Ok, I just purchased a keyword-rich geo .com from a domain reseller for $100. The domain actually consists of 3 words, whose 3 words together produce an impressive 27,000 "exact" Google searches per month. I purchased this domain for development purchases.
However, after my purchase I started thinking, "What if I took any loosely related domain name and did SEO targeting on the 3 keywords? Wouldn't I have mostly the same SERP results?" My understanding is that domain keywords and extensions are of minimal importance when Google ranks a site.
So, why is everyone so focused on keyword-rich .coms and willing to spend lots of money to get them? Am I missing something?
There are people who will say only SEO matters, but having the exact term that is searched does help it in most search engines.
I will always use Word Tracker / Google Search to see how popular a term is. I will also look at the PPC Sponsors and Bids. The more popular a term is, the more popular an exact domain match will be, especially with keywords that are easily monetized.
If you are starting a domain on the Stock Market, StockMarket.com would be much easier to use than some "Brandable"
It is also more desirable to an end user. If I was a company that sold Pickles, I would rather have Pickles.com than something "Brandable"
Having a domain that is relevant, and immediately explains what you offer is also a benefit in itself.
If they want to find someting on diet pills...do you know what they do? They don't go to google and type "diet pills"...they open a browser and type in a URL like this:
It is scary sometimes. I watched someone type in the wrong URL for a cruising company and end up to a parked page, then click a link that said something vaguely similar to what she was thinking of, and when I pointed out it wasn't the right site, she said it looked identical, when in fact they were completely different.
> Another point... 
