.EU Domains

Anyone have any experience with .eu domains? I've never used one before, but have spotted something tasty that's available and am considering having a punt. You don't see too many of the in the serps for affiliate sites, although it looks like a bunch of operators use them...

My main question would be how it's seen by google - is it a group ccTLD for europe (ie: so google would realise you're targeting europe and weight it the same for any euro country) or does it just treat it as a generic?

I'd also be interested to know how the CTR compares if anyone has any input on that!

I have the domain www.online-casinos.eu but never found time to develop it. Regarding SEO it is what you want to invest to make it rank. CTR wise I guess it is a trusted tld.

Can't see any reason why Google wouldn't be looking on this as a general European wide CCtld...but suspect the real crux of this is in how many you actually see in the SERPs (as you noted..virtually none)...which implies no one (especially on the affiliate side) has developed.

If you took it, developed it well, got links etc...then no obvious reason why it shouldn't be able to rank...but seems you would be one of a small minority finding out.

To me, that would suggest probably leaving it alone if there are other options. Takes too much concerted effort to build a site, why take the chance (unless it's a top tier domain)

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Originally Posted by GCG

Regarding SEO it is what you want to invest to make it rank.

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I meant more in terms of country targeting - so does google view it as targeting all of europe, a generic (ie: all of world) or some other kind of more restrictive category (eg: just continental europe, just central europe etc..)

The answer to this would have a huge impact on how it'd rank in each country (for example, it's difficult to get a .co.uk to rank outside of the UK - so if google see's a .eu as a continental europe domain it may not rank well in the UK etc..)

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Originally Posted by chaumi

Can't see any reason why Google wouldn't be looking on this as a general European wide CCtld...

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That's what I would think, but I've read multiple things from different sources that all contradict each other , so haven't really been able to get a definitive answer (although there's a decent argument about it being a generic due to the definition issue mentioned above). Figured I'd ask here in case anyone had experience of how it ranked in various countries.

It's a fairly decent domain so I'll probably have a bash with it, I'm just trying to figure out who it should be targeted at...

I think that you're asking if the .eu suffix will have an advantage throughout mainland europe vs a .com or .co.uk ?
I doubt it. If it did you would be seeing a lot more serps domination in the results.

I think that specific country domains do manage to do well for that country (eg .de for German, .se for Sweden etc) IF they are the correct language, and have localised content that marks them clearly as actually catering for that country.

But taking .eu and aiming for a pan-European bonus is just being hopeful, just as .com .org .net and .edu don't really get worldwide bonuses.

I'd expect a .eu to work much like a .tv .cc .me - a neat little suffix but I don't think it has a serp boost in a region.

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Originally Posted by TheGooner

I think that you're asking if the .eu suffix will have an advantage throughout mainland europe vs a .com or .co.uk ?
I doubt it. If it did you would be seeing a lot more serps domination in the results.

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Kind of... although actually for me it's more of a case of trying to figure out if there are any negatives to the domain rather than boosts. TBH, I'd prefer it to just be treated as a generic, rather than trying to figure out what google views as the primary target countries.

I'd rate it the same as the likes of .me, .biz etc. Wouldn't value it at all.

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Originally Posted by baldidiot

Anyone have any experience with .eu domains? I've never used one before, but have spotted something tasty that's available and am considering having a punt. You don't see too many of the in the serps for affiliate sites, although it looks like a bunch of operators use them...

My main question would be how it's seen by google - is it a group ccTLD for europe (ie: so google would realise you're targeting europe and weight it the same for any euro country) or does it just treat it as a generic?

I'd also be interested to know how the CTR compares if anyone has any input on that!

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buy it mate, too pissed to read the question properly but get it

seen some rank before, do things right and it will rank ;-)

I don't see many .eu domains ranking in the serps. I would stick to .com .net amd .org personally.

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Originally Posted by thebookiesoffers

buy it mate, too pissed to read the question properly but get it

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Ha ha, nice.

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Originally Posted by sweetbet

I don't see many .eu domains ranking in the serps. I would stick to .com .net amd .org personally.

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If I could get this domain in a .com, I'd be a very happy man!

Baldidiot , next month I will start a new site with .eu
You are not alone.:))

Just had an email from Godaddy saying slotmachines.eu was available. Shot over there to get it, but had gone :-(