.co.uk or .com for a UK geo location domain?

[Mokdiiek]

Let's say you were in the market to buy a domain for a large city in the UK.  Manchester for example. Would you prefer to own the .co.uk or the .com version?

Do .co.uk have higher CTR/ranking factors over .com for GEO location based websites in the UK?

[WebQuest]

Yes - the .co.uk is a stronger local signal than a .com

There are other factors that matter as well including you hosting  IP and you Search Console settings (International Targeting)

I would also take into consideration any future growth plans for other countries? If that is the case, then maybe a .com would be a better option.

[Kelly-Anne]

I would generally recommend buying the .co.uk if your business is targeting a UK customer base whereas if you are intending to trade overseas and don't want to be considered as primarily a UK company I would suggest that you pick .com.