According to a tweet that was published this afternoon, Google Domains is now using a .Google domain name for its website. Previously, the company was using Domains.Google.com for its website, but it recently changed its url to Domains.Google:
Google Domains is moving to https://t.co/bl9VB4AUrg! Check it out & learn how to get your own #smallbiz domain name. pic.twitter.com/rNfaxKmUu1
— Google Small Biz (@GoogleSmallBiz) March 29, 2016
I would imagine that many people in the new gTLD space will applaud Google’s move to a .Google domain name. It makes sense that the company would begin using its branded domain name for this particular business unit.
The one thing that seems a bit strange to me is that the registrar is called “Google Domains” yet the url is using, Domains.Google, seems to be backwards. IMO, Google.Domains may have made more sense for a brand called Google Domains, although that would sort of defeat some of the purpose of having .Google in the first place. Google does own Google.Domains, so I would assume the company could use the domain name for forwarding if it felt that was necessary.
In any case, I presume this will be used as a model for other companies that are considering using branded extensions for their website.
I can understand the “logic” of using domains.google because it’s the same thinking as using the subdomain domains.google.com but without the dot com at the end. However I can’t deny domains.google seems backwards for a brand called “Google Domains”. Strangely enough, I don’t find domains.google.com leaves me with that same impression. Goes to show how ingrained the dot com is, at least in my perception, that it makes the “backwards” subdomain domains.google.com somehow seem “natural” to me, but take away the dot com and then it’s confusing. If enough companies consistently follow the domains.google convention then maybe in time it will seem natural and we will all adjust and take it for granted — or at least a new generation of Internet users might. But I don’t see that happening without consistent use and widespread adoption of such a convention backed by lots of marketing.
AssBackward.Fail
I see no purpose for new gtlds and think Google will soon come to that same conclusion.