The importance of non-traditional domain extensions (also known as new gTLDs like .consulting, .marketing, .rocks, etc.) depends on your industry, audience, brand strategy, and SEO goals — but here’s a clear breakdown of their current status and future outlook.

🔹 Current Relevance (as of 2025)

• Still niche: These domains are not yet mainstream, but they are increasingly used by startups, niche brands, and personal brands to stand out.
• Branding edge: If you’re in a creative, consulting, or tech field, having a unique TLD (like yourname.consulting) can boost memorability.
• Still need a .com: In many industries, .com remains the most trusted and expected — especially for B2B, ecommerce, or anything requiring credibility.

🔸 Search & SEO Perspective

• Google treats all TLDs equally (technically), but:
  • .com still has the highest click-through rate due to user trust.
  • Newer domains may confuse users or be mistaken for spam if the brand isn’t already known.
• Having a keyword in the TLD (like .consulting) doesn’t boost SEO by itself, but it can help with:
  • Branded search recognition
  • Contextual relevance in ad campaigns or social sharing

🔹 Future Outlook (2026–2030)

• As more .com domains become unavailable, adoption will grow.
• Younger audiences and startups are more open to creative domains.
• Companies may secure them defensively to protect brand identity (e.g., mybrand.consulting even if they use mybrand.com).

✅ When It Makes Sense to Get One

You should secure a non-traditional TLD now if:

1. Your brand name is already taken on .com
2. You’re in a field where the extension reinforces your niche (johndoe.consulting looks professional)
3. You want to run marketing campaigns or use vanity URLs
4. You’re planning long-term and want to prevent brand hijacking

❌ When It’s Not Worth It (Yet)

• If you’re in conservative industries (legal, finance, healthcare) where .com or country-specific TLDs are expected
• If you’re not investing in branding or don’t yet have a website — just parking a .rocks domain won’t do anything on its own

🔄 Final Verdict

Non-traditional domains like .consulting and .marketing are increasing in importance, especially for branding, marketing, and startups — but they are still secondary to .com in terms of trust and recognition. Think of them as strategic complements, not replacements — yet.

Would you like help checking if certain domains are available or creating a domain strategy?

Get in touch with Full Scale Marketing today before your desired domain is taken.