Does having a specific top-level domain (TLD) have advantages over another? The short answer is no!

The myth has been out there forever on blog and forums that having a site or a backlink from a .edu or .gov outweighs the .com, .org and the rest. But there’s really no hard evidence to support that theory.

Web pages are ranked according to many factors but their TLD is not one of them! Just because your site is a .edu doesn’t mean it will rank any higher or be considered any more of an authority than a .net.

Much of this myth has evolved because the .edu and .gov are simply in general better quality sites the .com and .nets and they are not open to public for registration. It’s not always the case but there’s probably less spam in the .edu/.gov TLDs than the .coms, but that has no overall weight on the rankings.

So avoid falling into the trap of gunning for .edu and .gov backlinks. Instead, just try to acquiring solid backlinks from authority sites without worrying about the TLD.