Search engine optimization is a very challenging topic to keep up with, as Google is constantly making adjustments and not knowing how things change can spell disaster for your online marketing.

In September of 2012, Google rolled out their Exact-Match Domain (EMD) update. An example of an exact-match domain would be www.bluehulahoops.com if you had a site that sells blue hula hoops.

This update aimed at reducing low-quality "exact-match domains" from showing up so highly in search results just because they had matching search terms in their domain names. Just having a keyword or two in your web address isn't likely an issue, as this is more focused on sites that have several keywords packed into their URL for a low quality site. Some companies have also been known to purchase a number of domains only to fill the pages with useless info and then push the traffic to their other domains. 

You may have seen some shifts in search results around the time of the update because sites that once ranked well based on being an exact match domain may no longer rank as high. This is a positive change in that sites may no longer be in competition with low quality sites that are ranking simply on the basis of their domain name. 

Check your analytics to see if you may have been affected by the EMD update on September 27, 2012. If you feel that the number of visitors to your site dropped around that time, take a look at your domains. Are your sites updated regularly and offering meaningful information that is relevant to the URL? Recovery from the EMD update is possible, and can be as simple as offering quality, relevant information on your sites that relate to your URLs.

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