Are Exact Match Domains Still Worth it?

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  • $5 submissions
    I help you SUCCEED
    • Nov 2003
    • 32195

    #1

    Are Exact Match Domains Still Worth it?

    These are great ways to get a head start on SE traffic. Considering Google's latest rumblings regarding "overoptimization" (See http://searchengineland.com/too-much...or-that-115627), do you guys think paying extra for EMDs are still worth it?
  • Nicky
    Too lazy to set a custom title
    • Mar 2003
    • 30071

    #2
    I def prefer them

    gfynicky @ gmail.com

    Comment

    • Denny
      Too lazy to set a custom title
      • Feb 2005
      • 17388

      #3
      Originally posted by Nicky
      I def prefer them

      Comment

      • DamageX
        Marketing & Strategy
        • Jun 2001
        • 14293

        #4
        IMO, unless you go for very thin sites and fairly low competition terms, they're not worth the hassle.

        You end up building new sites over and over again, instead of beefing up current ones and slowly turning them into authority sites. You CAN SEO one post at a time too.
        Whitehat is for chumps

        If you don't do it, somebody else will - true story!

        Comment

        • porno jew
          Too lazy to set a custom title
          • Nov 2006
          • 10166

          #5
          thin sites have no future, if they do at all any more.

          Comment

          • ErectMedia
            Confirmed Chicago Pimp
            • Aug 2004
            • 7100

            #6
            still worth it if you do something with them, building thin amazon etc... type sites will rank for a tad then usually drop off if no unique content. Over the last 9-10 years of selling .com domains the majority of my sales have been keyword .com exact match mainstream domains.

            Comment

            • Socks
              Confirmed User
              • May 2002
              • 8475

              #7
              Well it certainly hasn't happened yet.

              Look at this site: http://www.ellamilano.net/

              Blog with 7 posts, no text per post except for an affiliate link, footer is unedited and selling placeholder sample ebooks...

              But it ranks #3 for "ella milano" its best possible keyword.

              Comment

              • $5 submissions
                I help you SUCCEED
                • Nov 2003
                • 32195

                #8
                Originally posted by DamageX
                IMO, unless you go for very thin sites and fairly low competition terms, they're not worth the hassle.

                You end up building new sites over and over again, instead of beefing up current ones and slowly turning them into authority sites. You CAN SEO one post at a time too.
                Good points. Another issue is FUTURE-PROOFING. Google Semantic Algorithm change is a question of WHEN not IF. At that point, the focus is less on keywords but on themes. Not just themes based on keyword clusters but keyword themes with social media inputs/buzz.

                Comment

                • porno jew
                  Too lazy to set a custom title
                  • Nov 2006
                  • 10166

                  #9
                  google is already using social media signals as ranking. it is much easier to rank sites getting lots of natural social sharing than one who has none.

                  Comment

                  • mineistaken
                    See signature :)
                    • Apr 2007
                    • 29656

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Socks
                    Well it certainly hasn't happened yet.

                    Look at this site: http://www.ellamilano.net/

                    Blog with 7 posts, no text per post except for an affiliate link, footer is unedited and selling placeholder sample ebooks...

                    But it ranks #3 for "ella milano" its best possible keyword.
                    And how do you know if it ranks so well because of EMD or because of quality backlinks?
                    Backlinks is and was way more important than EMD. Your post proves nothing.

                    Comment

                    • VenusBlogger
                      So Fucking Banned
                      • Nov 2011
                      • 1540

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Socks
                      Well it certainly hasn't happened yet.

                      Look at this site: http://www.ellamilano.net/

                      Blog with 7 posts, no text per post except for an affiliate link, footer is unedited and selling placeholder sample ebooks...

                      But it ranks #3 for "ella milano" its best possible keyword.
                      It ranks number 2 from Google.com LOL.

                      Comment

                      • porno jew
                        Too lazy to set a custom title
                        • Nov 2006
                        • 10166

                        #12
                        all things being equal having an emd will give you an advantage.

                        period.

                        Comment

                        • signupdamnit
                          Confirmed User
                          • Aug 2007
                          • 6697

                          #13
                          Originally posted by porno jew
                          all things being equal having an emd will give you an advantage.

                          period.
                          Exactly. Especially if it seems like you are also the legitimate "brand" for the EMD. It'll be harder than hell to unseat you for your EMD term when that's the case and you have any amount of decent seo otherwise. Anyone saying otherwise has never been #2 chasing #1 for that phrase. ;)

                          You don't like my posts? Put me on ignore or fuck right off. I'll say what I want.

                          Comment

                          • $5 submissions
                            I help you SUCCEED
                            • Nov 2003
                            • 32195

                            #14
                            Originally posted by VenusBlogger
                            It ranks number 2 from Google.com LOL.
                            Probably using differing data centers. MY DC is reporting #1 rank for that term for ellamilano.net

                            Comment

                            • PornMD
                              Mainstream Businessman
                              • Jan 2007
                              • 9291

                              #15
                              It may not always be the silver bullet it used to be (though the site Socks mentioned and some I've seen myself would beg to differ) but in conjunction with a sound SEO/content strategy, it can only help.

                              I think what may ultimately suffer are hyphen EMDs. It used to be that search engines wouldn't see them any differently, but given they look spammier to most humans (especially if it's a non-.com), fewer people click through and people would be quick to bounce off if they don't immediately see what they're looking for, so ultimately those wouldn't rank well for long if they would at all.

                              But yea, you can't really EXPECT to rank an EMD well with a thin site anymore. It can still happen, but you can lose the ranking as easily as you got it, if you can even get it.

                              Consider this though: The matching words still get bolded, which helps the domain stand out, which arguably attracts more clicks, which in turn can help the rankings improve. Also, Google does still look for relevance, and any match including in the domain help with determining that.

                              We primarily sell mainstream EMD and business has been up this year, so I presume that they must still be working well for many people.
                              Last edited by PornMD; 04-15-2012, 07:02 PM.
                              Want to crush it in mainstream with Facebook ads? Hit me up.

                              Comment

                              • $5 submissions
                                I help you SUCCEED
                                • Nov 2003
                                • 32195

                                #16
                                Originally posted by PornMD
                                It may not always be the silver bullet it used to be (though the site Socks mentioned and some I've seen myself would beg to differ) but in conjunction with a sound SEO/content strategy, it can only help.

                                I think what may ultimately suffer are hyphen EMDs. It used to be that search engines wouldn't see them any differently, but given they look spammier to most humans (especially if it's a non-.com), fewer people click through and people would be quick to bounce off if they don't immediately see what they're looking for, so ultimately those wouldn't rank well for long if they would at all.

                                But yea, you can't really EXPECT to rank an EMD well with a thin site anymore. It can still happen, but you can lose the ranking as easily as you got it, if you can even get it.

                                Consider this though: The matching words still get bolded, which helps the domain stand out, which arguably attracts more clicks, which in turn can help the rankings improve. Also, Google does still look for relevance, and any match including in the domain help with determining that.

                                We primarily sell mainstream EMD and business has been up this year, so I presume that they must still be working well for many people.
                                Great response, PornMD. I love your $99 mainstream domain sale. Get at me via ICQ, my man!

                                Comment

                                • shake
                                  frc
                                  • Jul 2003
                                  • 4663

                                  #17
                                  Funny enough, I have great results with my mainstream EMDs with solid #1 results for some small niche topics. However NONE of my adult EMDs place even in the top 100 results... strange how search engines work.
                                  Crazy fast VPS for $10 a month. Try with $20 free credit

                                  Comment

                                  • DamageX
                                    Marketing & Strategy
                                    • Jun 2001
                                    • 14293

                                    #18
                                    Originally posted by porno jew
                                    all things being equal having an emd will give you an advantage.

                                    period.
                                    Though that kinda goes without saying...
                                    Whitehat is for chumps

                                    If you don't do it, somebody else will - true story!

                                    Comment

                                    • Denny
                                      Too lazy to set a custom title
                                      • Feb 2005
                                      • 17388

                                      #19
                                      Originally posted by mineistaken
                                      And how do you know if it ranks so well because of EMD or because of quality backlinks?
                                      Backlinks is and was way more important than EMD. Your post proves nothing.
                                      http://www.hotnakedgirls.com

                                      #5 for "hot naked girls"

                                      -no incoming links
                                      -no content

                                      Comment

                                      • DamageX
                                        Marketing & Strategy
                                        • Jun 2001
                                        • 14293

                                        #20
                                        Originally posted by Denny
                                        http://www.hotnakedgirls.com

                                        #5 for "hot naked girls"

                                        -no incoming links
                                        -no content
                                        12 yo domain. Probably still easy to overtake though, thanks.
                                        Whitehat is for chumps

                                        If you don't do it, somebody else will - true story!

                                        Comment

                                        • u-Bob
                                          there's no $$$ in porn
                                          • Jul 2005
                                          • 33063

                                          #21
                                          Look at it this way: Anything that shows you are committed to the site will most likely be seen as something positive by Google:

                                          Using an old domain you've been renewing every year over the last 12 years > this is not some fire-and-forget project.
                                          Using an expensive domain (a domain that could be sold for a lot of money) > high level of commitment.

                                          Comment

                                          • XXXInsights
                                            Confirmed User
                                            • Jun 2001
                                            • 112

                                            #22
                                            It still helps, I get faster rankings on my keywords when having a exact match... no matter if it's .com / .net / .org

                                            Comment

                                            • Nicky
                                              Too lazy to set a custom title
                                              • Mar 2003
                                              • 30071

                                              #23
                                              Originally posted by DamageX
                                              12 yo domain. Probably still easy to overtake though, thanks.
                                              Nice find indeed.

                                              gfynicky @ gmail.com

                                              Comment

                                              • $5 submissions
                                                I help you SUCCEED
                                                • Nov 2003
                                                • 32195

                                                #24
                                                Interesting how quite a few EMD owners forget to buy the .org when they buy up the .com version.

                                                Comment

                                                • ErectMedia
                                                  Confirmed Chicago Pimp
                                                  • Aug 2004
                                                  • 7100

                                                  #25
                                                  Originally posted by $5 submissions
                                                  Interesting how quite a few EMD owners forget to buy the .org when they buy up the .com version.
                                                  for resale when dealing with a minimum 500-1000 domains in inventory at all times I only buy the .com as it will have the highest sales price and if any type in traffic exists it will fall to the .com as well.

                                                  for development I usually snag .com,.net,.org,.info,.biz,.us

                                                  Comment

                                                  • HandballJim
                                                    Confirmed User
                                                    • Sep 2008
                                                    • 4024

                                                    #26
                                                    yahoo loves them and will list you 1st page, with google you need a lot elements to get ranked.

                                                    I like exact match domains, but make sure people are searching those terms.
                                                    HOW I MAKE LOTS OF $$$

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