What is an exact match domain?
An exact match domain is a domain name that matches a target keyword or query phrase as closely as possible.
Examples:
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plumberlosangeles.com
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personalinjurylawyernyc.com
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bestcoffeesubscription.com
Instead of a purely branded name, the domain itself states the service and often the location. That simple alignment is the foundation of why EMDs can still matter in SEO.
Current SEO Strategic thinking
Exact match domains aren’t an old-school gimmick – they’re a structural advantage when you understand how search actually connects queries, brands, and domains. The conversations with Edward Sturm just make that more explicit and frame exact match domains
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Keywords tie brands to domains: Reddit comments spell out that one of the core ways Google learns that a brand and a domain belong together is that the keyword (brand or non-brand) appears in both. That same mechanism helps EMDs: a domain containing the query is inherently easier for the system to associate with that query.
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While EMDs are not a button, they are more than an edge: In Edward Sturm’s content and David’s podcast segments, EMDs are presented as an edge in the mix—something like “microsoft-inc.com” having a better shot than “tips-inc.com” as long as it carries authority, not an auto-win with no links or content.
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Using keyword-in-domain to rank and re-rank content fast: shows cases where pages jump from invisible to top rankings when republished on better-aligned URLs and domains for the underlying trick. The principle is simple: when URL and domain semantics match the target query more tightly, the document is easier to classify and trust.
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“Go buy the keyword in the domain” as a modern playbook: In one of a long-form interview with Edward Sturm on YouTube, David talks about loving the “old” EMD playbook in an LLM world: just buy the keyword in the domain and build a real site on it, like the freeloadbalancer.com example he mentions. It is essentially treating the domain as your strongest on-page signal.
Why this makes EMDs feel “critical” in their model
EMDs are critical because they:
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Compress the time-to-relevance: A new or weak site with an exact or near-exact match domain can punch above its weight against more authoritative but semantically vague brands, especially in local and niche markets.
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Simplify topical authority: When the domain is the topic, every supporting page, internal link, and anchor text naturally reinforces a single concept—making topical authority easier to build and maintain.
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Make links and anchors easier: People naturally link using your domain name; if the domain name contains the keyword, you get keyword-rich anchors “for free” without asking anyone to optimize their link text
How to apply their EMD philosophy without getting burned
Taking their claims seriously does not mean buying hundreds of spammy domains; it means using EMDs as a precision tool:
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Deploy EMDs where intent is tight and commercial (local services, specific B2B offers, high-intent affiliate terms), not as a replacement for every brand site.
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Build real properties on EMDs—solid content, UX, and links—so the domain advantage amplifies a strong site instead of making a weak site more obviously low quality.
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Think portfolio: a branded hub + carefully chosen EMDs for critical revenue terms, stitched together with coherent strategy, not churn-and-burn microsites.
