They say change is the only constant in this world and that is certainly true of all things technology related. Google has rolled out yet another update/addition to its search engine algorithm. In early October, Google launched an EMD (Exact Match Domain) Update. Before we look into the potential impact of this, let’s try to get an understanding on EMD.
Exact Match Domain as the name suggests are domain names that exactly match the keywords a business/company is competing for. If for example, you are an internet marketing company then the exact match domain would be InternetMarketing.com. This is a loophole in the Google algorithm that has been exploited by smart SEO practitioners. There is an entire industry dedicated to finding the exact match domain names with thousands of tools that can be found on the internet, to help you do so. These days are now over.
With Google focusing on getting good quality websites to rank first, this algorithm update comes as no surprise. Google’s head of Web Spam, updated the world of this change in via Twitter.
Matt Cutts also went on to state that only 0.6% of English search queries will be affected and that brandable domains are the way forward. At this point, you might probably be wondering whether your website will get affected. In order to understand this, we need to know the types of EMDs.
Source: – http://www.seomoz.org/blog/the-exact-match-domain-playbook-a-guide-and-best-practices-for-emds
If you domain name falls into one of the types shown above then there is a high chance that you will get hit. It is however, unclear as to who will get hit, as several good quality websites have also been penalised. But if early data is any indication, then the age of the website certainly plays an important role. If your domain was purchased within the last year and it is an EMD, then you will most likely be affected by this update. Additionally, Google also looks into the on-page keyword optimisation and link building. So if you are guilty of keyword stuffing, your site will probably get tanked.
The bottom line is, start monitoring your traffic via EMDs closely; if there are significant changes then chances are high that Google considers it a low quality website. You can apply for Google to reconsider. However, if you are leading links to low quality pages that are “made for search engines”, it’s time to build a website for humans rather than for search engines.
Are you confused about the latest Google update? Talk to us and arrange for an expert consultation!
Social Media Business Consultant | Social.Local.Mobile Marketing-Strategist | Speaker | Trainer
Based in Sydney, Australia, Logan has been an avid & passionate social media user since the advent of Facebook. As the Social Media Business Consultant with over 30 years’ experience in corporate, SME business, together with running his own organisation for the past seven years. Logan is focused on guiding organisations through the four stages of social media for business – Education, Strategy, Implementation and On-going Management. If your business needs expert assistance on creating a custom Social Media and Search Engine Optimisation Strategy, contact us via logan@logannathan.com. Logan is also an expert on use of major Social Media sites for Business (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn). He is running a series of workshops over the next few months on use of Social Media and LinkedIn for business purposes. To Register: –
