Mike Wood
Filling a website with the same keyword matching your domain and not supplementing with LSI is a sign to Google that you are spam and only there for the money, not to provide quality content.
Google’s goal is to weed out the junk and return quality results.
Ah, the days are here when we can sit back and relax and not worry about Google and what Matt Cutts has in store for us tomorrow. Oh wait, good morning. As long as Mr. Cutts is at the helm, digital marketers have no time to sleep. That is, those who use old SEO methods or black hat tricks.
There really needs to be no explanation of how Google and its algorithms work. Basically, it is constantly changing to provide quality content to those searching for it. With that in mind, Google is weeding out crap and getting rid of those generating content simply for the money.
In 2012, Google updated its algorithm in an attack on exact match domains (“EMD”). Google’s update was not simply to punish those with EMDs, but to help weed out the bad and keep the good. An exact match domain looks something like this:
Keyword: Black mold removal
Exact Match Domain Name: www.blackmoldremoval.com
EMDs were great for SEO prior to the update. It was simple and allowed many websites to move to page one quickly. However, marketers figured it out and then spammers came along. Anything that marketers could find with an EMD they would create a website for and watch the profits roll in. This choked out some quality websites, causing Google to take action in 2012.
Since that time, many have abandoned EMDs. In fact, with the ability to custom create domain names, there really doesn’t seem to be a need for an exact match domain. However, let’s not forget what I said earlier. Google’s goal is to weed out the junk and return quality results. With everyone abandoning exact match domain names, there are a ton available that can be used to increase your rank.
While having an exact match domain does not guarantee you a spot on the first page of search results, it does help Google know what your website is about. Here are some examples:
Exact Match Domain Name: www.cheaptickets.com
Topic: Cheap tickets
Exact Match Domain Name: www.watch-movies-online.cc
Topic: Watch movies online
The use of LSI keywords (Latent Symantic Indexing) along with a strong EMD can help you rank quickly. An LSI keyword is one that is similar to the keyword people are looking for. For instance, a keyword phrase of “quality SEO Company” has LSI keywords of “search engine optimization companies” and “high-quality SEO companies.” This means that Google is not only looking for your main keyword, but wants to find similarities within other content to return you quality websites. Filling a website with the same keyword matching your domain and not supplementing with LSI is a sign to Google that you are spam and only there for the money, not to provide quality content.
So, while exact match domains may seem like a thing of the past, quality EMDs with quality content on the site can translate into a profitable website. Keep up with Google best practices and do not rely solely on your domain name. Integrate quality LSI keywords and generate content that people like to read. Taking everything into consideration, you are likely to please Google and rank higher.
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