Traditionally, Google has maintained several country-specific domains, such as google.de and google.co.jp, in order to effectively serve both American-English users and those seeking tailored local search results.
In the coming months, users globally will only be able to access Google Search via the domain google.com. Any attempts to access other country-specific Google domains will be redirected to the primary google.com site.
This update was announced by Google this week on its blog, The Keyword. The company highlighted that their “ability to provide a local experience has improved” greatly over time, leading to the conclusion that “country-level domains are no longer needed.”
Key details:
- The transition will occur gradually over the span of several months.
- Some users may need to re-enter specific search preferences upon redirection.
- This change will not impact the “way Search works.”
In 2017, Google altered its approach by standardizing the search experience across all domains, ensuring that everyone received the same results regardless of whether they accessed the service through google.com or any other country-specific domain. However, this shift created issues, particularly when a user’s geographical location did not match their preferred language for search results.
For instance, a user accessing Google Search in Japan would mainly encounter Japanese results, even if their search query was made in English.
This is what to expect
A user located in France who types in google.fr will be redirected to google.com once this modification takes place. The updated site is anticipated to feature a French interface and present French search results, unless changes are made by the user.
The familiar local Google domains will still be operational; however, their primary role moving forward will be to direct users to google.com. Google reassures that this redirection does not impact its obligations under local laws.
Although this modification may seem trivial, it marks a notable change in the search experience that has been available for over two decades for some users. While it may not influence the functionality offered, it could take some users by surprise, especially as the announcement was exclusively made through Google’s blog.
Moreover, Google has recently started integrating AI-generated summaries into search results, which users can still choose to bypass.
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