Geographic TLDs: .nyc, .london, .tokyo and Beyond

## Geographic TLDs: .nyc, .london, .tokyo and Beyond The New gTLD Program didn't just create industry and lifestyle extensions — it created an entirely new category of Geographic TLD (GeoTLD) options tied to cities, regions, and geographic communities. Today you can register domains ending in .nyc, .london, .tokyo, .berlin, .paris, .sydney, .miami, .boston, .vegas, and dozens more. These geographic extensions represent one of the most interesting and underutilized opportunities in the domain namespace. They're also one of the most misapplied. Here's when they make sense and when they don't. ## What Are Geographic TLDs? Geographic TLDs fall into two categories: ### City/Region New gTLDs Delegated through ICANN's New gTLD Program, these are New gTLD extensions operated by registry services typically affiliated with or approved by the relevant city government or regional authority. Examples: | TLD | City | Operator | Registration Requirement | |-----|------|----------|------------------------| | .nyc | New York City | Neustar (now GoDaddy Registry) | NYC address required | | .london | London | Dot London Domains | UK connection required | | .tokyo | Tokyo | GMO Registry | Japan connection | | .berlin | Berlin | dotBERLIN GmbH | Berlin connection | | .paris | Paris | City of Paris | EU connection | | .sydney | Sydney | .au Domain Administration | Australian connection | | .miami | Miami | Dot Miami | None required | | .vegas | Las Vegas | Dot Vegas | None required | | .nyc | New York | Neustar | NYC address required | | .boston | Boston | Registry Services LLC | None required | | .amsterdam | Amsterdam | SIDN | Netherlands connection | | .barcelona | Barcelona | Fundació puntCAT | Connection to Catalonia | ### Country ccTLDs Used as Geographic Identifiers Traditional ccTLD (Country-Code Top-Level Domain) options like .us (United States), .eu (European Union), .uk (United Kingdom), and .ca (Canada) also serve geographic purposes. These predate the new gTLD era and have higher adoption and trust. ## The Local SEO Case for Geographic TLDs The primary argument for geographic TLDs is TLD SEO Impact on local search results. Here's what the evidence actually shows: **Google's official position:** Geographic TLDs are treated as signals of geographic relevance, similar to ccTLD (Country-Code Top-Level Domain) hreflang attributes or address data in Google My Business. They're not a ranking factor on their own but contribute to the geographic signal cluster. **Practical observation:** Sites on .nyc, .london, and .berlin do show preference in their respective city searches, particularly for local-intent queries. A restaurant on bestpizza.nyc may rank better for "best pizza NYC" than an equivalent on bestpizza.com, given equal other signals. **The caveat:** The geographic signal from a matching Geographic TLD (GeoTLD) is meaningful but not overwhelming. A bestpizza.com with strong local citations, Google My Business optimization, and local backlinks will typically outrank a bestpizza.nyc with weaker local signals. Use TLD Comparison Tool to see current adoption rates for geographic extensions in your target market. ## Who Should Use Geographic TLDs ### Strong Use Cases **Neighborhood restaurants and food businesses** restaurant.nyc or cafe.london signals local pride and community belonging. The extension itself becomes part of the brand identity. "Find us at tacos.nyc" has a distinctiveness that works for social sharing. **Local news and media** news.berlin, media.london, or events.nyc for hyper-local content that explicitly serves a single market. The geographic extension removes ambiguity about scope. **City-specific services** cleaning.nyc, plumber.london, lawyer.paris for service businesses that only serve one market and want the local signal. **Real estate** apartments.nyc, homes.miami — the geographic extension is inherently relevant to the product. **Tourism and hospitality for visitors** guide.london, visit.tokyo — these explicitly position the site for geographic context. **Community organizations** org.berlin, community.paris — geographic ccTLDs and new gTLDs work well for civic and community organizations. ### Weak Use Cases **National or global businesses** If you serve all of Germany, .berlin constrains you. If you serve multiple countries, city TLDs actively mislead visitors about your scope. **E-commerce shipping nationally or globally** The geographic signal tells visitors your product/service is local. For a nationally-shipped product, this is a negative signal. **B2B services that travel** A consulting firm or software company that happens to be based in New York shouldn't use .nyc if they serve clients nationwide. **Startups with global ambitions** The geographic signal limits perceived scale. Investors in Boston don't want to invest in boston.something; they want to invest in brand.com. ## Registration Requirements and Verification Unlike most domain extensions, many geographic TLDs have genuine eligibility requirements: **.nyc:** Requires a New York City postal address at time of registration. This is verified by the registry. **.london:** Requires a UK connection — UK address, UK company registration, or UK trademark. **.tokyo, .osaka:** Require Japan connection. **.paris:** Requires EU entity or address. **.berlin:** Requires connection to Berlin area. Some geographic TLDs have NO requirements: - .miami - .vegas - .boston (in some registration periods) The requirement-enforcement reality: verification is typically at registration, not ongoing. A business that moves out of NYC may retain their .nyc domain. But gaming the requirement through a virtual address service is against most registries' terms of service. ## The Domain Valuation Picture Geographic domains in premium markets command real value: **High-value geographic domains:** - restaurant.nyc — premium domain, multiple buyers likely - lawyer.london — valuable professional + geographic combination - hotel.miami — tourism + geographic premium **The caveat:** Geographic TLDs have lower total valuations than equivalent .com domains. restaurant.nyc is worth a fraction of restaurant.com. The geographic constraint limits the addressable buyer market for any future sale. ## Comparative Analysis: Geographic TLD vs Subdomain vs Subdirectory For businesses that already have a .com, the geographic TLD question often becomes: "should I use nyc.brand.com or brand.nyc?" | Approach | SEO Signal | Cost | Complexity | |----------|------------|------|------------| | brand.nyc (new domain) | Strongest geographic | $20-40/year | High (new site authority) | | nyc.brand.com (subdomain) | Moderate | $0 (subdomain) | Medium | | brand.com/nyc (subdirectory) | Good (shares authority) | $0 | Low | Google's guidance for multi-location businesses: subdirectory (/nyc/) is easiest to manage and shares domain authority. Subdomain (nyc.brand.com) works but splits authority. Separate Geographic TLD (GeoTLD) domain is hardest to build but sends the strongest signal. For a single-location, single-market business: the Geographic TLD (GeoTLD) makes most sense. For a national chain with local pages: subdirectory is more efficient. ## Pricing Overview Geographic TLDs are priced at a premium to standard new gTLDs: | Extension | Registration | Renewal | Notes | |-----------|-------------|---------|-------| | .nyc | $25-40 | $25-40 | City-endorsed | | .london | $30-50 | $30-50 | UK authority | | .berlin | $20-35 | $20-35 | City connection required | | .paris | $25-40 | $25-40 | EU connection | | .tokyo | $25-40 | $25-40 | Japan connection | | .miami | $15-25 | $15-25 | No requirement | | .vegas | $25-40 | $25-40 | Nevada market | Use Domain Cost Calculator for the most current pricing at major Domain Registrar providers. ## Decision Framework for Geographic TLDs **Use a geographic TLD when:** - Your business genuinely serves only that geographic market - Local brand identity is a competitive advantage - You're in hospitality, food, local services, or local media - The geographic extension creates a memorable, shareable domain **Use .com or traditional ccTLD (Country-Code Top-Level Domain) instead when:** - You serve multiple markets or have national/global ambitions - Your business is location-agnostic (software, services that travel) - Enterprise customers need to take you seriously - You can't meet eligibility requirements honestly For the broader context on ccTLDs and geographic choices, see Should You Use a Country Code TLD? Pros and Cons. For a complete decision methodology, see TLD Decision Framework: A Step-by-Step Guide.