It’s one the symbols of our city, and one of the images most frequently sought by those who visit us. Park Güell has over a century of history and receives well over 4.5 million visitors a year.
Even so, this is space for city people. Barcelona de Serveis Municipals (BSM) has been regulating access to Park Güell since 2013, the goal being to preserve this iconic city site and to maintain it properly, in harmony with the use that local people and schools make of it.
Half a million Barcelona people used the local residents card to access the park in 2023 and nearly 160,000 people visited it as part of the Gaudir més programme. School visits practically doubled compared to the previous year.
At parkguell.barcelona you’ll find everything you need to plan your visit, as well as a detailed chronology of its construction, historical context and an extensive multimedia gallery. Come along and enjoy Park Güell, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.
Meta tags, also known as meta elements or metadata, are fragments of HTML code that provide information about the content of a website for search engines and other online services. Using them effectively is crucial in SEO for a website and improving its position in search engine results.
There are different types of meta tags to bear in mind:
1. Title tag: This is one of the most essential meta tags. It specifies the title of the page and is the text that appears in the title bar of the browser. It needs to be appealing, contain relevant keywords and not exceed the limits recommended for the search engine.
2. Description tag: This provides a brief description of the page content. It is the fragment of text that appears beneath the title in search results. A well-drafted and informative description can drive up click rates.
3. Canonical ERL tag: This is used to indicate the main page when there are a number of similar ones. It helps with page hierarchy and prioritises the indicated page as canonical. We should bear in mind that in this case, the meta tag is placed on the secondary page to indicate which page is the main one.
4. Robot tag: This indicates if a search engine can index a page or not. Sometimes it can be used to prevent certain pages from being displayed in search results.
5. Alt image tag: This describes what an image shows. Besides being one of the elements that helps with positioning, it is important in terms of site usability for people with visual impairment who use screen readers that include these texts.
To use meta tags effectively to improve your search engine positioning, you should make sure that they are in keeping with the page content and that they include relevant keywords. It is important to maintain a coherent structure and avoid the excessive use of keywords, as search engines can penalise this. Finally, it is a good idea to review and update meta
tags regularly to adapt to changes in search trends and the algorithms of search engines.
Last year was a crucial period for the .barcelona domain, with a large number of key events for the city. Active participation in the most important digital congresses, such as the E-Show, BizBarcelona and WordCamp, have further strengthened the commitment to the local digital sphere.
One of the most significant projects promoted by .barcelona was to help the city’s sports clubs and organisations go digital through the initiative elmeuclubesportiu.barcelona. The project has helped reduce the digital divide in this sector, at the same time introducing people to the domain and the values and benefits associated with it.
Collaboration with other domains such as .cat, .gal and .eus took centre stage in a working meeting on 8 June. The session was used to share plans and perspectives, establish ties and explore future internet trends.
On an international level, .barcelona shared its local digitalisation projects with the GeoTLD Group at the annual meeting in Cologne, contributing to common strategies on the NIS2 directive and co-marketing.
At the ICANN 78 Congress in Hamburg, the .barcelona domain strengthened its role in internet governance, demonstrating the city’s commitment to the decisions that make up global digital architecture.
At the end of the year, the launch of the new image for the .barcelona domain signalled a strategic move to consolidate the domain as an essential point of reference for projects linked to the city.
This year gets under way with a strong determination to keep building a reputation, through collaboration with registration companies, co-marketing initiatives and an
important presence at major events. The .barcelona domain is becoming a fundamental tool for driving the city towards the digital future.
At the .barcelona domain we’ve developed a project to help sports clubs and organisations in Barcelona to go digital. Entitled elmeuclubesportiu.barcelona, the initiative has enabled them to launch a website (or update an obsolete site) and to link their digital identity with the city’s values.
“For many this was an unresolved project they couldn’t take on for financial reasons, and this opportunity has come as a gift to them as they’ve managed to cover their needs”. Toni Burrueco is a sports promotion specialist with the Barcelona Institute for Sport and has been one of the main facilitators for this project.
The digital revolution we are immersed in forces us to adapt to new ways of consuming information. This also applies when it comes to engaging with members of organisations.
“Sports organisations and their communication have a mainly dynamic reality that transforms social media into the website for many of them. Yet a website with its own domain enables them to post content that goes well beyond the day to day, explaining who they are, what they do, their history, the connection with their surroundings… A website for a sports organisation is a diamond that needs polishing”, insists Burrueco, “it’s the gateway for discovering their work for anybody interested in taking part or joining the organisation, and even for sports rivals”.
Cities are responsible for 70% of the CO2 emissions generated around the globe and are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Yet while they’re part of the problem, they are also clearly essential in the solution.
Barcelona consumes 13.222 GWh a year, with renewable energies producing 1.229 GWh of this. This is a figure that needs to be increased significantly, which is why the city is working to build its own energy model based on the supply of 100% renewable energy, with zero emissions and democratically accessible to everybody.
The city thus continues its long-running fight against climate change, which since 2002 has seen it develop various planning measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase the generation of local renewable energy, improve energy efficiency and adapt to the expected impacts.You can find full information on the website energia.barcelona, where you can also check your energy rights and access documents, advice and guides on improving energy savings.
We spoke to Christina Boenig, the product manager for NetCologne, a network operator based in the German city of Cologne. Boenig is in charge of domain products for the company, which was the official registration agent for the .koeln and .cologne domains from 2014 to 2018. Since then, the company has specialised in marketing these two domains in collaboration with the register dotkoeln GmbH.
How many .koeln and .cologne domains have been registered to date?
We started in 2014 with some 4,000 registered domains, a figure which had risen to 5,500 when we sold the register in 2018. Today there are 4,900 registered domains, 3,273 of them registered through NetCologne and the rest with other registration companies.
What is the main mission of the .koeln and .cologne domains?
The domains are very well known in Cologne and the surrounding area. We’re connected with clients from local businesses involved in schools, associations, events and the city’s public wi-fi network, so now we focus on regionality. In other words, identifying the two domains with the attributes and values of the city.
What are the requisites for registering a .koeln or .cologne domain?
Even though the domains are focused on identifying organisations and people from the city, there are no specific restrictions other than the usual ones for any type of domain.
What are the advantages of using a .koeln or .cologne domain compared to other domain extensions?
It’s a domain that demonstrates the connection with Cologne and offers a range of assets and services in Cologne for the city’s inhabitants. In addition, as a geolocatable domain, it improves search results and as it uses the name of the city it’s easier to remember.
What have you done to promote the .koeln and .cologne domains among the local community?
We run an ongoing campaign of interviews with local heroes: we tell their business story and the reason they use a .koeln or .cologne domain. We want to present a variety of cases of different uses. From local cafes to shop owners in the city and even social involvement and content creators. We use interviews for communication on social media and we accompany them with information on the domain. We also publish them in our regular magazine for business clients. You can find the interviews at NetCologne local heroes – YouTube. Besides local heroes, we run publicity campaigns such as vinyl on trams with slogans like “Your city, your domain” and “Those who love Cologne, show everyone”. We held a draw on social media, where you could win a surfing trip on the River Rin with the slogan “surf offline with .cologne”.
What are you doing to promote local initiatives and organisations?
In the past, we offered .koeln and .cologne domains for free or at a reduced price. While we thought this was good practice, it wasn’t so successful, as there was only a take-up of a few domains. Often there was just a re-direction. The migration of existing domains appears to be a big barrier, so what we do now is to sponsor some associations, events and organisations in Cologne, such as the literature festival lit.COLOGNE.
Finally, how do you think the .koeln and .cologne domains contribute to the community in Cologne?
Besides being a geolocatable domain which links you with the city’s values, at NetCologne we give a lot of visibility the users of these two domains. We’re a digital voice for the city.
Cities shine bright, with thousands of lights glittering in the streets, on trees and in houses. It’s the most magical moment of the year, when we whisper our wishes in the hope that they’ll be granted.
Only thirty cities around the world have a gift like this in their sack, the star on top of the tree for innovative projects, local businesses and initiatives firmly rooted in the city, as well as those looking to get into the market in Barcelona.
If you already have a domain other than .barcelona, ask for it as a secondary option and multiply the possibilities of getting seen online. Remember to put it on your Christmas wish list!
Barcelona is known for its architecture, design and urban planning, among other things. The quintessential dissemination facility is the Museu del Disseny (DHub), a spectacular building which has just celebrated its ninth anniversary.
Its temporary exhibitions will be on display until early January and are devoted to the project Oh!Pera (by the Gran Teatre del Liceu), Catalan and Balearic architecture from recent years and the projects selected as the best of the year by FAD.
The DHub has also prepared various activities for children, linked to the current displays. Little ones can take part in the Christmas workshop ‘El Nadal a la butxaca’ and design a pouch they can keep their favourite gift in.
For those a little older, there’s a chance to create a trail of colour papers and Christmas designs, inspired by the prints by the women designers in the exhibition Here We Are! Women in Design. 1900-Today.
Last but not least, we also recommend you visit the museum’s permanent exhibitions, which are well worth it!
We recently had a meeting with part of the Nominalia team at their offices in Barcelona. We spoke to Manuela Becerra, Director General of Nominalia Spain, France and Portugal, Leticia Rodríguez, Marketing Manager, Carina Peña, Sales Director, and Rebecca Saavedra, Customer Support Manager.
For the .barcelona domain we made the most of the occasion to present the new stage we recently embarked on with a new image. This was the perfect moment to work on the formula for developing joint initiatives to raise public awareness and understanding with regard to the city domain. This collaboration could include awareness campaigns, promotional and training action to highlight the unique benefits of choosing the .barcelona domain.
During the meeting we also talked about the positive impact that integrating artificial intelligence can have in the creation of website and the boost this can provide in the promotion of domains such as .barcelona.
The .barcelona domain enters a new chapter and adopts a new image with a light-hearted visual universe full of character.
With its main character created from a dot, the new image is the result of a strategic realignment to adapt us to the current context and position the .barcelona domain as an essential element for projects linked to the city.
The .barcelona domain is making a qualitative leap to add greater value to digital products which use it. In this respect .barcelona is not just any domain, not just an extension, but a way of boosting your projects and giving them their own meaning.
The new image has a multiplying effect, with a common identifier, boosting projects with .barcelona domains as part of a dynamic, innovative, vital, committed and optimistic community. If it happens in Barcelona, it’s got a .barcelona domain.
