Ouch.

So you mean for it to be an EMD, from my example:

pencil is an EMD

and

bestpencil is not considered EMD anymore?

because I've seen a lot of website sellers suggesting keywords as EMD the way I pointed it out like keyword1keyword2 . com

Then that means those are not really working?

I get that.

There are many websites I know that have generic domain that are not related to their niche but ranks first because of their unique quality content that contains targeted keyword plus their backlinks.

I'm curious because this means that those selling websites claiming their EMD research will be enough doesn't work after all.

Agreed to an extent. I'm with you that EMD's with junk content has seen it's ranking edge taken away. However, there are countless examples in different niches some of which are very high competition where EMD's with good content or a decent site at least still gives a ranking boost.

Just check some of the high competition niches and it's easy to see what I mean. Nonetheless your basic point is definitely valid especially where junk sites are concerned.

I have to disagree to some extent. Google didn't target EMDs per se. It targeted thin (one or two post sites) with rubbish or duplicate content and crappy link profiles, often attributed to EMDs.

I have several EMDs that are still ranking top #10 (some haven't moved from top #1 for months). They are just as easy to rank now as they have ever been. But like you I concentrate on brandable domain names. It's less work and better in the long run.

Google can't target EMDs directly as all brands are EMDs by definition. eBay.com isn't going to change it's domain name to "bestinternetauctionsite.com" anytime soon I reckon.

Maybe in a theoretical context/a "this is the way the world should be" context, but in a practical context absolutely not - again, it's the primary difference between believing what you read, and believing what you see/implement.

Exact match domains are just as effective as they always have been - I think they've been clamped down on in certain affiliate plagued industries, however I've got circa 6 exact match microsite domains ranking for keywords above 720 exact searches per month, and they have all achieved first page visibility in next to no time and with fewer backlinks than would otherwise be required for a non-EMD (these are ALL tester websites, as an Agency we launch about 30 such sites every year). A simple search and relative backlinks comparison for the term "SEO Liverpool" will show you everything you need to know about this generalised "EMDs are dead" theory.

Similarly, I recently transferred an entire clients site over to an EMD, his position for his main term skyrocketed from page six to the middle of page two; we've only been link building for three months (on a fresh domain), and the search term is easily medium-high competitiveness (9,900 exact match searches in the UK).

I have yet to see a case study provided by someone to indicate that any exact match domain which has plummeted in search is a result in de-weighting of exact match domains, rather than the more obvious but less appealing explanation: AN ALGORITHMIC PENALTY.

It doesn't make ANY sense for Google to devalue EMDs, the main reason they weight them so highly is to allow Company's to rank for their brand terms with little to no reliance on the more traditional weighted factors which are analysed by the search engine e.g. LINKS.

That said, if people want to believe EMDs are dead suits me, makes them cheaper.

Backlinko to add to that -

Quick question to all - How often has Google did an update and never followed it up?

If Google even left some influence in EMDs (and theres no evidence in this thread they have) why would you even want to rank based on an EMD when at any moment Google could follow the update up and tank you to siberia.

Sheesh will people ever learn? No they will just come crying in a few weeks or months about how unfair it all is.

There's actually no solid evidence that EMDs have ANY advantage now. Content ranks. Domains don't matter. Just because you find a low quality EMD ranking in Google does not mean that low quality EMDs are AOK with Google. It means that they just haven't gotten around to them yet.

The solution is simple. Build a better site. Have plenty of high quality content and then it doesn't matter what domain you use.

So lack of any evidence that they do work has made you hopeful that they will? Whatever logic floats your boat I guess.

As for the keyword research part -not really. Unless you buy what you don't see then you don't need to buy to get their keyword research for free. Since EMDS have no discernable ranking factor its easy to outrank them.

As a matter of fact when I see an EMD with poor content its usually a dead give away that I can outrank it. It pretty much indicates there is little to no competition (which is the real reason its ranking).

Then give one

What is it with logic, common sense and proper reasoning on this board?

How does an EMD ranking prove that EMDs are a ranking factor?

Do the words Warrior and Forum have ranking power in the serps just because WF ranks highly for internet marketing forum or I dunno could it be because of the links, the content on it or the authority of the site?

Again no one is stating that EMDs can't rank especially in weak serps and for all of those trying to push the idea in defiance of the EMD updates stop telling us about all the sites you can point to and point to one that makes your point.

One person has tried and it turned out to be nothing to do with EMDs.

Newbs read this board and go with things stated. People claiming that nothing much changed in the EMD update is one of the silliest, misleading and irresponsible things being pushed on this board right now.

To be honest, at this stage the only thing this "debate" is achieving is increasing the number of LT variations around "do EMDs still work" hitting this page.

Facts and stats from official sources (which were used to back up the initial argument, I didn't bring them in) are irrelevant when there's a gigantic warrior-ego in the way.

Depends on how you do link building. I can tell you one way in which people here do link building where it may make it look like the EMD has a bonus effect and that is there are a lot of backlink sites where you cannot drop anchor text. but you can drop URL. If the anchor text is in the URL then that is a plus but its not based on the EMD but the link building

Other thing is people tend to do extensive keyword research when using an EMDs and go for very weak terms to begin with so theres that correlation as well.

I've had non emds with good keyword research that hit front page just as well.

Third as I said at the beginning its likely that Google will do an update ( that is if they feel they didn't get all emds they wanted to or depending on how they do it whether its something refreshed from time to time for new domains).they have never done just one update to fix an issue.

So to me its just a losing proposition all around. One of the example serps listed here has a non emd ranking above the EMds with just some scuzzy links on one. The other Emd being outranked is a PR2 it has even better links.

Nice sensible post Makeit. You understand the difference between percentage of queries and EMDs. Heres the thing. the Percentage is iffy in so many ways.

Right of the bat as your report indicates Cutts actually said

"affects .6% of English US queries to a NOTICEABLE degree"

What Google means by noticeable is not even clear. Is google including long tails that the average user would not be searching for or is this a metric of a set of "noticeable" queries that google considers public facing as in more popular searches. Then theres what noticeable means for even popular searches. Only position six disappearing may not be "noticeable"

Then is this a comparison immediately before or after or as is often the case data from months ago. You raise the legitimate issue of seasonal searches. More product searches leading up to Christmas and the holidays included or not?

Finally despite the BARE FACED lying in this thread by a certain poster (sorry Liars really tick me off. Confirmed and unrepentant ones even more) NO ONE in this thread has ever said they believe everything that Matt Cutts says or believes anything just because Matt says it. I've been here three years and no one will ever find me stating such a ridiculous thing. Am I a Google conpsiracy buff that claims everything that comes out of his mouth is a lie. No to that too.

So as it turns out I trust Google the least when it comes to numbers affected. we have all seen google claim a small percentage will be affected and it turns out to be like 40% of marketers or even more if you judge by the screaming from almost every marketer. I don't think Google will ever come out and claim this affects most of the serps because it would be an admission to the world of how badly their serps had to be fixed. Not that that has any role in the EMD issue because frankly outside of internet marketers there wasn't much use for using EMDs to rank anyway. Most companies even small business make sites around their company name not a keyword. SO the numebers affected were always going to be small (but loom large for marketers).

Finally like I have said about four times now. When has Google ever did an update once. SO first I sure would like to see some serps where the EMD doesn't disappear from datacenter to datacenter (that tells me other things are affecting ranking) and then It would be nice for people to be a little more responsible, honest and realistic before claiming That EMDs work "just as well as they always have"

This is just wishful thinking for some and pre sales for others. I can buy the possibility (if someone gave some good evidence) that Google missed some EMDs. It would hardly be the first time an algo didn't correct all the problems in one go but to claim that this is a viable way to rank and even claim status quo when tomorrow Google can throw the switch on a tweak to an update they already have used is just totally irresponsible to me and totally unecessary to put people at risk with.

lmao!

Hi, okay. thanks for telling me that I appreciate it.

But if that site that has a crappy EMD then doesn't that mean EMD works? can you enlighten me more upon that matter please?

You want the title you can take it

Or Gareth can if he wants it. He's a good guy. You'd never know it but we agree on a great deal from what I see of his other posts.

Of course, EMD still ranks, the thing is you need to do quality work.