Exact match domain or not?

[WhatsOutThere]

Hey.

I'm looking into a potentially great niche with low competition keywords, one which has about 12k~ google searches per month. The exact match domain is available but I'm not sure if I should buy it or go with something more "professional looking". How much does exact match domains mean to google? This has probably been asked before but those things change, I guess.

 

[SteveArrow]

No, always go with a brandable domain!

In some smaller niches and local niches (and some non-english niches) it still def works but the thing it at some point it WILL stop working and then you'll get beaten and have to start all over. (Trust me I'm there right now use to have a site with EMD doing 10K- 15K a month now dropped to 20+ with main kw and income is < 1500 now)

 

[BHPCP]

The advantage of an EMD is nowhere near what it was years ago, as far as google rankings go.

Do you mean the exact match is for sale, or available for registration?

 

[Rachmaninoff]

I recommend you to go with something more "professional looking".

 

[WhatsOutThere]

No, always go with a brandable domain!

In some smaller niches and local niches (and some non-english niches) it still def works but the thing it at some point it WILL stop working and then you'll get beaten and have to start all over. (Trust me I'm there right now use to have a site with EMD doing 10K- 15K a month now dropped to 20+ with main kw and income is < 1500 now)

What if I had a brandable domain as the main domain and then the EMD being redirected to the site as well? Would that do any good or would it cause trouble? Would really appreciate if someone had a good answer to this

 

[PrimeOne]

I believe EMD with good quality content is still work nowadays.

 

[oceanfaruk]

"professional looking" is the best

 

[WhatsOutThere]

Define "professional looking" please

Well those are my words and I referred to a brandable domain, which I assume this guy did too.

 

[Sristy]

EMD, if you plan to go it small, if you have plans to target much more broader keywords then brandable domain is the way to go.

 

[LX911]

Since I am in the same situation.. I am adding to this thread .. how about going with partially matched domain? like if my keyword is "black hat world" then instead of blackhatworld.com is it wiser to go like blackhatworldreview.com OR bestblackhatworldreviews.com??

 

[fordgibson]

You will always get mixed reviews, emds may be good provided they look professional as well. Otherwise just go with a brandable domain.

 

[Gromit]

Depends how long the EMD ends up as and how it ends up looking.

I personally prefer using something I can really build a brand around.

 

[SteveArrow]

What if I had a brandable domain as the main domain and then the EMD being redirected to the site as well? Would that do any good or would it cause trouble? Would really appreciate if someone had a good answer to this

If the EMD is an existing domain with good trust values (DA etc) it would help as in just any other link, if not it is completely useless.

Since I am in the same situation.. I am adding to this thread .. how about going with partially matched domain? like if my keyword is "black hat world" then instead of blackhatworld.com is it wiser to go like blackhatworldreview.com OR bestblackhatworldreviews.com??

Those are EMDs.

I'm not saying EMD's don't work, I'm saying unless its a temp project (max 1 year) and you want to keep it small you're gonna be sorry in the long run. And who starts a new website to keep it small? You should always shoot for big and big profits otherwise why do it?

My partner does 1M+ a month with local SEO leadgen.. all his local websites are branded domains.

That said, you can sometimes of course get away creating a brandable domain WITH a keyword in it (doesn't have to be an exact match, google is smart enough!)

 

[WhatsOutThere]

I'm not saying EMD's don't work, I'm saying unless its a temp project (max 1 year) and you want to keep it small you're gonna be sorry in the long run.

What do you mean when you're saying you're gonna be sorry in the long run? In what way is it bad in the long run? I'm trying to make sense of all this haha

 

[hatsatz]

If your keyword is a long tail keyword, don't go for EMD. It will not work I think.
EMD works only for generic and broad match keywords.
My suggestion is you can go for EMD and quality content. It works pretty good.

 

[pratham]

My suggestion is there should a good quality content will be work.It assumes when an internet site owns a favorite domain name, there should be an authoritative presence behind the website.

 

[Nut-Nights]

Go with EMD if its not too long. EMD still works like charm .

 

[topcoder]

If the EMD is one or two words (It works wonders). When it gets longer then that the results diminish quickly.

 

[SEO Sicko]

I think you can go ahead with professional looking sites.
Because in EMD you have the chances of getting Google penalty.
So try to start with low competition KW will give better results.

 

[PlagiarismsChecker.*]

@johnhat99 "EMD you have the chances of getting Google penalty."
This maybe right, EMD not strong as a few years ago, but still have its value. A few days ago I see a parking EMD domain without link rank top 10 for quite big keyword.