What is an Exact Match Domain Name? Exact Match Domain Names are just that–domain names that contain an exact match of a keyword or keyword phrase. So, an example of an exact match domain name would be “books.com” or “travel.com” or even Keyword1Keyword2.com where “keyword1” is one word and “keyword2” is another keyword. It’s widely known in the SEO industry that having one of these keyword-rch exact match domain names will astronomically increase the chances that the site will show up on the first page of the search results for a keyword search that contains those keywords or keyword phrase. Currently, this “additional ranking benefit” is only valid for .COM domain names that do NOT contain hyphens. The only other caveat is that the domain name must actually be a live web site on the same topic as the keyword. Ideally, the home page should about the topic of the keyword and it should be “optimized” for that keyword phrase.
Just purchasing an Exact Match Domain Name is not enough. An Exact Match Domain name can be an asset for your search engine optimization efforts. It can truly give you the unique edge that you may need in order to increase your web site’s search engine rankings and bring targeted traffic to your web site. Certainly if you have a web site on that domain name, visitors will know what to expect when they get there. And it can give you an edge over your competitors. After all, there is only one Exact Match DOmain Name for every keyword phrase.
When considering the value of a domain name, and purchasing a domain name, there are several factors to consider. Just like real estate, you’ll want to get a good idea of “comps”, what similar domain names have recently sold for in the past. You can search the domain name sales using DNSalePrice.com, which lists domain name prices when that data is available publicly. In some cases, you may even find the domain name you want if it was sold before.
The value of a domain name, although really is ultimately determined on how much someone is willing to pay for it, can be “estimated”. There are a few online tools available to determine value, including Estibot.com and http://appraise.epik.com. Sites that do an automated valuation tend to use a combination of the amount of searches per month (if it contains a keyword) and the average CPC (cost per click) for that keyword. The higher the average CPC and the more people search for keyword, the higher value an EMD will have.
Your Current Domain Names and Renewals
What about a domain name that you already have? How do you know if you should renew your domain name if it is an Exact Match Domain Name? Or maybe just contains a keyword phrase? If the domain name is developed, meaning that there is a live website on it, and it’s in use, then most likely you should renew the domain name. If you have spent any time adding unique content on the website, then most likely it is profitable–or can be profitable. There are ways, after all, to monetize just about any website out there–and developed websites have value. If you are not planning on continuing with working on the website, then perhaps you should consider selling it to a third party. In any case, if the domain name is developed, I would renew the domain name and sell it to a third party.
Another option would be to redirect it to another existing website that you own. However, keep in mind that they SEO value of an Exact Match Domain Name really only will exist if the domain name has a live website on it.
