What Are Exact Match Domains? & What Are the Pros and Cons
In our previous episode, we discussed the different types of Exact Match Domains and how they can assist your website. While currently opinions divide as to how helpful EMDs can be for your website, it’s important to know both the positives, and the negatives, associated with them, and whether they are the best option for you and your business.
In essence, an exact match domain accommodates the exact composition and phrasing of a given keyword into a businesses’ URL
The Positives:
- If chosen correctly, an Exact Match Domain can be a great way to kick-start your website and start getting some relevant traffic. It’s far too easy for your website to get lost on the Internet, so a good EMD can help you gain immediate traction, by targeting pre-existing lanes of user search.
- With EMDs, your website has the ability to dominate a single niche, particularly if it’s in an industry that has very limited usual keywords
- They can also be very effective in local searches; EMDs can help you benefit from online users that are looking for something specific in their area
However, it’s also important to note the disadvantages that are associated with choosing a specific Exact Match Domain, and whether these cons will have a long-term negative impact on your business.
The Negatives
- Your brand can come off as generic and it can be more difficult to associate mentions with your brand. Furthermore, over time this can cause brand confusion
- As perfect as your match may be at the time, EMDs have the ability to limit brand expansion in the future, and you’re also less likely to get ‘credit’ for brand mentions
- However, the number one negative of Exact Match Domains is one that gets worse by the day; there are only a limited number of them. Over time, not only have they increased in cost (if you want a quality one of course), but their effectiveness wanes as other forms of SEO join the mix
- Depending on the keyword you choose to match your domain to, your relevance to a given industry might have its lifespan and use-case defined by the EMD, placing your brand name in an ‘all eggs in one basket’ position that revolves around the wellbeing of the given keyword. As the keyword loses its relevance, in other words, its drop in traffic and engagement is likely to have an effect on the brand’s presence itself.
As with all other SEO techniques, Google’s algorithms give you the opportunity to increase your rankings and boost your traffic, if you use them in a fair and helpful manner. Since the release of the Penguin and Panda updates, relevancy in Exact Match Domains has continually been on the rise, encouraging websites to prove their quality-specific metrics.
Overall, EMDs have the ability to make a massive positive difference to your website, but it’s important to understand how to use them. When they were first released, many businesses realised the advantages they could have within their niche market, but as a result used and abused them, giving them a somewhat unnecessary bad reputation.
If you found today’s video useful, check out SEO Company Melbourne for anything and everything SEO.
