In the past, 'exact match domans' (EMD) have been very effective in attracting traffic to websites via the search engines. But, as just about everyone knows who has an inkling of what happens in the world of SEO, the regular changes in the way search engines, such as Google, assess websites, can have a big impact on search results. And although keywords used in the content and incoming links etc are also a major consideration, can keywords in the domain name itself still have any impact on search results?
Personally, I find that they can still be effective if used in situations that do not target highly competitive keyword phrases. For example, I still see good search results coming from domains that use location specific keywords in their name such as ' window cleaner aberdeen ' or ' aberdeen window cleaning ' but depending on a keyword rich domain name without additional optimisation is unlikely to get good results.
Recently, I have advised and helped clients to target and receive new enquiries through the use of exact match domains with small niche websites that reach areas that their main business website are not reaching. It's a cost effective way that offers an alternative to other methods used that can often incur quite steep advertising fees, which is fine for business owners with deep pockets, but for those on a limited budget, this type of traffic generating strategy is still a worthy consideration.
