In a recent update, Google has included the .ai domain, originally associated with Anguilla, in its list of generic top-level domains (gTLDs). This change signifies that Google now treats .ai domains as generic rather than country-specific, potentially impacting Nigerians and users worldwide who utilize .ai domains.
Gary Illyes, a Google representative, confirmed the addition of .ai to the list on his LinkedIn page where he explained that this update does not affect how Google identifies the target country from a country code top-level domain (ccTLD). Despite being considered a gTLD, Google will not automatically assume that a .ai domain is targeting Anguilla. Consequently, content specifically targeting Anguilla may face additional challenges, although there are reportedly few .ai domains pursuing such targeting.
What Does This Mean to Nigerian Using .AI Domains?
The news that Google has added the .ai domain to its list of generic top-level domains (gTLDs) means that Nigerians (and users worldwide) who use .ai domains should not expect any significant changes in terms of how Google treats these domains for search purposes.
According to Gary Illyes, the Google representative who posted about this update on LinkedIn, the addition of .ai to the list of gTLDs does not imply any changes in how Google infers the target country from the country code top-level domain (ccTLD). In other words, Google will not automatically assume that a .ai domain is targeting Anguilla, the country associated with the .ai ccTLD. This could make targeting Anguilla-specific content a little more challenging, but it appears that there aren’t many .ai domains attempting to do so anyway.
Overall, the addition of .ai to the list of gTLDs by Google Search is seen as a positive development, but it is not expected to have a significant impact on Nigerians or other users who utilize .ai domains.
