Exact Match Domain SEO: Is it still working?

By jack123 | SEO | 0 Comments

SEO is rather large and often a concept difficult to fully grasp. Google’s ranking algorithm and ranking factors are in constant change. What works today, might not work tomorrow. The story of Exact Match Domain SEO is similar.

EMDs used to be very popular in the early days of SEO. Although their ranking impact started to lower, they might still be a viable strategy. The main question is, do they still work today?

The Story of Exact Match Domain SEO

This rule applies only partly to EMDs. For domains with a .com TLD, you should aim for a domain

Exact Match Domains, also known as EMDs, used to be one of the best ranking strategies back in the days. Until 2010-2011, anybody with a website built on top of a domain matching the search query could experience impressive rankings. This effect was possible even if the sites were poorly designed when compared to the competition.

SEOs with harmful intents quickly caught up on the trend and started building their sites on EMDs. This meant that one-page affiliate sites started outranking the quality ones. Since Google is regularly trying to combat spam, it wasn’t long until they stepped in.

Google is aiming to provide users with results relevant to their searches. They released the Panda and Penguin updates back in 2011 and 2012. The ranking impact of low-quality sites started to quickly decrease. Since many of the spam sites were built on EMDs, their influence decreased as well.

EMDs are thought to be no better than a regular domain nowadays but that is not entirely true. Although Google is claiming that EMDs have no upper hand, the ranking results speak for themselves. Many reputable businesses are using EMDs. They tend to have higher rankings, better conversion rates, and more engagement. The key is picking the right EMD since not all have the same ranking capabilities.

Tips on Choosing an EMD

Although EMDs tend to be pretty effective when compared to regular domain names, not all of them are created equal. Some might give you many ranking benefits, others might disadvantage you. The following guidelines will help you make a better choice.

The length of your domain is essential. Domains that have less than 15 characters are considered to be the most ideal. This rule applies only partly to EMDs. For domains with a .com TLD, you should aim for a name that is no more than three keywords long, two ideally. One that comes with a .net or .org extension should be kept at two keywords of length if possible.

Dashes is another factor that influences the ranking potential of EMDs. Ideally, include none in your domain. However, EMDs with a single dash such as Web-Push.com can still outrank plenty of regular sites. Avoid by any means domains that have two dashes or more since they are associated with spam.

It is believed that stop words in domains and URLs are negatively influencing the rankings. Although removing them from slugs might come with some benefits, the Hummingbird Update removed that need.

Conclusion

Contrary to the opinion of some, Exact Match Domain SEO is still a viable strategy in 2019 and beyond. By choosing an EMD that is roughly 2-3 keywords long, with a .com extension preferably, and not associated with spam, you can surely boost your rankings.