I don’t understand what Amazon is doing with these new TLDs, and some curious Google domain registrations.
Earlier this week I wrote about Amazon.com’s many generic/descriptive domains registered under new TLDs that it is forwarding to particular pages on its site.
Many of these domains were registered when the TLDs launched but just recently had their whois record switched to reveal Amazon.
I really don’t understand what Amazon.com is up to here. These domains just popped up in my DomainTools alert today:
denim.clothing – forwards to clothing home page
expensive.photography – forwards to camera section
fixtures.plumbing – forwards to kitchen and bath fixtures
jeans.clothing – forwards to clothing home page
pets.clothing – forwards to dog apparel
Could Amazon use these as shortcuts? I suppose so. But expensive.photography doesn’t seem like something you’d market. Maybe Amazon is betting on a day when people start typing in sld.tld combinations?
In other corporate registration news, what do you make of these registrations by Google?
breezyrides.com
castingchefs.com
dizzysbistro.com
pieeatingchamps.com
sillyeyeware.com
toughyware.com
My guesses are that it’s testing something and using throwaway domains or it will be part of a marketing campaign. It’s worth noting that the domains were registered at Google’s brand protection registrar, Mark Monitor, not at Google Domains.
One reason could be that, more domain names and related website are managed directly by Amazon, they will pay less commissions to affiliates.
sillyeyeware.com sounds like Google Glass while toughyware.com sounds like those Android watches. Maybe breezyrides.com is for a future Android ATV or Google Driverless Car ?
If my predictions are right, then the last three, castingchefs.com, dizzysbistro.com, and pieeatingchamps.com, for some new upscale food delivery service Google will be announcing next April (you know, 1 Apr 2016).