New domains are now taking the spotlight in SEO. Find out more about new domain extensions and the perks they may offer.
Not much thought was put into the suffix of a web address. Most people tend to set their attention on the URLs first and middle sections. And while the first two are necessary to ensure traffic on the website, choosing a poor extension may likewise significantly affect the web address’ visibility.
Domain extensions, otherwise called TLDs are the suffix of a domain name. These letters appear on the last part of a web address, after a dot, following the middle part of a URL. The TLD is the surname of URLs.
The most popular top-level domain (TLD) are .com, .net, .org, .co,and .edu. TLDs are classified into multiple types which includes generic TLDs (gTLDs), sponsored TLDs (sTLDs), and country code TLDs (ccTLDs).
Domain extensions such as .com, .biz, and .net are examples of generic TLDs. Sponsored TLDs are used by organizations, educational institutions, and similar entities. On the other hand, as its name suggests, country-code TLDs are used by specific countries for quick recognition such as .uk for the United Kindom, .us for the United States of America, .cn for China, and .aus for Australia.
The generic domain extensions mentioned above are what experts call the traditional or aged TLDs. Although these TLDs are still used by many, more and more websites prefer using the new domain extensions for customization and identity. If you’re planning to create a website, would you choose an aged or new domain?
What are New Domain Extensions?
The ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) is a body responsible for the managing of the domain name system. Their role is to connect each domain name to IP addresses. Back then, there were 22 generic top-level domains; however, everything changed come 2013.
In 2013, the ICANN released new TLDs, later called new domain extensions, otherwise known as custom TLDs. Examples of new TLDs are .store, .clothing, .blog, .online, .tech, and .health to name a few. This new era in TLDs both offered opportunities, and likewise, brought forth disadvantages.
The Pros of New Domain Extensions
The birth of new TLDs holds a promising future in the field of SEO. Custom TLDs provide more options and availability to websites. Moreover, it encourages uniqueness, which is a great advantage in brand building.
New TLDs make it easier for potential viewers to recognize the website, as well as the services it offers. For example, a website with suffix .shoes will immediately know they are on the right website if they’re looking for footwear. In a nutshell, the new TLDs support quicker navigation of websites and understanding of service.
The Downside of New Domain Extensions
New TLDs hold a great advantage towards SEO and branding. However, it also has some drawbacks.
People are used to traditional TLDs such as .com and .net. It has been the norm for a very long time, and the switch to new TLDs could be confusing to some. If a person types the suffix .com instead of the correct new TLD of the web address, the search engine will display results with websites using the suffix .com. Therefore, it could potentially reduce page conversions and web visitors.