Many brand managers and marketeers have raised questions with Google on how the release of new gTLD’s will impact upon search. To put your minds at ease, the dotNice team have compiled a list of points to better clarify any unanswered questions.
What impact will new gTLD’s have on a web user’s search?
In essence, new gTLD’s will be subject to the same conditions as any other .COM , .NET or .ORG as before. In terms of SEO, keywords contained within a TLD will not be of any greater benefit in relation to googles system and search.
What impact will ccTLD’s have on search for web users searching from a particular location? Will ccTLD’s like .PARIS or .SYDNEY be prioritised on google search for users located in those particular countries?
Google uses a specific geographical targeting mechanism to search for optimised results. Therefore, it will yield results considered most relevant to the initial search query in regard to the specific country. By this token, ccTLD’s will impact on search (with some exceptions).
Does investing in a .BRAND TLD priortise this domain name over that of a .COM?
No. As with the new gTLD’s, a .BRAND TLD will be subject to the same conditions like all gTLD’s in the past. Google are committed to ensuring that the search engine system works on relevancy therefore they will not hold any greater influence on search results.
Although, new gTLD’s will not effectively impact on search, it is recommended that all brand owners, marketers and heads of legal revise and optimise their brand’s domain portfolio. Domain names are essential digital real estate in todays digitised world. As they constitute important digital assets, they have to be considered worth protecting as an integral part of a business brand protection strategy. Reinforcing your brand’s digital footprint will ultimately strengthen your brand’s digital presence.
dotNice International – experts in digital brand protection
For more information email – brandprotection-emea@dotnice.com
