Domains are the unique names that identify websites on the internet. They act as an address for a website’s location on the internet and help customers remember it. Domains are one of the most important assets for a company’s brand. They can impact customer perception, search engine optimization (SEO) and business growth.
Google recently updated its search documentation to clarify that.ai domains—formerly associated with Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory in the Eastern Caribbean—are now treated like generic top-level domains (gTLDs), the same as a.com or.org domain. The move could have major implications for technology startups using a.ai domain name extension, as well as for other businesses that use AI-related terminology in their brands.
Currently, most ccTLDs—which are country code domains—are geo-specific to their respective countries. However,.ai’s association with Anguilla has made it a desirable domain for entrepreneurs and other businesses looking to establish themselves as leaders in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry.
In order to compete with companies using more traditional extensions such as.com, a new ccTLD such as.ai can make a company more memorable and attractive to potential customers, especially when it’s associated with a rapidly growing industry. This is especially true when a company uses the.ai extension to highlight its expertise in a specific field, such as machine learning or automation.
However, the emergence of a number of new ccTLDs has made it more difficult for businesses to find available.com domains that accurately reflect their brand or keywords in search engine results. With more than 160 million.com domains already registered, it’s often more challenging to secure a.com domain than it would be to secure a similar domain with another extension, particularly in the Domain Aftermarket.
As such, it’s no surprise that more businesses are turning to a.ai domain name to establish themselves as leaders in the AI industry and to capture the attention of consumers. The.ai extension is also a great choice for businesses in the tech sector that want to differentiate themselves from their competitors, as it immediately identifies a company as an expert in artificial intelligence.
The good news for Nigerians and other users worldwide who use a.ai domain is that this update by Google does not negatively impact the SEO performance of sites using a.ai domain. In fact, Gary Illyes, a Google search engineer, clarified on his LinkedIn page that he doesn’t expect this change to alter how Google treats.ai domains in any way.