domains Exact Match Domains Are A Bad Idea!

[News]

Back in the day—2012 to be exact—Google noticed that a lot of websites were trying to improve their SEO by choosing exact-match domains. Back then, if you wanted to rank for “cheap Nokia phones,” no problem! You would just buy the domain, www.cheapnokiaphones.com, for a few bucks, and presto! You would win first-page ranking.

In response, Google dropped a bombshell. It was called the Exact Match Domain Update.

The safest and easiest solution is to use your brand name as your domain name. Why? Because your brand is how customers remember you. Much of your website traffic will come from navigational search.

To be completely frank, keywords don’t matter all that much anymore. Google and search engines will learn to associate your brand name with your keywords as your brand grows in popularity and as you continue to produce content...

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[JB Lions]

The amount of dumb articles from SEO people.

From:
"Minor weather report: small upcoming Google algo change will reduce low-quality "exact-match" domains in search results."

to

"Obviously, choosing an exact-match domain is a pretty bad idea."

I guess the low quality part went over his head.

 

[brindle123]

low-quality "exact-match" domains are they ones that the articles is really talking about.

"As long as you have a decent site with great content and a nice user experience, you shouldn’t see a major negative impact."

I would take a high quality EMD over a made up brandable.

If your business is the only one doing something, then I could see going with a brandable domain or you couldn't get a high quality domain.

 

[CJ6]

For me, Google search results have seriously dropped in quality. I can't remember what I was searching for last week... something like doggy door...and the 7th & 8th result was local weather. It's aggravating.

 

[iowadawg]

https://www.namepros.com/threads/top-seos-are-recommending-brandables-not-emds.930003/

 

[Fliper]

Earth is round, no Earth is flat, no according to new reserch Earth is both round and flat :s

 

[stimpi777]

I guess the low quality part went over his head

true - flew over head..

 

[S-B]

Huh. My bank account never got the memo.

 

[TRY]

Well let's see what billionaire mark Cuban says about emd's here. http://www.domainsherpa.com/mark-cuban-kisstix/

 

[wurdd]

Today has been a great day for laughs!

 

[stimpi777]

Well let's see what billionaire mark Cuban says about emd's here. http://www.domainsherpa.com/mark-cuban-kisstix/

What a great video - thanks for finding it. We must not forget that New EMDs (so to speak) that Did not Have a Google category to match with. I am speaking of the Cannabis EMDs. Cannabis becoming legal forced Google to derive new search terms and the field is wide open. That is off course if you own any form of MJ - Cannabis http://www.usatoday.com/story/money...uana-sales-forecast-hit-23b-4-years/82046018/

 

[iWebConnects]

Totally agreed with @brindle123
Decent site with great content and a nice user experience matters a lot and one can see good improvement in traffic and rankings on EMD domains also.

 

[domainnamesdaily]

Almost everyday I drive by a billboard on the expressway that has a picture of an old guy and just reads DougherthnerInsurance.com or something like that. I don't know how anyone could even attempt to try to read that while driving 75 mph. It would be a lot easier to remember something like GetInsuranceIn{city}.com or Cheaper{city}Insurance.com.

I keep telling myself I need to contact the guy about his domain, but I can never remember what it is.

That is one reason EMDs are better than brandable. They may not provide the SEO value they once did, but they sure are easier to remember.

 

[golan]

EMD have their certain value in SEO. While have almost no value in being a marketing entity, a brand. Yet people tend to mess between these two, all the time.

And yes there is indeed a factor of "low quality EMD" filter by Google. Another ingredient to add to the mix.

 

[joethrows]

i suppose i'm too late to hand reg chickenlittle.com or maybe i'll just wait and see how this thread turns out, maybe the owner will let it expire after reading it.

 

[NameFu]

Nothing beats having a brandable company name so that when people search for you they don't get competing "exact match" search results, BUUUTTTT it's also good to have the exact match generic name of your industry or generic name of you product dot com for those people who don't know about your brand yet. Studies have show that people are more likely to click EMDs on the SERPs. Consumer perception of EMDs for high quality products should be much higher than an unrecognized brand name dot com.

If I could own NameFu dot com and LogoDesign dot com I would in a heart beat. There's good reason to own BOTH, just like it's useful to own the plural and singular generic product name - you don't want to miss out on potential traffic.

 

[Josh R]

Cars.com for a business that sells cars would certainly suck....

 

[Recons.Com]

Cars.com for a business that sells cars would certainly suck....

Can you imagine how Canada.com name would hurt the business for Canada related services and merchandise?! )

 

[Josh R]

Can you imagine how Canada.com name would hurt the business for Canada related services and merchandise?! )

Terrible.

 

[djum]

EMD have their certain value in SEO. While have almost no value in being a marketing entity, a brand.

As a marketer half of your job explaining what is your brand business is done when you own EMD domain.
If I'm not able to figure out what this company does withing 30 seconds, I just leave the site and never go back.

 

[RU]

plot twist: SearchEngineJournal.com is a low quality domain name (19 letters 3 words) + EMD [SearchEngine]

 

[mitok]

Quality EMDs are much better choice than brandable domains, and therefore are much more expensive. Whenever I hear an SEO expert to say that EMDs will not give you any advantage he becomes "wannabe SEO expert" to me.

Would you prefer to own Casino.com or Cashino.com? Casino.com (together with the extension) could also be a brand!

When two websites have THE SAME QUALITY content, onsite and offsite SEO, than the one under EMD will ALWAYS be ahead.

I also read many cases studies that proves EMDs still have advantage. I also saw many websites with lower quality content and onsite/offsite SEO ahead of websites under non EMDs. Only one example is Whisky.com and TheWhiskyExchange.com where TheWhiskyExchange.com web is much better than Whisky.com, including onsite and offsite SEO, but Whisky.com is ahead for "whisky" search. (I made detailed observation for this example about a year ago so am not sure if anything changed in the meantime.)

One other very important thing is the psychological factor. If you search for "garden furniture" and come across GardenFurniture.com and Gardenoza.com which one will you click first?

 

[Recons.Com]

plot twist: SearchEngineJournal.com is a low quality domain name (19 letters 3 words) + EMD [SearchEngine]

haha ) great catch )

Sound like "NamePros.com: using "Pros" in your name is a bad idea" ))

 

[john_karr]

StudentLoan.com is a terrible name.

 

[Recons.Com]

StudentLoan.com is a terrible name.

Yes, sounds fishy and creepy. Studentonorovorific.com would have made a much better name.