[vc_row full_screen_section_height=”no”][vc_column][vc_column_text]Australia’s new domain name is coming. The .au is on its way. The governing body of .au domain names, the .au Domain Administration (auDA), announced that new .au domain names will launch in Australia on 24 March 2022.
To have a better chance of securing the domain and ensuring the .au domain is yours, make sure you have the .com.au version and where possible, the .com.
What’s in a name?
There can be a lot of confusion as to what domain extension you should choose for your business. There is no right or wrong answer, however, what we see is that the following domain extensions have a higher preference of ranking.
Main domain extension meanings
- .com.au – This tells customers and search engines that you are an Australian based business. You’ve probably noticed that some search engines filter their search to show you results close to your location. If you’re targeting Australian clients, this is the domain you should purchase.
- .com – If your target market is global, the .com is likely to bring you better results. It is likely to be found more easily on international searches than a .com.au name.
- .org.au – If your business is a not-for-profit, you can use the .org.au. There are special rules for businesses that are not incorporated. You can find the latest rules here.
- .co – stands for company or organisation and internationally recognised, however, we don’t see a lot of these URLs high in the Google search list.
Which domain extension should I have? .com.au or .au?
When it comes to website domains or URLs there can be a lot of confusion as to what to use. Our opinion is that you should protect your brand and register all the relevant ones for your business so there is no chance of another business reaping the rewards from your website efforts. Where possible, register the .com and the .com.au domain names in case another company with the same name tries to register. It happens more often than you might expect.
I should point out here that there are rules around who can buy a .com.au domain name. auDA requires you to be a commercial identity, which you can demonstrate with your ABN or CAN. The domain name must also be relevant to your business name, type or product/service. In other words, you can’t choose a confusing or misleading domain name.
Are you ready to claim your .au domain name?
If you would like some help to ensure .au is yours, get in touch with us we’ll send you a reminder to let you know as soon as they are available for purchase.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]