Google Activates Their First New gTLD Domain Name

Google has activated their first New gTLD domain name, which is nic.google. Nic.Google currently redirects to the Google Registry.

What’s even more interesting, though, is that Nic.google redirects with a 302 redirect to www.google.com/registry/ so maybe they did that 302 on purpose? Well, after all, it could be a temporary redirect, with a plan on putting a live site on nic.google at some point?

HTTP/1.1·302·Found
Location:·http://www.google.com/registry/
Cache-Control:·private
Content-Type:·text/html;·charset=UTF-8
X-Content-Type-Options:·nosniff
Date:·Mon,·24·Nov·2014·19:16:13·GMT
Server:·sffe
Content-Length:·228
X-XSS-Protection:·1;·mode=block
Alternate-Protocol:·80:quic,p=0.02
Connection:·close

The Google Registry was looking for registrar partners to help test their registry platform. However, you needed to submit your application by 20th November 2014, which is now passed. I don’t know if they are accepting any new applications now, though.

Google is planning on being the registry for the following New gTLDs:

.??? .ADS .BOO
.DAD .DAY .EAT
.ESQ .FLY .FOO
.HERE .HOW .ING
.MEME .MOV .NEW
.PROF .RSVP .SOY
.ZIP

If you haven’t noticed yet, I’m a big fan of the New gTLD domain names, but not because I just “like them” or like the way they sound. As an internet marketer, I believe it’s important to let the numbers and the marketing data determine your actions.

I’ve been doing a lot of research lately to determine the overall viability and marketability of the New gTLDs. For example, I did some New gTLD research that pitted some .COM domains with some new GTLDs. You might also want to read my SEO’s Guide to New gTLDs over at Moz.

Now, if we could just get Google to redirect http://www.google to http://www.google.com/ then that would be great!