Geo “.Com” Vs. Geo “New gTLD”
I’ve written a few articles about Geo domains over the years and talked about why I invested in some of them. If you are not familiar with any of my past writings or not that familiar with Geo domains them self, first check out the article I wrote back in early 2015 on NamePros: “My View On Local Geo Targeted Domains“.
Ok, now that you are up to speed on the Geo domain topic, let’s jump right into my thoughts about them in today’s saturated markets.
It’s my opinion that the Geo .com’s (E.g. HoustonTexas.com) have become even more valuable since the launch of all the new gTLD’s (E.g. HoustonTexas.bet / HoustonTexas.work / HoustonTexas.blog / Etc.).
There is a lot of controversy over the fact (Yes, it is a fact) that some of the new gTLD’s work well on keyword play, for instance, one of the domains I listed above; “HoustonTexas.Work” obviously looks like it will work well on the surface, but will it really perform in all the areas it needs to in order to compete with a .com developer/investor?
At the end of the day, if you have enough capital backing you, you can brand any domain and be successful by throwing enough money at it. Do we really want a money pit though? Not me! And that’s the first issue with the new gTLD Geo’s. They haven’t gained enough global or even national attention yet to become a viable low overhead end-user investment.
Just to clarify, I’m not even talking about the small mom & pop shops looking to expand on their family business and love the idea of supporting something new for a fraction of the cost they would have to spend on a .com with no real marketing capital. I’m referring to the large corporations with powerhouse departments of 2 to 20+ people crunching numbers, analyzing data, and predicting outcomes. More of these powerhouses need to catch on and develop before anything changes in the Geo + new gTLD values.
Here’s a quote from an article where Google explains how New gTLDs are treated:
Q: How will new gTLDs affect search? Is Google changing the search algorithm to favor these TLDs? How important are they really in search?
A: Overall, our systems treat new gTLDs like other gTLDs (like .com and .org). Keywords in a TLD do not give any advantage or disadvantage in search.
Source of quote: Here
Many of the powerhouses that invested in the new gTLD’s did it either for brand protection or redirection purposes and not really to develop a new product/service they intend to invest heavily in global advertising campaigns for.
Let’s not forget that the Geo .com market has barely been tapped yet. There’s millions of .com Geo + Product or Geo + Service domains available for registration still (I know because I own some and have come across more than I can count researching personal projects). Until that locks up tighter, you’re not going to be seeing any shifts in value.
I’m not saying that every Geo + Product/Service .com is a diamond in the rough by itself, however, I am confident in saying that every single one of them has a lot of development potential that would make them more attractive and easier to sell.
At the end of the day, if you are new to the industry or to the Geo markets, it’s easier to pitch a household .com everyone knows to any business than it is to pitch a new gTLD that has businesses scratching there heads and scared to try something new. If you love Geos and just have to invest into them, be sure to start with .com’s, have them branded (Logo designed), have a development plan for each, and once you start to sell a few, maybe then test the waters in Geo + New gTLD’s now that you have experience.
Note: Developing Geo + Product/service domains will not only provide another potential revenue stream each month, they will also boost the value of the domains as they start to establish traffic/revenue, and will give you hands on experience with how the different geo markets work. The experience alone, will help you move into the new gTLD geo’s a bit safer later on (If the market shifts more in their favor).
Honestly, I don’t see a shift happening for another 3 to 5 years (Minimum).
Since 1996, Eric has managed companies with 240+ employees, online communities with over 1 million members, attended numerous industry related events/conventions and has personally worked with start-ups, personalities, small mom and pop businesses, corporations, freelancers, news outlets, and a variety of domain investors one-on-one from all over the world. That equates to a lot of years behind the scenes with his fingers firmly on the pulse of multiple industries.
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- Establishing Elusive Value - December 21, 2019
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- Updates: Domain Name Discovery / A New Journey / And A New Project - February 1, 2018
