Domain extensions and link building

[activitysuper]

Hi,

If you were trying to rank your website for a search term in Google UK, would it be more beneficial to build links from .co.uk websites then any other?

I have read on Hubspot if your targeting UK rankings then link building from .co.uk domains will have a good impact on UK rankings?

Thanks

[TomRayner]

It's a reasonable assumption to make and I'd say if you can get those .co.uk links, then by all means pursue them.

However, it can be argued that Google does recognise .com as a global domain name, not just US specific.  So if you were to get links from a .com, while not .co.uk, it wouldn't be as far behind in value as, say, a .pl or .in.

Ultimately, where and how you're getting the link will matter more on your link profile than the referring domain extension.  It would look out of place if a .co.uk had an 80% incoming link profile from .ro domains for sure, but if there's a healthy mix and even a non .co.uk extension being the majority of incoming links, you could still rank highly - provided that the links are on relevant site and come along with content that is beneficial for the user.

In closing, if you can get those links then go for them - but what will have a more defining impact is how you're getting the links. If it's done in an above-board, white-hat way, then you shouldn't need to worry too much about what domain extension it comes from.