.co.uk vs .uk: Which Should You Choose?

## The UK Domain Dilemma For anyone building a website targeting British audiences, two domain options both feel authoritative and both signal UK presence: `.co.uk` and `.uk`. They are operated by the same Registry Operator (Nominet), cost almost the same, and both serve as genuine UK ccTLD (Country-Code Top-Level Domain) signals. Yet they are meaningfully different, and choosing between them has real implications for brand perception, domain availability, and long-term strategy. TLD Comparison Tool ## A Brief History of .co.uk The `.co.uk` structure dates to the very early days of the UK internet. When the IANA delegated `.uk` to the UK in the 1980s, British internet administrators chose to create a structured second-level namespace beneath it — `.co.uk` for commercial entities, `.org.uk` for non-profits, `.ac.uk` for academic institutions, `.gov.uk` for government, and `.net.uk` for network providers. This was a common organizational choice in the early internet era, reflecting administrative preferences of the time. For over 30 years, `.co.uk` was the default choice for British businesses. `bbc.co.uk`, `amazon.co.uk`, `tesco.co.uk`, `boots.co.uk` — the major British brands all built their digital identities here. By the time Nominet launched direct `.uk` registrations in 2014, `.co.uk` had accumulated such deep cultural familiarity that it is still the instinctive choice for most people typing a UK web address. ## The .uk Launch and Its Consequences In June 2014, Nominet launched direct `.uk` registrations — domains like `example.uk` sitting directly at the second level rather than as `example.co.uk`. The launch included an important protection mechanism: existing `.co.uk` holders were given the right of first refusal on the matching `.uk` domain. Any business holding `mybusiness.co.uk` could claim `mybusiness.uk` during a five-year priority window (ending June 2019) before it opened to anyone. This protection period had two effects. First, it preserved brand security for established `.co.uk` holders. Second, it meant that for any domain with an existing `.co.uk` registration, the matching `.uk` was unavailable for five years, limiting early `.uk` adoption. After June 2019, unclaimed `.uk` domains opened to general registration. The market has grown steadily but slowly: `.uk` now accounts for roughly 1.5–2 million registrations compared to `.co.uk`'s 10+ million. Consumer surveys consistently show that `.co.uk` is still the more recognized and trusted suffix for British websites. ## Trust and Brand Perception The TLD Trust Signal differences between `.co.uk` and `.uk` are subtle but real. Research conducted by Nominet after the `.uk` launch found that British consumers responded positively to both extensions — recognition that a website was UK-based was conveyed by either. However, `.co.uk` consistently scored higher on familiarity and perceived credibility in independent surveys. This familiarity gap is closing. Younger UK internet users (18–34) show little distinction in their trust ratings for the two extensions. The difference matters most for audiences accustomed to decades of `.co.uk` as the default British business domain — roughly, those over 40. For established brands, this familiarity dynamic suggests that existing `.co.uk` holders should be cautious about switching their primary domain to `.uk`. The switch would require significant redirect management, and the short-term disruption likely outweighs any long-term benefit. The better strategy is to **hold both** and redirect `.uk` to `.co.uk` (or vice versa if `.uk` is chosen as primary). ## SEO Implications From a pure TLD SEO Impact perspective, Google treats both `.co.uk` and `.uk` as equivalent geotargeting signals for the United Kingdom. Both send the same country-targeting message to Search Console's geographic settings. Neither has a ranking advantage over the other in UK search results based on the TLD alone. Google's John Mueller has confirmed on multiple occasions that the `.co.uk` / `.uk` distinction does not affect search ranking beyond the standard country-targeting benefit both provide. What matters for Hreflang Tags and geographic relevance is that the domain clearly targets the UK, which both achieve. The practical SEO implication is that if you are starting a new project and the `.uk` version of your desired domain is shorter, cleaner, or more memorable than the `.co.uk` equivalent, there is no SEO penalty for choosing `.uk`. The Domain Registration decision should be driven by brand and availability, not by an assumption that `.co.uk` ranks better. ## Availability Differences Domain availability is often the deciding factor. If `yourbrand.co.uk` is taken but `yourbrand.uk` is available, the `.uk` version may be your best option for securing a clean British domain. The inverse situation — `yourbrand.uk` taken but `yourbrand.co.uk` available — is less common, since `.co.uk` has a much larger existing registration base. But it occurs, particularly for short, generic terms where early registrants grabbed the `.uk` version after it opened in 2019. One important caveat: **if someone holds `yourbrand.co.uk`, they may also hold `yourbrand.uk`** under Nominet's matching registration rights. Before targeting either extension, check both via a WHOIS lookup or the WHOIS Lookup Tool tool. ## Price Parity Nominet prices `.co.uk` and `.uk` at identical registry rates, and most Domain Registrars charge the same for both. Typical UK retail prices are £4–8 per year depending on the registrar and any bundled services. There is no financial reason to choose one over the other. ## Recommendations by Use Case **New business without existing domain:** Check `.co.uk` first (higher name recognition). If unavailable, `.uk` is a fully viable and strategically sound alternative. Register both if budget allows. **Existing `.co.uk` business:** Keep `.co.uk` as primary. Register matching `.uk` as a defensive measure if you have not already. Redirect `.uk` to `.co.uk`. **Personal website or blog:** `.uk` is increasingly natural for personal sites. Its shorter form (`john.uk` vs `john.co.uk`) can be an advantage. **E-commerce:** For customer-facing trust, lean toward `.co.uk` if targeting consumers over 35. For tech-savvy audiences, either works equally well. **International brand establishing UK presence:** Both signal UK market focus equally. Choose based on availability and brand aesthetics. ## The Third Option: Both Many British businesses register and maintain both extensions indefinitely, pointing one to the other. The annual cost is minimal (£8–16 total) for the brand protection benefit of preventing a competitor or bad actor from acquiring the matching extension. For any business with meaningful UK traffic, holding both is the simplest and safest strategy. See European ccTLDs: .de, .uk, .fr, .nl, .it for how `.uk` and `.co.uk` compare to other European ccTLDs in terms of registration openness and market positioning.