Updated: 26/08/2017
Quick couple of questions about gTLDS
What are they?
gTLD stands for “generic top-level domain”, which you may know as your domain extension: .COM, .NET, .ORG. Until November 2013, there were 22 domain extensions, however ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) says that over 1,300 new names could become available in the next few years. So new gTLDs are just that: new domain extensions which can be anything from .club to .madrid to something in arabic or cyrillic. The possibilities are endless!
According to New Top Level Domain stats, .top is the most popular new domain, followed by .xyz, .laon, and .club
How do they do in search?
A recent report from Globe Runner concluded that new gTLDs are able to compete well in the paid search channel. As far as ‘organic’ (non-paid), Google has stated that a new gTLD domain name a does not get any kind of preference when it comes to actual search engine rankings.
So, what does it mean for me?
It looks like new gTLDs are here to stay, so if you’re considering one, it could definitely help potential visitors immediately understand the nature of your business, and the relevance of your site just from looking at the URL (address). Additionally, if you’re a local business and get a local extension, it would add credibility and relevance to your site in results. Even though it is a big investment, and it will likely take many years for these domain extensions to really take off, it seems that there is no reason for .com to be the go-to extension for everyone anymore.
If you’re interested in the experiment Globe Runner did testing the .com bs new gTLDs in paid search, here it is.
Curious about how it all works? Below is a great infographic on the subject:
http://pinterest.com/pin/248190629435564779/
