In the early days of search engine optimization . owning an Exact Match Domain (EMD) was like a golden ticket to high rankings in search results. Search engines back then placed a huge emphasis on keywords contained directly in the domain name. For example. if you owned a domain like nejlevnejsipocitace.cz . you had a great chance of appearing in the top positions for a search for “cheapest computer”. even without top-notch content or backlinks. This simple trick was popular with SEO specialists because it brought quick and measurable results.
Today. in 2025. this tactic
is no longer viable. Artificial intelligence and large language models have fundamentally changed the way search engines phone number list understand queries and select answers. Google and other technology players are focusing more than ever on quality. context. and user intent. Exact domain matching is no longer a guarantee of success. Algorithms are more sophisticated. able to recognize the true value of content and the credibility of a source. The game has changed – and those who want to succeed in SEO must play by the new rules.
So what role – if any – do exact
In early 2010. EMD domains were so strong that entrepreneurs were looking for domains with keywords like real estate and were willing to pay huge sums for them. A domain you registered for 150 CZK could be sold for hundreds of thousands.
It didn’t matter if the domain was gibberish. obnoxious. or easily forgettable – if it contained the exact keyword. it attracted traffic the best squarespace templates for portfolios like a magnet. But many of these sites lacked any branding strategy . They were purely purpose-built projects designed to take advantage of the algorithm and make money while they could.
This pursuit of quick success also came
At a cost – most of these. They were sites for bots. not people.
Google’s response was not long in coming. In 2012. an algorithm update known as the EMD update was released. which targeted country list low-quality sites using exact domain matches without content that would make sense to users. It was not a blanket suppression of EMD. but rather the removal of the advantage for those who had given up on brand. quality. and credibility. Since then. the keyword in the domain alone is no longer enough – the overall value that the website brings is decisive.
