Domain Suffixes Changing SEO Practices

Domain Suffixes Changing SEO Practices
22 July 2011 | | Search Engine Optimisation

In the SEO industry it seems that Google is permanently in the driving seat when it comes to customising the web. However, it seems that ICANN (International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) is set to make some big changes in the way that businesses and consumers use the web, which as always, will have an impact on the future of SEO.

ICANN controls web domain suffixes, for example .gov, .edu and .com which have all previously been restricted to cater to certain organisational types. However, ICANN have announced that they will now allow custom TLD’s (Top Level Domains) which means that any word/ letter/ number combination can be used at the end of a URL.

At the moment the changes will mostly affect large corporations due to the hefty price tag of such TLDs ($185,000 sign up fee with a $25,000 maintenance fee) so right now this news probably won’t affect the dental industry, nevertheless what starts at the top will inevitably trickle down to smaller scale businesses once the price is more affordable.

So what are the implications for these changes? Despite the current preference in search engine results being towards natural links and older domains; it is whispered that Google may show preferences towards these new TLDs as those that can afford to purchase them are clearly concerned with their brand reputation and therefore are likely to produce more relevant results when searched for, a clear goal for Google. However, more recognised TLD’s such as .com and .gov are more likely to be trusted by the general public so click through rates may be higher for more traditional TLDs.

For those who work within the SEO industry, SEO work on increasing rankings and online footprint may become irrelevant, as customers may not return to the website if customers cannot remember the custom TLD.  For the worst case scenario, when creating new domains for each page it is important that each page is redirected carefully in order to avoid being penalised by Google for duplicate content and therefore wasting the large fee for purchasing the TLD in the first place.

Right now it seems a mystery to what the real effects custom TLDs will have on the SEO industry as a whole and more locally for individual practices, all we can do is watch this space!

More information can be found about this subject from Promotion World

More posts from our team


Previous Post:
Next Post:

Back to all news

Reviews2024
Five Star
Reviewed Marketing
5 gold stars
google review logofacebook review with 5 stars
"Excellent service from James at Dental Design, thank you very much for your prompt attention whenever I get in touch! Would definitely recommend to a friend" Alison Tarmey View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "Would definitely recommend to a friend"
5 gold stars
"As a dental practice manager I cannot recommend Dental Design highly enough. They are just brilliant at what they do. Lucy and her colleagues are just an email or a phone call away...." Emma Smith View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "I cannot recommend Dental Design highly enough"
5 gold stars
"Really great company to deal with. They always respond quickly and are truly reliable. I would 100% recommend, the staff are so friendly and helpful." Michelle Molloy View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "Really great company to deal with"
5 gold stars
"I got increased traffic and new patients applying to my surgery, once Dental Design upgraded my website. They are very professional, efficient & adaptive to new situations..." Joanna Gallop View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "Very professional, efficient & adaptive to new situations"
5 gold stars
"Lucy has been a star, responding to and acting upon our requests in a prompt, efficient and professional manner, as well as the rest of the Dental Design team..." Abhay Shah View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "I cannot recommend them highly enough"
5 gold stars
"...Since the website has been up and running Lucy Mander has been our point of contact. She has been invaluable and gone out of her way to help us, especially during COVID-19 lockdown... " Lucy Jones View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "Has been invaluable and gone out of her way to help us"
5 gold stars
"Thank you for all your help and support, and the provision of valuable learning aids for our patients and staff alike in these difficult times. We love the look of our practice website. Very professional!" Sandra Luck View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "We love the look of our practice website. Very professional!"
5 gold stars
"Dental Design stood out both in their knowledge of the industry and their professionalism and can-do attitude. All of their staff are exceptionally competent and knowledgeable..." Harvey Rook View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "Dental Design stood out both in their knowledge of the industry and their professionalism"
5 gold stars
"Having done extensive research into all the dental website companies, the team and package offered at dental design was unrivalled..." Neil Shah View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "The team and package offered at dental design was unrivalled"
5 gold stars
"The team at dental design (especially Rosie) are absolutely fantastic and are always on hand to help. They are professional, friendly and extremely efficient. Rosie always gets back..." KiKi Wilmot View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "absolutely fantastic and are always on hand to help"
5 gold stars
"Dental Design are fantastic to work with, our website is amazing and the support they provide is second to none. Our account manager Rosie L is a fabulous point..." Luke Lucas View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "Dental Design are fantastic to work with"
5 gold stars
"Having worked with the Dental Design team for the last six months, I've found them not only helpful, but friendly and approachable too. I bombard Marcus with regular..." Sophie Harper View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "always met with a swift and professional response"
5 gold stars
desk with branded documents