The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) plans to open up possible domain name endings to almost any word in any language. This change is said to be one of the biggest game-changers to date. The application process right now is costly (it’s almost $200k to apply), but what does this mean for the future of internet marketing? The impact of this decision could change the way we see search engine results from now on.
Large corporations will be able to buy any domain name they can imagine (so long as they can prove they have the rights to the name in some manner). This could start a subdomain chain that could inevitably take over the first page of search engine results. Several companies have gone the route of purchasing several subdomains to influence and increase their listings on the first page of search engines as part of their search engine optimization campaign.
With the high cost of this process, for now one can expect that only corporations and organizations with million dollar budgets for internet marketing will be taking part in this movement. However, if this new development goes the route of all things internet, the price may eventually drop to something more affordable to the everyday business owner.
So what does this mean for webpage domain names? It means Apple can have the domain name “Apple.Computers” or Microsoft can be “Microsoft.Windows” or “Xbox.360”. This will take search engine optimization to the next level. Not only will you be able to relate specific keywords to a website, you’ll be able to mirror those keywords within the URL. If you could afford the hefty $200k price tag, what would you make your domain name for your business?