Jackkicker

Hi,

I'm looking to buy a (2words).net domain. Let say the domain is ChessPlayers.net. What kind of boost would that domain get for a Google search for: Chess Players versus using a different domain name like boardgaming.com? I know that many other factors would influence the rankings but please leave that aside.

Also, the current first result in Google has a PR:4 with 245 google backlinks and the second result has a PR:2 with 238 backlinks. Their domains are BigChessPlayers.co.uk and AllChessPlayers.co.uk even though I'm searching in Google.com... Do you think I could outrank those 2 easily with some onsite and offsite SEO work on ChessPlayers.net for the specific search for Chess Players?
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-discussion/630680-how-much-will-exact2words-net-help.html

Thanks!
Jackkicker

bmugford

An exact keyword match is always a benefit to have. With all things equal (content / backlinks / etc) an exact keyword match will usually easily outrank a more broad or unrelated term for that specific keyword.

But owing a keyword is not an automatic path to a high ranking. You still need to put in the necessary work to make it happen.

Brad

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Jaco

With caffeine algo, I suspect it's more than some cognoscenti might think. It's certainly more than it used to be. It's hard to appraise since so many people overrate keyword match to begin with, but starting from an objective Square 1, we're starting to recognize that keyword match means more than it used to, as far as SE's are concerned.

As bmugford said- exact keyword match isn't a magic "Go Directly To Page One" talisman- you still have to work- but it is meaningful. It's getting harder no matter what way you shake it, since G is geotargeting so hard in their organics.

enlytend

It's not a free pass,and it's no guarantee that you'll keep those rankings, but at the moment, keyword-in-domain carries a lot of weight, particularly in Google. Search algos change - don't put all your eggs in one basket.

That tells me nothing about the quality of the sites or the quality/diversity of those backlinks. And how many other terms do they rank for? Strong, established sites tend to hold their position unless you deliver something of similar quality.

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n76p

The ONLY reason why a keyworded domain will perform better than a non-keyworded domain is because the anchor texts are present when links are in the form of the URL.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=630680

i.e.
keyword.com uses your keywords in the URL and will have the keyword in the anchor text when a link is made to the site using nothing but the URL. Keyword present in the anchor text (in this case the url itself) will help it rank better for that keyword.

brand.com uses your keywords in the URL and will not have the keyword in the anchor text when a link is made to the site using nothing but the URL. No keyword in the anchor text means no help in seo.

so if a thousand users link to your site keyword.com you will have a thousand links with your keyword. if a thousand users link to brand.com you will have 0 links with the correct keyword = no help in seo for that keyword

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Damion

Not the only reason, what you explained above is true, but having an exact match domain for a specific keyword phrase also gives a boost by itself.

lincolndsp

so true! that's what i think is the major factor as well to get natural links with a great anchor text to rank for "query" instead of "brandable".

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WordWalker

Now with all that being said, try these two searches:

1. lemon sour

2. creme de cocoa

No quotes are necessary.

Both .com domain versions of these keyword phrases moved into page one position within approx 60 days of launch - moving ahead of 30,000 and 15,000 other published pages, respectively.

I have seen this scenario repeated over and over again.

Cheers!

Ronald Regging

There's no doubt that having the exact keyword will give your SEO a major boost. I had a 2 word exact keyword .com in the past that ranked in the top 3 on most SEs almost instantly, with barely a backlink. Granted, it wasn't an extremely popular/competitive term, though it did get a decent amount of searches. Even now, people are registering long tail keyword .coms and getting first page results with hardly any backlinks. These may not be the best examples when considering a keyword that has a fair amount of competition, but it does show that having the exact keyword in the domain helps with SEO. And as n76p pointed out with exact keyword domains, getting backlinks from people, regardless of the anchor text they use, will still benefit your site for your keywords.

Also, as for the competition. Research their site and their backlinks. See how well their site is optimized for SEO. Are they targeting keywords in their text, directory structure, file names, image names, alt text, interlinking anchor text, etc...? Check out if their backlinks are quality links from relevant sites. Find their best backlinks and try to get backlinks from these sites as well, because you already know that they are beneficial. Also, check their site out on SEMRush.com to see what keywords they are ranking for, how much SE traffic their getting and what the value of that traffic is.

Really, before you buy a domain for development or invest in a project, you should do all of this research. You need to know what kind of traffic and profits you can expect to make from targeting this keyword. Once you have a good idea, you will know whether it's worth the time and effort. You also need to have a full picture of the competition's strengths and weaknesses. If they are weak in an area, you capitalize on this and do a much better job. If they are strong in an area, mimic their success, but try to put in more effort then them.