Google Domains is edging closer to being available to the public.  Several Google employees were making invites available to people in their circles on Google+ (you can easily find more people handing out invites).  John Mueller is the most visible Google employee offering invites to SEO types (although he is now out of them).  This is similar to how Gmail initially rolled out years ago.

One interesting thing is he wanted to test with those who have under 10 domains, which means they are likely wanting to test the user interface for those who might be less savvy at purchasing domains.

Many are also speculating about how Google Domains will tie in with other Google services – such as AdSense, AdWords or even things like Blogger.  We already know they are teaming up with website building providers Shopify, Squarespace, Weebly and Wix for those looking to build websites, something that also hints that they are marketing to the beginner website audience.  However, if they team up with a site that deploys WordPress, it could be very popular – and I imagine many hosting companies would want to grab onto that kind of opportunity, especially since so many new sites are using WordPress now.

Google Domains was first announced in June although there had long been speculation it was only a matter of time before Google tackled the competitive domain industry.

It is still US-only at this time, but hopefully it will be opened up to outside the US in the near future.