If you have been heading to your own country’s top-level domain to reach Google Search, you will soon notice a change. Because everyone, everywhere will soon be forced to use Google.com, regardless of their location.
Everyone Will Be Redirected to Google.com
Google is doing away with its use of country code top-level domain names. Instead, it will redirect everyone to Google.com.
For those unaware of what a country code top-level domain name is, it’s the specific domain for a particular country. So, while Google.com has always been the destination for users in the US, Nigerians could go to Google.ng, and Brazilians could go to Google.com.br, to cite two examples.
Now, thanks to the way Google offers localized experiences to people in different countries, the company has decided that country-level domains are no longer necessary. And, according to Google’s post on The Keyword, anyone using one will be redirected to Google.com to “streamline people’s experience on Search.”
The change will roll out gradually over the next few months, and when it does, if you’re affected by it, you will see Google.com in the address bar of your web browser. You may also be prompted to “re-enter some of your Search preferences.”
However, Google is keen to make it clear that this change will not affect the way Search works, or change how the company handles “obligations under national laws.” It also won’t change anyone’s Search experience, as Google has been providing the same experience for everyone, regardless of what domain they were using, since 2017. And that includes local results.
Is Google Search Still the Necessity It Was?
It has to be said that there are question marks over whether Google Search is still the necessity it once was. I’m old enough to remember when you literally needed to either know the domain name of the site you wanted to visit, or needed to head to a search engine (most likely Google) before venturing elsewhere on the web. But that’s no longer the case.
Related
Reddit’s New AI Search Tool Could Take Google Out of the Equation
This AI-powered search tool could transform Reddit into something more than just a social media site.
Now, there are multiple ways of finding the information you require online. From social media platforms (and especially Reddit) to AI chatbots, and much more besides. Google is trying to keep up with the competition by providing AI overviews giving instant answers to questions, but these are far from perfect in their current form.
Admittedly, this has little to do with Google redirecting everyone to Google.com. However, it’s important to remember how the web, and our way of searching for information on it, has changed over the years. And it will continue to change into the future.
