Is SEO harder for lesser-known TLDs?

[makoo]

Hello all,
A general question: is there a difference between .COM and the less common TLDs?

[donamiller90]

Over the years, new TLDs were slowly introduced to accommodate the influx of websites being created daily. ... Although Google confirms that alternative gTLDs do not directly affect a website's search rankings, they might influence the audience's perception of a brand — therefore affecting the brand's click-through rate.

[Sopie1805]

Hello all,
A general question: is there a difference between .COM and the less common TLDs?

Hello, Makoo

In my opinion there is no inherent difference. Google will rank each equally and your content and marketing will make the greatest difference.

There will be some small negative impact from using less known TLDs, like .me, but most search results come from keyword searches and from direct entry autofill, so it is increasingly rare for users to ever get to the “.com” part of a URL before seeing results.

Personally, I would opt for the best brand name I could get for my business. If both the .com and .me are available, buy the .com (or both). If it’s between the brand you want with a .me and a lesser name with .com — go .me and market the crap out of it.