The top-level domain (TLD) .GAL is a geographic TLD that was introduced as part of ICANN’s New gTLD Program in 2012. It’s a sponsored top-level domain delegated to the community of Galicia in Spain, for the people of Galician nationality and Galician speaking community located in Spain and around the world. The .GAL domain connotes a digital sphere dedicated to Galician identity, language and culture, with the aim to promote and spread Galician language and culture on the Internet.
Established in 2014, following a delegation to the PuntoGal Association approved by ICANN, .GAL became one of the first strings to make its way through ICANN’s complex and controversial application process. As for any other new TLDs established post-2014, .GAL domains must pass multiple tests for stability and security to ensure their reliability.
High profile users of the .GAL domain include the local governments, companies like Queixos Castelo, a Galician cheese maker, or the famous football club Celta de Vigo. In academies, the Royal Galician Academy (Real Academia Galega), the body responsible for the regulation of the Galician language, use this extension.
These entities utilize the .GAL domain due to its significance and value in denoting Galician identity and locale – it is an explicit signal to the world that their activity is rooted in Galicia, speaks to the Galician community, and/or promotes the Galician culture. With this in mind, it’s safe to assume that owning a .GAL domain offers both prestige and branding advantages to Galician entities, whether they are businesses, organizations or individuals.
From an SEO perspective, though Google states that the use of a gTLD or ccTLD would not provide any ranking advantage, domain names are one of the factors search engines consider. A website with a .GAL domain may arguably have more relevance in local search results within the Galician community.
Overall, the .GAL domain offers a unique digital platform for Galician entities to express and promote their roots and cultural identity on the internet global stage.
Sources used:
1. “About .GAL domain names” – GoDaddy support
2. “Delegated Strings” – ICANN
3. “New gTLD Application” for .GAL – ICANN
4. “Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide” – Google Search Central
5. Examples of the websites: ‘www.celta.gal’ and ‘www.queixoscastelo.gal’
6. ICANNWiki – PuntoGal and Galicia.
