Exact match domains vs SUBdomains?

[nem0zdad]

I've seen a lot of discussion about exact match domains but does anyone have an opinion on exact match subdomains (or if Google considers a subdomain URL to be an exact match)?

Yes, I know that content is critical and I create tons of content for my sites but I also know that exact match domains do help with relevance on SERPs...

Say I'm trying to target the (exact match) keyword "red fluffy bunnies" but redfluffybunnies.com/org/net and versions with dashes are taken).

If I happened to have the domain fluffybunnies.com could I qualify as an "exact match domain" for "red fluffy bunnies" by creating red.fluffybunnies.com?

Any opinions?

Thanks in advance.

[socialbookmark]

Of course its effective and better than not having it but the impact of it is not predicable now and it should be tried. But as i said, if you run the subdomain as you said (red.fluffybunnies.com), it has potential to rank in top results for this keyword if you optimized this page and make quality backlinks for it.

[dracoboar]

Google has substantially reduces the value of having an exact match domain, and if i read between the lines they are going to continue to reduce it.

Also an exact match url can be just as effective for example:

bunnies.com/red-fluffy-bunnies/

I would take an aged quality domain with some decent pr that i bought off go daddy 100% of the time over the exactmatch.com

[sackboy127]

EMD + one small word (shop, tips, world, etc.) is also good, worked for me at least.

[Dumkist]

I would like to know if anyone has had success with ranking sub domains also.

[nvs74191]

I have always worked with sub domains and can confirm they rank well.

[chazlcom]

I'm hoping the subdomains work well. I hate paying for an EMD until a product proves itself.

[HD Node]

I wouldn't over-think this one, as it will be a relatively small factor in any success or failure. Also, whilst EMDs most definitely do offer some value, the trend over the past few years has been for Google to reduce the weighting it gives them.

Personally, I would go for redfluffybunniesinfo.com rather than using a subdomain on fluffybunnies.com. That said, if you get everything else right (quality content, a diverse range of backlinks, good site structure, etc.) then either will work.

[blueorca17]

Originally Posted by sackboy127

EMD + one small word (shop, tips, world, etc.) is also good, worked for me at least.

This is a great tip. I've also tested this theory with great success. IMHO, I think this would do better in rankings than the subdomain, but it really all depends on how you're backlinking. If you place a link to your site in a bad neighborhood, it doesn't matter if it's an EMD or a subdomain, you're probably gonna get penalized. Get a good domain that's keyword rich (no dashes, and make sure that the keywords are at the beginning of the domain name), along with high quality links, and you can't fail.