With over 330 million domain names in use today, Companies often wonder whether their domain is the best one for them. They question if it’s too long, too confusing or even if their potential clients can remember it well enough to spell it correctly. There are certainly a lot of factors to be considered when choosing your domain or adding additional domains to target potential clients more effectively.
Does a domain name matter?
The simple answer is, yes, of course it does. Your domain name is your place on the web. It’s where people come to see you. It’s your online address and is a part of your brand. The first consideration for any business is the domain extension. We’re all familiar with the more common extensions such as .gov, .net and .edu. We’re not as familiar with the less familiar thousands of extensions such as .beer and .bar. The most common extension in use today is the .com extension. Because it’s been in use for so long and is the most common extension for businesses, it’s also the most valuable.
| Keyword vs. Brandable Domains |
|---|
| Keyword domains rank on average 11% higher than brandable domainsBrandable domains needed an average 40,000 more links to hit #1, and 35,000 more links to reach the Top 10Brandable domains needed 69% higher Domain Authority and 22% higher Page Authority to rank in the Top 10Keyword domains were able to hit #1 with half as much content, and only using the keyword half as frequently |
Another consideration is whether a premium domain could be of benefit for your business. Exact-match domains are domains that match exact keywords that someone might type into a search engine like Google when they’re looking for a product or service. There is a limited number of them and they are all one-of-a-kind. Premium domains hold the most value and that value continues to grow. Also, they are almost all .com domains.
Exact-Match Domains are valuable.
Here are a few examples of exact-match domains that have sold for large amounts of money.
Insurance.com – $35.6 million
VacationRentals.com – $35 million
PrivateJet.com – $30.18 million
Internet.com – $18 million
360.com – $17 million
Insure.com – $16 million
Sex.com – $13 million
Hotels.com – $11 million
Business.com – $7.5 million
Diamond.com – $7.5 million
| Examples of exact-match domains |
|---|
| Diapers.com – Owned by AmazonCloudComputing.com – Owned by DellRentalCar.com – Owned by Enterprise Rent-a-CarOfficeSupplies.com – Owned by Office DepotPlumber.com – Owned by Roto-Rooter |
The benefits of owning an Exact-Match domain
There must be a reason that businesses are willing to pay such a premium for these domains. Here are a few of them.
Limited Supply
Once someone owns a relevant and search friendly domain they will have it for a long time. It may never become available again. Domains can be seen as investments. If you no longer need a domain you can sell it years later, often at a profit!
Search Engine Optimization
Exact-match domain (EMD) names match the exact searched keyword phrase of the user. If you’re looking for carpet and you live in Miami, you might search “carpet miami”. CarpetMiami.com would be the exact-match domain name.
Brand Recognition
Users implicity trust good domains like brands. Domains that are not able to be pronounced are hard for customers to remember. It is easier to remember a short phrase than abbreviations of several names or services.
Does Google reward Exact-Match Domains?
Google definitely rewards EMDs with better rankings, but not without quality website content that supports the EMD keyword. In 2012 Google released an update that penalized websites attempting to use EMDs alone as a way of attracting web traffic. Their search rankings criteria are constantly trying to bring the searcher the most relevant results for their search. Needless to say, in order to rank for any search, you’ll need to have good content on your website.
| SEO Statistics |
|---|
| Search and e-mail are the top two internet activities93% of on-line experiences begin with a search engine70-80% of users ignore the paid ads, focusing on the organic resultsGoogle owns 65-70% of the search engine market shareSEO leads have a 14.6% close rate, while outbound leads (such as direct mail or print advertising) have a 1.7% close rate |
Let’s get to work.
Exact-Match Domain names are assets that, once purchased, provide a number of advantages for your business. They give your business instant credibility and authority. They are a differentiator that gives you a competitive advantage in your marketplace. If you already have a strong presence in your market, an EMD can help create long-lasting durability for your business.
There are many ways to put your new Exact-Match Domain to use for you.
Contact us and we’ll help you find the best way to use yours.
