The first of the generic top level domains, or gTLD’s as they are called, are set to launch this summer followed by the first group of brand-controlled gTLD’s in the 4th quarter. The rest will roll out over the first one or two quarters of 2014. It can’t be avoided any longer, the Internet is changing. What kind of affect this will have on the internet as a whole and marketers specifically has yet to be seen, but there is no doubt that this is one of the biggest updates to the Internet and it could have far reaching implications. This is why it is so important for everyone who makes a living online to pay attention to what is happening so they can stay ahead of the curve.
What are gTLD’s
In case you’ve been in denial or hiding over the past year or so, gTLD’s are additional top level domains which can be used by companies or individuals. The most recognized top level domain today is .com, but .net, .org, or .edu are also very common. Up until this year the top level domains were very restricted and new ones were only made after a lot of deliberation and thought. That is, until last year when they decided to allow gTLD’s.
There will be hundreds, or even thousands, of top level domains created over the next several months. Sites ending in things like .shop, .film, .chat or just about anything else you can think of will begin to flood the Internet. Brand controlled gTLD’s are also approved so domains ending with things like .Microsoft, .Ford or .Facebook will also be seen starting in the 4th quarter.
Major Impact on Large Brands
At this point it seems this will have a bigger impact on major brands than smaller marketers, though that could change quickly. Companies like Google and others are already staking their claim on dozens or even hundreds of gTLD’s which they don’t want competitors or others using. It is expected that at least at first a high percentage of the sites on gTLD’s will simply be redirected to an existing .com site, though down the road that will likely change.
With each of these gTLD’s costing anywhere from $15 to $100 per year for most of them it is easy to see how this could become expensive quite quickly. A company like Coke will likely want to purchase not only the .COKE gTLD, but also things like .SPRITE, .DIETCOKE and others. Smaller companies will have less of an impact, though they will also most likely be more at risk of competitors or other marketers attempting to buy their brand before they are able to secure it.
What About SEO
With the dramatic expansion of the number of top level domains coming up there is really no doubt that this will have some impact on SEO strategies. The problem is that this is an entirely new event for the Internet so it is very difficult to predict what the specific impact will be. Google has undoubtedly put a lot of thought into this, but until they see how Internet Marketers and others are using these new gTLD’s there is no way for them to create an exact algorithm which will allow them to ensure they are only listing the best results for the individual performing the search.
Just last week Google began to cut back on the number of sites from a single domain which will show up on any given results page. Once there are thousands of new gTLD’s will Google display multiple sites from the same company but different top level domains? How will marketers choose to use these new domains? At this point there are far more questions about the future of SEO than there are answers, but one thing is certain. There will be a lot of changes made and successful marketers must work hard to keep ahead of the curve.
What are your thoughts on how these gTLD’s will affect the internet as a whole and marketing in general? Have you put in for any gTLD’s? Do you plan to?
