If you’re an Australian looking to set up a website, chances are you’ve heard of .au domains being an available choice for your web address.
Australia and Australians have a host of top-level domains to choose from – .com.au, .net.au, .org.au and .au – .au is the latest kid on the block. And in a lot of ways far superior to its older siblings.
But, is .au a good domain? In this blog, we’ll dive into why .au is a great choice for Australia (yes we’ll talk about how it has an edge over other Australian domains), its popularity, safety, SEO benefits, and ultimately, why we believe .au is a good domain choice.
.au is a Great Domain for Australia
Let’s start with the obvious – .au is tailor-made for Australia. It’s like a digital Aussie passport for your website. If you’re an Aussie business or individual, having a .au domain instantly tells visitors that you’re local. It builds trust and credibility, showing that you’re part of the Australian online community.
Other than being very Australian, .au domains are also shorter and sharper than .com.au domains or .net.au domains. Character limits may not be a thing after Twitter’s (OK fine, we can call it X) recent policy change about character limits but bobsplumbing.au sounds sharper than bobsplumbing.com.au.
But the biggest advantage .au has over its counterparts is that it is not restricted to Australian businesses and companies. Unlike .com.au – the most popular Australian domain you don’t need to be a company or business with an ABN or ACN to register your domain name. You just need to prove your Aussie-ness by supplying a personal ID like a driver’s license or passport.
.au is Exclusive
The .au domains was launched in 2022 vs. .com.au domains that were introduced circa 1986. This means there are fewer domains registered in .au and you’ve got a better chance of finding your first choice domain name in .au.
As of the August 2023 stats published by auDA (snapshot below), who are the the governing body of all Australian domains, there are over 3.1 million .com.au domains vs. 779,000 .au domains.
auDA also ran an interesting national campaign in 2022 for the launch of .au domains that was all over the radio, TV and a bunch of outdoor spots in Melbourne, Sydney & more.
Are .au Domains Safe?
Safety is a valid concern in the digital realm. Rest assured, .au domains are subject to strict eligibility and registration requirements limiting them to Australians only.
The regulatory body, auDA, ensures that only legitimate entities with a genuine connection to Australia can register them. This means you’re less likely to encounter spammy or malicious sites when browsing .au websites.
SEO Benefits of .au
Now, let’s talk about the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) advantages of .au domains. Search engines like Google consider your domain extension when ranking websites. A .au domain can boost your site’s visibility in local search results, making it easier for Aussies to find you. It’s like giving your website a thumbs-up from Google for being relevant to the Australian audience.
Yes, .au is a Good Domain
In conclusion, we believe that .au is indeed a good domain choice, especially if your online presence is centred around Australia. It’s a trusted, popular, and safe option that can give your website an edge in both credibility and SEO. So, whether you’re a business looking to expand your digital presence or an individual starting a blog, consider the .au domain – it’s a digital home that truly belongs in the land down under.
If you’re looking to get your .au domain name, you can start right here at OnlyDomains. We offer .au domains from $16.99 AUD and also allow individuals to register them by validating their Aussie-ness.
If you’re still pitting .au against other TLDs you may like our comparisons of .com vs .au and .com.au vs .au. Happy hunting!
