Significant Domain Announcement

ICANN has made a significant domain announcement. I am sure many of you do not know who ICANN is. But for anyone that is responsible for your organization’s domain planning and marketing ICANN is someone you should learn about.

Introduction to ICANN

ICANN is the worldwide governing body for domain name registrations and the associated guidelines. ICANN stands for Internet Corporation For Assigned Names and Number. They have existed since the inception of the internet and are comprised of a board of directors, officers and operating staff. I am proud to say an Aussie has been President/CEO since 1993 (Dr. Paul Twomey). The board is comprised of people from around the world that have a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. ICANN’s main offices are located in Marina Del Ray, California and Brussels in Belgium.

And just this week ICANN made one of the most significant decisions on the future of domain names…

Quick Background on Domain Names

Domain names are purchased from Registrars. Registrars are organizations that sell domain names (under the authority and guidelines of ICANN). Registrars are organizations such as GoDaddy, Aplus.NET, Network Solutions just to name a few. ICANN to date has allocated the following extensions that registrars can commercially sell (I have included a basic explanation as to the purpose of the domain extension – or in some cases the intention):

• .com – Commercial organizations
• .net – Intranets (Internal networks for organizations)
• .org – Non-profit organizations
• .info – Really opened up alternative ways to get a domain (no specific intention) 
• .biz – Business organizations (no known difference from .com)
• .mobi – Mobile websites (for mobile web devices)
• .us – Organizations based in the United States
• .bz – The country of Belize – opened up for any commercial use
• .cc – Cocas Islands – opened up for any commercial use
• .tv – Television based organizations

There are other domain names that are reserved for government or education use, such as .gov or .edu.

Country Code Domain Extensions

You also have the country codes for domain extensions for countries outside the United States:

• .au – Australia
• .gb – Great Britain
• .uk – United Kingdom
• .ca – Canada
• .it – Italy

These country code extensions exist as an extension to .com (for example – .com.au for Australia). These domain extensions were generally intended for organizations within a particular country.

Lead-up to the Significant Domain Announcement

I would also note this was a loose interpretation from day one. Many organizations and individuals in Australia, Canada, or the United Kingdom registered .coms – so the “rules” were flexible from the beginning. Registrants are located worldwide and are assigned rights to sell domain names regionally.

So that is where we were until the new announcement last week!

ICANN Approves New Domain Extensions

In a nutshell, ICANN has approved the release of a new class of domain extensions…

The big news out of Paris last week where ICANN was holding their annual meeting was the announcement of new domain extensions known as gTLDs – Generic Top Level Domains. These could actually be a company name, an industry, or a geographical place like a city.

Examples of New gTLDs

To explain:

• .nyc: Logical extension for New York City businesses.
• .travel: Potentially used for the travel industry.

Applicants could apply for the rights to specific gTLDs, gaining registrar rights to sell or license the domains.

Industry and Geography Based Extensions

An industry-based extension like .travel would assure users the website is industry-focused. Similarly, .realestate would likely become highly sought after. The ownership of these domains would likely follow guidelines ensuring relevance and legitimacy.

Current State of the New gTLDs

This is still in the guesswork stage. ICANN’s FAQ is general; no specific launch date beyond sometime in 2009 has been given. Details like application fees and full rules are still pending. However, trademark protections will likely be strong (e.g., only Coca-Cola registering .coke).

ICANN’s stated goal is to create greater opportunity and clarity with domain name conventions.

Stakeholders and Influence

One ICANN board member is from Google, hinting at the tech giant’s influence. Stakeholders likely include major tech and online companies.

Impacts on Search Engines

Improving how search engines connect users with relevant sites is a top priority. It’s hoped these new domain extensions will aid in more targeted search results, whether by geography or industry.

Examples:

• Australia + Travel: In the future, a site like www.australia.travel could rank more prominently.
• Landscape Gardener + Wilson County: A .wilsoncounty extension could help local businesses rank better than unrelated search results.

However, keyword searches still matter, and multiple domain ownership may continue to be strategic.

The Future of Domain Planning

Continuous education is critical. BeareWare will monitor ICANN’s announcements to inform clients about filing relevant applications and assessing the potential impact on their business and industry.

Geography’s Increasing Importance in SEO

Geography is crucial for most businesses, emphasizing local visibility over global reach. Extensions representing specific cities, counties, or industries could greatly benefit local SEO strategies.

Conclusion: Stay Informed and Plan Ahead

Think about your own business, industry, and geography. Consult with domain planning professionals to navigate this very interesting development effectively.

Cheers Mate,

Peter Beare – Webmaster

Peter Beare is CEO of BeareWare, a Website Design & Development Company located just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Since building his first website for a local sports club in 1998 Peter has been a webmaster. Over the last 10 years Peter’s duties with BeareWare have included website planning, design and development, website marketing and sales, as well as database application programming & project management. But when all is said and done, Peter is still a webmaster and this is “Interview with a Webmaster“.