
An exact match keyword domain name is a web URL that is made up of terms that match perfectly to a product, service, or popular search phrase. For example, the exact match domain name for the search phrase "English Bulldogs" would be EnglishBulldogs.com.
Domain investors and web developers often call these types of domains "category killers" because they are the best available domain to represent a specific product or service category. Nearly 99.9% of all these types of domain names are already registered but they are often bought and sold on the domain resale market.
Purchasing a "category killer" domain name on the aftermarket will not come cheap. The price will largely depend on the domain's product or service category. The more competitive and commercialized categories will demand the highest price tags. Many people are willing to pay these premiums due to the inherent advantages that these keyword domains have.
The Benefits of Exact Match Keyword Domain Names
* SEO Benefits - It is a widely held belief that Google and other search engines give an exact-match bonus to websites that are created on these types of domains. If all else is equal, an exact match domain name is likely to rank higher in the search engine results than other pages for the targeted search phrase making up the domain.
* Anchor Text - The amount of backlinks and the "anchor text" of those backlinks is a huge factor in determining how high a website ranks in the search engines. As a general rule, webmasters usually link to other websites using the site's title or domain name in the link's anchor text. Exact match domains help ensure that other sites link back to you using the proper anchor text keywords that you are attempting to rank for.
* Lower Advertising Costs - The CTR (click-thru rate) for PPC (pay-per-click) advertising campaigns is much higher for exact match domain names. In the case of Google Adwords, this increases your quality score which results in higher ad placements at a lower cost-per-click. This single benefit can save pay per click advertisers thousands of dollars per year.
* Type-in Traffic - Category killer domain names receive a stream of type-in traffic commonly referred to as "direct navigation." These visitors arrive by typing a domain name directly into the browser's address bar hoping to find what they are looking for. Type-in visitors are highly targeted and convert very well compared to other forms of traffic. The shorter the exact match domain, the more likely it will have significant type-in traffic.
The domain name is a very import factor in determining whether a website succeeds or fails. Exact match domains give their owners a quality source of highly targeted traffic that converts into sales. Considering the benefits that an exact match domain provides, investing in one, at the right price, is one of the smartest business decisions a web developer can make.


