and then build an eCommerce business competing head on with a STRONG .net.au site.

Pretty much everyone? They wouldn't even need to promote the site to get sales in that situation.They could just do a redirect.

 

[DomainNames]

Hello,
I am trying to ascertain for certain if a .net.au domain is treated differently to a .com.au domain for an eCommerce site given that all else is equal, i.e. does ccTLD hierachy come into play as far as search engines are concerned - if a domain was available in .net.au that had a suitable name (site product content within name) vs a similar .com.au is there any disadvantage in using the .net.au name?

cheers,
Mike

p.s. simply ccTLD aspect, all other aspects of a website performing are full understood and presumed in above query

______________

I have two .net.au eCommerce sites - one (www.HarmonyBall.net.au) is top of the class for the majority of it's keyword phrases and ranks #1 in Google SERP's with between 2 and 3 entries on page #1 on any given day, generating business within Australia and offshore (ranks page #2 SERP's on Google .com search for the same keywords - suffice to say our customers may disagree with the 'amateurish' tag Snoops.

I have proven to myself that getting a .net.au eCommerce site to rank is not an issue - I was just curious about the 'technical aspect of the hierachy of .net.au vs .com.au' and was hoping someone from auda may have chimed in with a technically factual answer .

Just curiosity, that's all.

So in answer to the anticipated question of "why would you want a .net.au and not a .com.au for an eCommerce site?" - it is not so much want as it is taking advantage of a (perceived) 'prime' domain 'name' where the .com.au version is being sat upon by the owner and not in use and is hence not competition and the (forgotten poor cousin) .net.au is available - in eCommerce, as against domaining, when searching for domain availability if the .com.au version of your first pick is not available then check out if it is actually being used (or has in the past) and if not then pounce on the .net.au version and build your site pronto - when successful tends to kill off the value of the .com.au version

I will concede the 'habit' factor of Australians tending to .com.au but if you are up there in the SERP's they will still click (who reads the url anyway?) - as is often said, content is king.

cheers,
Mike

Hi Mike,

You have www.HarmonyBall.net.au but you have let www.HarmonyBall.com.au sit there for anyone else to register still?

Register www.HarmonyBall.com.au fast before you lose the chance!!

.com.au will always be the more popular and trusted .au extension.

 

[findtim]

pity you're not on the same page

isn't the rule anything .com is 10x the .com.au example? but i will concede that one.

They could just do a redirect

sooooooo true, in actual fact i would think all their xmas came at once !
@shags38 , this is going over old ground in old posts, just read them, no nets, no hypens, no mispells, no trademarks,

It has nothing to do with auDA

very simple correct answer !
if in doubt just do a poll to get the overall feel for your question, there you go, simple.

as is often said, content is king

mate, you've done that, PROVEN, i just search harmony ball [which i wouldn't noramlly do] and you are #1
i search ball pendant [more likely a search by me] and you are #2 well done and also for the plural pendants, so you have proven content is king.

so i don't really know the question now, how much higher then #1 do you want to get? seriously if it was me i'd just start going down the lesser used keyword combos to pick up the stray sale, your only improvement would be betting ebay for a search " ebay ball pendant" !!!

tim

 

[findtim]

Register www.HarmonyBall.com.au fast before you lose the chance!!

OMG, to late, i just did it

just kidding, i needed a "monday funny"
good pickup @dn
tim