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May 3, 2025
Don't ditch your .au
In April 2025, Google announced a significant change: it began the process of redirecting all its country-specific domains (like google.com.au) to google.com (though I haven’t actually experienced this myself, yet). This move, referred to as the “ccTLD sunset”, is the culmination of changes that began in 2017 and has been reported as signifying a shift away from using ccTLDs as a primary signal for Google for localization, with many sources reporting that the importance of using a .au domain is reduced.
May 2, 2025
Implementing a canonical domain
From an SEO perspective, the best way to maximise the benefit of your SEO tactics is to implement a canonical domain (your preferred version of your website address, like https://www.example.com). The following steps describe how to implement a canonical domain for optimum SEO benefit. 1. Choose Your Canonical Domain Pick one: https://example.com or https://www.example.com Preferably with HTTPS. 💡 Google treats example.com and www.example.com as two separate websites unless you specify otherwise.
May 2, 2025
Key insights from auDA's "Why .au?" report
Today, auDA released their latest “Why .au?” report. This provides key insights from their research of 2,100 participants into Australian small business use of domain names and why Australian consumers prefer .au online. In this post I’ll share some of the key insights from the report. You can download the full report here. Trust Three out of four Australian consumers expressed they are more likely to trust an Australian business if their domain name ends in .au. One research participant named Belinda said “I would go straight to a com.au website compared to other websites. It feels like it’s a real website and a legitimate Australian business."
May 2, 2025
Traffic redirection service
Traffic redirection serviceBasic redirection Basic redirection costs $5 per month incl. GST and includes: Redirecting all web traffic from any address on your nominated domain, e.g. source.au/contact or source.au/about to a single destination page of your choosing, e.g. https://www.yourdomain.com.au/. The basic redirection service will redirect all traffic to a single destination page. Redirection of emails sent to any address on your nominated domain, e.g. info@source.au or sales@source.au to a single destination email address of your choosing, e.g. info@yourdomain.com.au. Subscribe nowAdvanced redirection More complex redirection options, such as one-to-one page or email address mapping are also available. For example:
January 9, 2025
Registering the right domain names for your business
When choosing which domain names you should register for your Australian business, here are the key considerations to keep in mind: 1. Choose a .com.au or .au as your primary domain for credibility Your primary domain is the domain name you use for your website and email. In most cases, any other domain names you have will redirect to the primary. .com.au and .au domains are known to be trusted more by Australian consumers and provide local credibility (source: Why .au?). To register a .com.au your business must have an ABN (Australian Business Number) or ACN (Australian Company Number). .au domain names can be registered by individuals and do not require an ABN or ACN. However, if you’re using the domain name for use by a business, it’s best that the domain name is registered to the business. The domain name may become a valuable asset to the business over time. The .au domain (introduced in 2022) is shorter and more brandable — customers perceive .au domains as being more modern and trendier — but .com.au is currently the most recognized for businesses. Whether you choose a .com.au or .au as your primary domain name, we strongly recommend that you register both (see #8 below). 2. Keep It Short, Memorable, and Brandable A shorter domain is easier to type, remember, and share (making .au more favourable in this respect). Avoid complex spellings, hyphens, and numbers, as they can cause confusion. Make sure it aligns with your brand name for consistency. 3. Protect Your Brand and Avoid Trademark Issues Check if your desired domain name is trademarked in Australia using IP Australia’s trademark search. Whilst auDA won’t prevent you from registering a trademarked name, there are likely to be legally enforceable restrictions to what you can use the domain name for. This works both ways — if you have a trademarked word or phrase, don’t assume that no-one will register it (ref). Register domain names for your trademarks to be safe. Avoid choosing a name that is too similar to a competitor, as this could lead to legal disputes. 4. Ensure Availability Across Digital Platforms Check if the domain is available on social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.). Consistency across domain names and social handles strengthens brand identity. 5. Prioritise SEO and Keywords (Optional) If relevant, include a keyword in your domain (e.g., SydneyPlumbers.com.au). Avoid keyword stuffing; your brand should still be unique and easy to say. Research the terms your customers are most likely to be searching for. Check our post SEO benefit of including keywords in your domain name for more information. 6. Future-Proof Your Domain Name Choose a name that allows your business to expand. (e.g., If you start as “MelbourneShoes.com.au,” will it still be relevant if you expand to other cities?) Avoid trendy words that may not age well. 7. Check for Alternative Spellings and Common Mistakes If your domain name has different possible spellings, consider registering those variations to prevent confusion. Example: If your brand is “KleenTech,” you might also want to secure CleanTech.com.au. 8. Consider Buying Multiple Extensions Secure both .com.au and .au versions to prevent competitors from registering similar names. If operating internationally, consider securing .com, .co or another non-geographic top-level domain (TLD) alongside .com.au and .au. 9. Check for Expired or Previously Used Domains If the domain was previously registered, check its history using Wayback Machine. Avoid domains with a bad SEO history (e.g., previous spammy content). 10. Act Quickly Because of their ridiculously low price, good, available domain names get taken fast, so if you find the perfect one, register it immediately through an accredited Australian domain registrar or reseller like DOMAINSAFE. If your perfect domain name has already been registered, all is not lost! Our acquisition specialists can make anonymous enquiries to the current registrant on your behalf. Final Checklist Before Registering ✅ ABN/ACN ready? (Needed for .com.au; recommended for .au business registrations) ✅ No trademarks or legal risks? ✅ Social media handles available? ✅ Easy to type, say, and remember? ✅ Registered with DOMAINSAFE?
January 1, 2025
SEO benefit of including keywords in your domain name
SEO benefit of including keywords in your domain nameIn the good ol’ days, SEO was as simple as registering the perfect keyword-filled domain name and letting the traffic flood in. Today, including keywords in your domain name can have some SEO benefits, but their impact has diminished over time due mostly to Google’s algorithm updates. Here’s a breakdown of the advantages and drawbacks: ✅ Potential SEO Benefits of Keywords in Domain Names
January 1, 2025
Why should I register the same domain name with multiple extensions?
Registering the same domain name with multiple extensions like .com.au, .au, .com, .co, etc., is often a strategic decision for businesses and individuals aiming to protect their brand, enhance online visibility, and prevent potential issues. Here’s 8 reasons why this might work for you. 1. Protect Your Brand Prevent Cybersquatting: By securing multiple extensions, you prevent others from registering variations of your domain (e.g., yourdomain.com.au, yourdomain.net.au, yourdomain.au) and potentially benefitting from your brand awareness and marketing efforts.
December 6, 2024
Messy business: AFTA & ATIA
AFTA is was the Australian Federation of Travel Agents, which was founded in 1957. In August 2023, AFTA rebranded to the Australia Travel Industry Association (ATIA). ATIA has the atia.travel domain name registered, which it uses for its emails, but they still choose to use the afta.com.au domain name for their website. Browser traffic to atia.travel redirects to afta.com.au. We have no idea why they don’t choose to use atia.travel, but we do know that atia.com.au is owned by the Australian Taxi Industry Association (ATIA), so maybe this is a factor.
December 1, 2024
Domain monetisation for .au domain names
Monetising domain names involves generating revenue through various strategies. The primary methods are described below. 1 Advertising Revenue Developing a website associated with the domain and earning income by displaying advertisements. This can be achieved through: Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising Earning money each time a visitor clicks on an ad on the site. Services such as Sedo offer an end-to-end solution for sourcing and displaying ads on an otherwise empty site.
November 26, 2024
What are SPF, DKIM, & DMARC?
Here are five key facts about SPF, DKIM, and DMARC: 1. SPF (Sender Policy Framework) Purpose: SPF is designed to detect email spoofing by allowing the owner of a domain to specify which mail servers are authorised to send email on its behalf. How it Works: SPF uses DNS records to publish a list of IP addresses or domains that are authorised to send emails for the domain. Structure: An SPF record is a DNS TXT record starting with v=spf1, followed by a list of IP addresses or domain names that are permitted to send email. Limitations: SPF only checks the envelope sender (MAIL FROM) address, not the visible “From” address, which means it can still be bypassed in certain phishing scenarios. Failure Handling: When SPF fails, recipient servers can choose to mark or reject the message based on the SPF policy. 2. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) Purpose: DKIM helps ensure the integrity and authenticity of an email by attaching a digital signature that verifies the email’s source domain. How it Works: DKIM adds a digital signature in the email header, generated from a private key, which the receiving server can verify using the sender’s public key stored in DNS. Signature Validation: The DKIM signature ensures that the email content has not been tampered with in transit and verifies the legitimacy of the sender’s domain. Requirements: To set up DKIM, a domain owner needs to publish a DKIM record in DNS (another TXT record) and configure their mail server to sign outgoing messages. Limitations: If any part of the signed content changes (e.g., due to forwarding servers altering the message), DKIM verification can fail. 3. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) Purpose: DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM, providing an additional layer by specifying actions when an email fails authentication checks and enabling domain owners to receive reports on email performance. How it Works: DMARC requires that an email passes either SPF or DKIM checks (or both) and that the domain in the “From” address (header.from, not smtp.mailfrom) aligns with the domain in the SPF or DKIM checks. Policy Options: DMARC allows domain owners to specify policies (none, quarantine, or reject) that instruct receiving servers on how to handle unauthenticated emails. Reporting: DMARC can send daily aggregate and forensic reports to the domain owner, offering insights into attempted email spoofing and email authentication performance. Domain Alignment: DMARC enforces “domain alignment,” ensuring that both SPF and DKIM checks relate to the domain in the email’s “From” header (header.from address), reducing the likelihood of successful phishing. Together, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC work to verify email authenticity and protect against phishing and email spoofing.
November 7, 2024
DNS record types explained
The Domain Name System (DNS) is the underlying system that ensures your Internet traffic (web requests, emails, video calls, etc.) finds its way to the right destination. As humans, we use easy-to-remember names such as domainsafe.au and google.com. Amongst other important tasks, DNS is the thing that turns these names into the numbers (IP addresses) that Internet-connected systems recognise. DNS is divided into zones, which are segments of the DNS hierarchy for which a specific organisation or individual is responsible. Each of the domain names you license has a DNS zone, and so does the whole .au zone, the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Australia. The governance of the .au space is managed by auDA (.au Domain Authority), which is the name most people associate with the .au domain space.
October 16, 2024
Adoption of the .au top-level domain
There is some evidence to suggest that the direct .au domain space (e.g., example.au) could become more prominent or even a de facto standard for domain registrations in Australia, although it is not yet dominant. Here are some indicators that support this possibility: 1. Adoption and Availability of Shorter Domains The introduction of direct .au domain names (like example.au) in 2022 provides a shorter, more streamlined option compared to traditional second-level domains like .com.au, .net.au, and .org.au. These shorter domains are appealing for businesses and individuals due to their simplicity and ease of recall. Many countries have seen similar transitions where shorter domains (e.g., .uk in the UK) became more popular over time, eventually rivalling longer alternatives.
September 10, 2024
auDA launches new "Aussies get it" campaign
Following the release of the 2025 “Why .au?” research paper in February, auDA has launched a marketing campaign to highlight the key insights: Half of Australian consumers will only buy online from a website ending in .au Three in four trust an Australian business if its website address ends in .au 70% of small businesses with a domain name choose .au for their website or business email Customers look out for .au website or email address to verify that a business is credible, especially when they discover it via social media. Why would anyone targeting Australian customers choose anything else?
September 10, 2024
auDA's Dispute Resolution Policy (auDRP)
auDA (Australian Domain Administration) Dispute Resolution Policy (auDRP) provides a framework for resolving disputes regarding the registration of .au domain names. It aims to address issues where a domain name has been registered in bad faith or infringes on trademarks or rights. Here’s an overview of how it works: Key Elements of the auDRP Applicable Disputes The auDRP is applicable in cases where: The complainant claims that a domain name has been registered or used in bad faith. The domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark owned by the complainant. The registrant (current owner of the domain name) has no legitimate interest or rights in the domain name. Filing a Complaint If a party believes that a domain name violates their rights (e.g., due to trademark infringement or bad faith registration), they can file a complaint under the auDRP. This complaint is submitted to an approved dispute resolution service provider (such as the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center). The complainant must provide:
September 10, 2024
Domain name registration in Australia
In Australia, domain name registration is managed by auDA (the Australian Domain Administration), which regulates the allocation of .au domain names. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how domain name registration works in Australia: Choosing a Domain Name You need to select a domain name that reflects your business, organisation, or personal identity. The domain must meet certain criteria, particularly for specific .au domain extensions. For example:
September 10, 2024
Coming soon
This is domainsafe, a brand new site by Paul Middleton that’s just getting started. Things will be up and running here shortly, and we’ll be adding a lot more content on the specialist Australian domain name services we offer very soon. So, please subscribe in the meantime if you’d like to stay up to date and receive emails when new content is published!
September 10, 2024