An exact match domain is a website domain that is purchased to target specific keywords or a search query on Google. SEO practitioners have historically used this method as a way of gaming the system and effectively increasing their rankings on Google. Examples include:
\r\nIn the early days of Google, matching your domain name with the keyword you were seeking was seen as a viable and successful method of getting to the top of search engine results. If Google is trying to give the user the most relevant search result, it seemed logical to secure a URL with the exact name. So for buying a domain from GoDaddy or 123 Reg for a year, adding a bit of content, and getting some links, presto, you would be on page 1 of Google.
\r\nAlso, it meant that any links you had pointing to your website would typically be exact match anchor text, and this is something that would boost your search rankings as well, until the Penguin algorithm ended this in April 2012.
\r\nAn interesting observation is how some of the best exact match domains are rarely seen in Google's search engine results pages (SERPs), such as food.com, cars.com, loans.com and insurance.com. If you visit some of these sites, they tend to be older companies or businesses that do not exist, with the domain owner hoping to sell the name for a huge fee. (Customers of 123 Reg will regularly see domains for sales, as the company acts as a broker for those looking for a killer name.)
\r\nAn algorithm change by Google in 2012 aimed to penalize exact match domains. SEO guru Matt Cutts stated that this would affect 0.6% of English-U.S. queries and would significantly reduce the rankings of those exact match domain sites with low quality. Further, the impact of the algorithm change caused domains with long names to fall several pages behind on Google's SERPs or disappear altogether.
\r\nNow, however, it is rare to see domains with long names featured on page 1 of Google. Instead, there is a huge demand for short URLs, and SEO practitioners are encouraged to keep URLs short for best practice.
\r\nThere is still a place for exact match domains, provided that you market them the right way. If you can turn that exact match into a real brand and company, you will be able to stand the test of time.
\r\nSome great examples of this include startuploans.co.uk and cashconverters.co.uk. Both of these domains explain exactly what they offer, but as established brands, they maintain top search results.
\r\nThese brands also benefit from being early adopters in their field, so if you see potential growth in an industry, it is worth trying to grab the domain name early on. If you can, keep the name short and pick two strong keywords (and probably no more).
\r\nIf the strongest keyword is not available, e.g.,carinsurance.com or propertyloans.com, consider using a partial match that includes two main keywords and adding things like \"hub,\" \"online,\" \"ltd,\" \"US,\" or \"UK\" at the end of it. There is still value in having one or more main keywords in the domain name, and some great examples include moneysavingexpert.com, amigoloans.com and moneyadviceservice.org.uk.
\r\nThe reason is that these domains are successful is because they have evolved into brands, and this is what Google is looking for.
\r\nIf you can take your domain name and practice good brand SEO, you will be in business. Using bridgingloanhub.co.uk as an example, you can see the following brand techniques on their websites:
\r\nIn fact, if you type in the most competitive SEO keywords like \"life insurance\" and \"car insurance,\" you only see big brands, because Google is more likely to trust these businesses than an individual who set up a website with a long domain name from their home. In conclusion, while having an exact match domain name can help you with SEO in 2017, creating a brand online is far more important.
\r\nIf you are considering using exact match domains to increase traffic on your website, here are a few factors you should consider. According to Moz, when using the most common terms in research topics, the use of exact match domains limits the use of spammy backlinks. To achieve this, use domain searches that rank higher and use exact names on your site. It essential that you do not pick domain names from spammy websites. To capture the attention of their clients, most corporates use domain names that identify with their brand.
\r\nExact match domains, however, have several disadvantages. Companies create products and abuse the power of the exact match domain to sell products to customers. Local terms have sometimes been monopolized by using exact match domains.
\r\nMoz gives the following guidelines on how you can increase your Google rankings without using exact match domains:
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