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Can I use domains on Cyrillic 

Have you noticed how popular it is to use domains on Cyrillic on Russian-language Internet recently? 

Not that it has become a very widespread phenomenon, but quite a few owners of new websites decide to prescribe a domain name with a Cyrillic alphabet.

Why is this needed? 

Well judge for yourself: for Russian-speaking Internet users, especially those who are not very friendly with English, it is much easier to remember the best-jokes.rus than luchshie-shutki.ru.

Agree that the domain name with a Cyrillic alphabet looks much more understandable and enjoyable.


Преимущества кириллических доменов
 
Now think: to promote websites, Cyrillic domains are a problem or not?

To get the right answer, let's look at the domains on Cyrillic and the disadvantages and benefits.

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Plus domain name Cyrillic

  1. Convenience for users of the Russian-speaking segment of the Internet. 
     
  2. With domains on Cyrillic "cann" work all modern browsers. 
     
  3. They look beautiful on visiting sites and as part of the visual elements of other types of online advertising
     
  4. A large number of free, available for use domains (compared to more familiar areas in the Latin alphabet).
     
  5. It is especially useful when there is visual advertising on billboards, as well as on TV and radio, because such a website address is much easier to remember.
     
  6. Domain names with Cyrillic are quite adequately on Google, despite disputes about this.

 

Плюсы доменного имени на кириллице


Domain on Cyrillic - cons

  1. The first unpleasant moment that Cyrillic domains bring is encoding problems. For correct perception by most Internet services and compliance with Unicode standards, it is mandatory apply decoding to domains on Cyrillic. To do this, use a special character conversion method called Punycode. 

    It turns out that a beautiful address My SuperSite.ukr is only a visual display of real xn--80ajlclmijgdnf.xn--j1amh. That is how search engines perceive it and at the same time do not consider it a human-clearing snap (CPPU). 

    In addition, the converted option must be used everywhere when working on the site. For example, for the right rowots.txt settings.

    Декодирование кириллических доменов
     
  2. Need hosting choice, which has the support of domain names on the Cyrillic alphabet.
     
  3. Unusual for English Internet users, and the rest of the world as a whole, which considers the addresses of sites on the Latin alphabet to be the standard. 
     
  4. It’s hard to type domains on the Cyrillic alphabet in the address bar if there is no Russian layout on the keyboard. Of course you can find a way out using the Windows application "Ekran keyboard", but this is clearly unnecessary actions that only one who, well, really needs to enter the address on the Cyrillic alphabet will perform.

    Приложение Windows «Экранная клавиатура»
     
  5. The domain name with a Cyrillic alphabet is used mainly only for advertising purposes, and as a result, the user who clicked on it is usually redirected to the site located at the address on the Latin alphabet. 
     
  6. Cyrillic domain name for promotion not that it is contraindicated, rather it complicates it a bit.

    In particular, there may be problems with registering in site directories, many of which either do not support domains on the Cyrillic alphabet, or display their addresses in an converted form (Punycode).

    The same problems are often observed with links. If they are anchor, then - this is still half a disaster. You just need to hide the converted address under the anchor. 

    But imagine how unlawfully they will look. “I recommend you an excellent site on SEO promotion: xn----8sbaqbevmvn5a2p.xn--p1acf”

    Awful! Is not it? 

    But non-anchor links should make up the bulk of the reference mass of any website for its successful and safe promotion.

Use or not?

Want to join those with websites on domain names with Cyrillic? 

The point, of course, is yours. 

But, weighing all the pros and cons, we cannot recommend you use domains on Cyrillic - The disadvantages that have been listed significantly shift the weight of the choice in their direction.

Especially do not recommend transfer site to another domain Cyrillic if it has long existed at the usual address on the Latin alphabet.

Why create difficulties on the way to promote the site using SEO methods, if there is a simpler classic version?

Do not be too lazy and describe in the comments your opinion on this matter!