The top-level domain (TLD) “.gent” is a city-based TLD indicating a relationship with the city of Ghent, located in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Combell, the official registry operator for .gent, describes the TLD as a creative and innovative approach to online branding, aimed at businesses, individuals, and institutions connected with the city of Ghent.
A TLD, such as .gent, serves as a critical part of web addresses. They are found at the very end of the URL, in this case, for websites related to Ghent. To give a clearer picture, consider a website URL like “www.example.gent.” In this address, “.gent” is the TLD, indicating that the website has a connection with Ghent, whether that’s through the location of the business, the target demographic, or other affiliations.
The introduction of city-based TLDs like .gent offers a unique branding opportunity for local businesses and organizations. They not only simplify and localize web addresses but simultaneously advertise the connection with a specific location. This can aid in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) visibility and can make websites more attractive to local customers.
For example, a Ghent-based bakery may choose to utilize the .gent TLD to assert its local presence on the web. Instead of a generic “.com” or “.be” TLD, a “.gent” TLD distinguishes their site at first glance. The website might look something like “www.bakeryname.gent.”
The utilization of .gent is not restricted to businesses only. Individuals and institutions can also use this TLD for their websites. For instance, a local blogger might opt for a “.gent” domain to emphasize their personal connection with the city. Similarly, an educational institution in Ghent may use it to showcase its involvement in the local community.
The implementation of the .gent TLD was a result of the wider expansion of TLDs initiated by The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Prior to this expansion, there were only 22 generic TLDs available, such as “.com,” “.org,” and “.net.”
In conclusion, the top-level domain .gent offers a unique online identity for businesses, individuals, or organizations associated with Ghent, Belgium. By employing this TLD, these actors can emphasize their link with the city, improve their local search visibility and present themselves as part of the Ghent community.
This information was gathered from multiple sources, including Combell, the official registry of .gent domain names, and ICANN, the organization responsible for the coordination of global Internet systems.
Sources:
1. Combell: dot Gent, the domain extension of Ghent
(https://www.combell.com/en/dot-gent-domain-name-for-ghent)
1. ICANN: New gTLD Program
(https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/about/program)
