The top-level domain (TLD) .LA is the Internet country code for Laos, according to the International Organization for Standardization’s two-letter country codes (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2). The IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) also lists .LA as the designated country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Laos.
However, while it is the official code for Laos, it is often adopted by businesses and individuals in Los Angeles, USA, and Latin America due to the abbreviation ‘LA’. This involves a phenomenon known as domain hacking where the TLD becomes part of the reading of the whole URL.
The .LA domain is operated and marketed by CentralNic Group PLC, a British company that specialises in the distribution and management of digital property rights that operates under contract to the Government of Laos. This attribution is based on public details given by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a non-profit organisation that oversees the proper function of the internet.
In terms of administration, the registry for .LA domains is accessed through registrars accredited by ICANN, and this distribution system allows for easy registration. It is open for anyone to register, whether they reside in Laos, Los Angeles, Latin America or elsewhere. Therefore, global and local companies, as well as individuals, could potentially own a .LA domain.
For example, sites like www.la.com – an interactive guide to entertainment, arts and culture in LA, and www.hit.la – a URL shortening service, use this domain to link themselves with the city of Los Angeles. In the case of Latin American connections, www.para.la serves as a web portal for Latin news and updates.
The marketing strategy of CentralNic for the .LA domain seems to be a considerable success; it fully utilises the advantage of its two-letter top-level domain, which creates easy-to-remember and impactful website names. However, it is essential for potential domain-name buyers to remember that the preference [SEARCH ENGINE] gives to country-specific domains when a search is performed from a specific nation may mean that those using .LA domain without any related content might not rank as high in search results in the U.S. or other unrelated countries.
In conclusion, the .LA top-level domain, while officially designated as the country code for Laos, sees widespread usage and is recognisable worldwide as a domain for Los Angeles and Latin America due to its flexibility and availability to registrants from around the world.
Sources:
- ISO: https://www.iso.org/iso-3166-country-codes.html
- IANA: https://data.iana.org/TLD/tlds-alpha-by-domain.txt
- ICANN: https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/tlds-2012-02-25-en
- CentralNic: https://www.centralnicregistry.com/our-extensions/la
- Neil Patel: https://neilpatel.com/blog/10-most-expensive-domain-names/
