do you still rely on exact match keywords or focus more on topics now?

I think both are important, but I focus more on covering the topic properly. Long-tail keywords still bring targeted traffic, but good content that answers the user's intent seems to perform better over time.

Ancient Reaper said:

In most cases exact match keywords are not the main focus anymore. seo has shifted more toward covering entire topics and user intent rather than repeating the same keyword.

what has worked better for you: long tail keywords or broader topic coverage?

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I use exact matchig keywords in my research as well as for assessing the search demand, but do not create content using them anymore. The right combination of long tail keywords, relevant entities, and extensive coverage of the topic has started to produce better results. It is the search intent, not the keywords, that counts now.

I begin with exact match keywords as well, but only to see what users are really searching for. Next, I make the entire page according to the question, related subjects and intentiions hidden behind this keyword. This method has provided me with better results than keyword stuffing.

Google is prioritising authority more than keywords and content quality. They are showing 10 irrelevant pages from an authority site instead of relevant pages from 10 different sites. Bing is also doing exactly same thing. So, this discussion of keyword vs topic is meaningless for SEO.

Focusing on topics and search intent has worked better. I still include the main keyword naturally but i do not worry about exact match as much as before. Covering the topic well seems to perform better in the long run.

I think the conversation has become a bit too polarized. It's not really a choice between exact match keywords and topical authority—they work together. Exact match keywords are still useful for identifying search intent and shaping a page, but they shouldn't drive every sentence.

For example, if someone searches "best budget gaming laptop," I'd rather create a page that covers buying factors, comparisons, FAQs, and recommendations than obsess over repeating that exact phrase twenty times. The keyword provides direction, while the depth and relevance of the content are what make the page genuinely useful.