Lately, there has been a surge in the number of top-level domain names available for registration. This means that when choosing a domain name, registrars offer a wide variety of names on different topics such as .pro, .online, .site, .web, .biz and .info.

Previously, whoever managed to secure a popular domain name like world.com would have had an advantage over their competitors in that field. However, with so many top-level domains available, anyone can buy similar domain names like world.site, world.pro, world.net and affect the traffic on world.com.

So what can one do in this situation? Is it practical to purchase all similar domain names?

Consider a startup with a unique name. You purchase a domain name like name.de and work with it. But later someone purchases name.fr (the name of your startup but in a different zone) and starts influencing your website through search engines by having their site show up in search results too.

It's important to consider the possibility of similar domain names being purchased. Domain monitoring services can be used to keep track of any new registrations that may pose a threat to the brand. Additionally, it's important to develop a strong online presence to ensure that your website appears at the top of search results.

It's become common practice for large companies to purchase similar domain names and even names with typos. However, the importance of a domain name has decreased in recent years as search engines have taken over.

If someone purchases a domain name like world.xхx, it doesn't matter if it doesn't show up in search results.

One way to protect oneself is to register a trademark with the name. Doing so will put the courts on your side in any domain disputes.

From a search point of view, SEO doesn't affect domain names, but from a user perspective, a typo can lead to accidentally visiting the wrong site.

As the number of domain names continues to grow, their significance is falling and they're now just addresses. It's important to focus on building a strong online presence to ensure that your website appears at the top of search results.

It's not as easy as it seems to benefit from new domain zones. While it may work for a medical corporate site that focuses on sales, it's more complicated for big sales and well-known names. As someone who supports a corporate portal with a small team of 12 specialists, I've noticed that people are paying more attention to first level domains like .com and .net. They prefer to work with established firms and sites with a history.

To prevent parasites, there's one strategy that can help, although it's not foolproof. You can buy the rights to a fully qualified domain name, which gives you ownership of a domain name in a specific zone and all its future manifestations. However, this only applies to domain zones that have been around for at least four months, and each IP address must be paid for.

It's important to consider the reputation and history of a site when choosing a domain name, as this can impact its success in the long run. It's also worth investing in a fully qualified domain name to protect against parasites, but it's not a guarantee of success.

Last year, the global market for top-level domains (TLDs) grew by 3.7%, with a total of 372 million domain names recorded. This growth was largely driven by popular TLDs such as .COM, .UK, .ICU, and .SITE. While the average growth rate of the 300 largest TLDs was 2.6%, this figure was higher in 2018 at 4.5%. In the group of common top-level domains (gTLDs), there was a 4.9% increase in 2019, with 214 million domain names registered. The average growth rate of the 300 largest gTLDs, which includes new shared top-level domains (New gTLDs), was 2.4% [CENTR, 2020].

Within the New gTLDs group, there was a 37.3% increase (+8.6 million domain names). However, the overall growth of the domain market is slowing down, with some domains even showing a decline. The annual growth rate of top-level domains varies by region, ranging from 1.3% for national top-level domains (ccTLDs) in Asia to 9.0% in Africa, with North and South America at 3.0% and Europe at 1.6% [CENTR, 2020].

The top-level domain with the most domain names in 2019 was .COM, with 148.8 million units. The second most popular was the national domain of China, .CN, with 22.4 million units, followed by the national domain of Germany, .DE, with 16.3 million units. The .NET domain came in fourth place with 13.7 million units, followed by the UK national domain .UK with 13.0 million units, domain .ORG with 10.5 million units, and the national domain of the Netherlands .NL with 5.9 million units. The Russian national domain .RU, with nearly 5 million registered domain names, came in at 8th place. The domain.INFO, which is primarily used for registering information resources, had 4.9 million units and followed closely behind. The top 10 top-level domains was rounded up by a new top-level domain, .ICU, which saw a huge growth over the year (+1599.5%) and had a total of 4.9 million units. The domain name .ICU, which sounds like "I see you," makes it not only original but also recognizable for projects underneath such a domain name.

In this situation, one option is to purchase all similar domain names to prevent any potential competitors from acquiring them and affecting your brand's online presence. This approach can help maintain consistency and protect your brand from being exploited by others.

However, it's worth noting that purchasing multiple domain names can be expensive and may not always guarantee complete protection. It's important to prioritize and focus on the most relevant and valuable domain names for your brand.

Another strategy is to actively monitor new domain name registrations using domain monitoring services. These services can notify you whenever a similar domain name is registered, allowing you to take appropriate action if necessary.

Additionally, investing in search engine optimization (SEO) and building a strong online presence can help ensure that your website appears at the top of search results. By employing effective SEO techniques, you can enhance your website's visibility and mitigate the impact of similar domain names owned by others.

Overall, while purchasing similar domain names and utilizing domain monitoring services can offer some level of protection, it is crucial to prioritize building a strong brand presence and implementing SEO strategies to minimize the impact of potential competitors.