PH character in the domain or .PH or .COM.PH domain for your website

What I really find quite weird at times is when I see a domain in the Philippines that is a .COM and uses the PH keyword into their domain. These are domains that have a domain like, brandPH.com, which I somehow believe has to do with their original brand domain not being available for hand registration anymore. Here are some points to consider with PH keyword on a .COM vs .PH or .COM.PH domains…

… One of the things that I had questions about was this topic, I wondered why should I use .PH or .COM.PH if the .COM was international (Filipino thinking on imported products). But I understood ccTLD’s, I quickly realized that PH character in the domain is worse than a .PH or .COM.PH domain.

– I’ll definitely go for .PH or .COM.PH –

One of the biggest factor that affects this decision for businesses is the cost associated with .PH or .COM.PH ($70 for 2 years) vs the .COM ($8 per year). But, as the saying goes “You get what you pay for”, there’s definitely a reason why it’s cheaper.

• First reason that comes to mind is SEO (Search Engine Optimization). ccTLDs, like .PH or .COM.PH, rank higher in their own respective countries. It is generally faster and easier to get on the top 3 results in Searches.

• Second, if I remember your brand name, I might mistakenly type in BRAND.com rather than BRANDPH.com right? And if that’s the case how much traffic are you losing?

• Third, Businesses normally know how much domains costs, your company ‘can’ look quite dodgy as it seems like you’re becoming cheap on your website. Spending a little bit more and getting the right domain can show that you’re a legit and credible business.

I find it quite ridiculous sometimes when I meet someone with a PH on their .COM domain, they could’ve spent more and look better image-wise and enjoy the not so obvious benefits of paying more. ccTLDs are set to rule the Search engines, and as Search engines are fast becoming the ‘Yellow pages’, it is worth your while to be in the top results. Definitely a .PH or .COM.PH over a PH .com domain is better.