Best Domain Extensions: 1M+ Sites Ranked By TLDs [2025]

You're about to choose a domain name. But here's the thing, most people pick their domain extension without knowing how it affects their Google rankings.

That's a problem.

We analyzed Ahrefs' top 1 million websites to find out which domain extensions actually help websites win in search results.

If you're building a website that needs to be found online, this data will save you from making a costly mistake.

Here's what we discovered about the best domain extensions for SEO in 2025.

• Best Domain Extensions for SEO
• Key Insights from the TLD Analysis
• How to Select the Best Domain Extension
• Methodology: How We Ranked Domain Extensions
• Full Analysis: Top 100 Domain Extensions for SEO
• Conclusions: Which Domain Extension is Best for SEO?

Best Domain Extensions for SEO

And if we remove the geographical TLDs, we can rank them by SEO performance:

The full analysis of the top 1 million websites reveals fascinating patterns in TLD usage and effectiveness.

Key Insights from the TLD Analysis

1. Dominance of Traditional TLDs

2. Country Code TLDs (ccTLDs)

3. Performance Metrics: LinkDR Domain Score

4. New TLDs and Their SEO Performance

5. Other Noteworthy Observations

How to Select the Best Domain Extension

Best TLDs for Businesses

1. .com remains the safest choice for global reach
2. .io could be considered for tech-focused businesses
3. Country-specific TLDs show strong performance in their respective markets

Best TLDs for Organizations

1. .org continues to carry authority
2. Regional TLDs can be effective for targeted audiences
3. New gTLDs should be chosen carefully, as their performance varies significantly

Methodology: How We Ranked Domain Extensions

The analysis considered three main factors:

• Frequency: How many domains use each TLD
• Average Rank: The mean Ahrefs rank for domains with each TLD
• Consistency: Standard deviation of rankings (lower deviation indicates more consistent performance)

These factors were combined into a composite score, weighted to balance quantity with quality.

LinkDR Domain Score: Explaining TLD Performance Metrics

Our scoring system combines three key factors to evaluate TLD performance:

$$ S = (F × 0.4) + (R × 0.4) + (C × 0.2) $$

Where:

• F = Frequency Score = log10(count + 1)
  • Logarithmic scale helps handle the huge range between .com (449,443 domains) and smaller TLDs
  • Example: .com's frequency score = log10(449,443 + 1) = 5.65
• R = Rank Score = log10(1,000,000 / avgRank)
  • Inverted because lower Ahrefs rank is better (1 is best, 1M is worst)
  • Example: .com's rank score = log10(1,000,000 / 503,767) = 0.30
• C = Consistency Score = 1 / (log10(stdDev + 1) + 1)
  • Rewards TLDs with more consistent rankings
  • Lower standard deviation means more predictable quality
  • Example: .com's consistency score = 1 / (log10(290,320 + 1) + 1) = 0.31

Top Performing TLDs by LinkDR Domain Score

1. .com (2.411)
   • Highest count (449,443)
   • Decent average rank (503,767)
   • Moderate standard deviation (290,320)
   • Dominates primarily through sheer volume
2. .org (2.125)
   • Strong count (80,314)
   • Better average rank than .com (468,468)
   • Similar consistency (289,125)
   • Balances quantity with quality
3. .de (1.988)
   • Moderate count (39,228)
   • Competitive average rank (503,278)
   • Better consistency (284,388)
   • Shows strength through balance of metrics

Full Analysis: Top 100 Domain Extensions for SEO

At LinkDR, we help startups get more traffic by helping them build backlinks, find more affiliates and partners and rank higher with better content.

We hope this analysis helps you make a better decision in choosing a domain.

So to further help you, we've also provided a full export here!

Top 100 TLDs by SEO Performance

If your TLD is not in this list, you might want to reconsider it!

Conclusions: Which Domain Extension is Best for SEO?

While .com maintains its historic dominance, the data shows there's room for success with alternative TLDs.

The key is matching the TLD choice to your specific use case and target audience.

Country-code TLDs show particularly strong performance in their respective markets, while newer gTLDs are still establishing their place in the hierarchy.

The high performance of traditional TLDs (.com, .org, .net) suggests that established trust patterns continue to influence website success.

However, the strong showing of certain ccTLDs and newer options like .io indicates that the landscape is evolving, offering viable alternatives for specific use cases.