Exact-match domains (EMD) lost 90% of SEO advantage after Google's 2012 EMD update. But still provide 12-18% higher CTR in search results due to keyword highlighting.
Domain Age Effect
Older domains rank slightly better (3-5% advantage). But effect is correlation, not causation. Old domains accumulated backlinks over time. Age itself barely matters.
Exact Match Domains (EMD)
Plumbers-london.co.uk for "plumbers london" search gave huge ranking boost pre-2012. Now: Minimal direct ranking benefit. Still helps CTR because keyword bolded in search results.
CTR Advantage
User searches "plumbers london". Sees plumbers-london.co.uk in results. Brain recognizes exact match. 15% more likely to click vs brandable domain ("AquaFlow.co.uk").
Keyword in Domain
Partial match (keyword + brand) balances memorability and SEO. "PlumberProLondon.co.uk" weaker than pure brand but signals relevance. Compromise approach.
EMD trap: Domain optimized for one keyword locks you into that service. "plumbers-london.co.uk" hard to rebrand when expanding to Manchester or adding electrician services.
Hyphenated Domains
Hyphens correlate with spammy sites. Users hesitate to click. Google doesn't penalize directly but user behavior (lower CTR, higher bounce) indirectly hurts rankings.
TLD (Extension) Impact
.co.uk ranks best in UK Google results. .com ranks globally. .info, .biz correlate with spam (not penalty, but reputational hurdle). Stick to .co.uk or .com for UK business.
Domain History
Buying expired domain? Previous owner's actions affect you. Spammy backlinks, Google penalties, blacklists transfer with domain. Check Wayback Machine, Google Safe Browsing before purchase.
Penalty Check
Search "site:yourdomain.co.uk" in Google. No results = domain may be penalized or de-indexed. Check Search Console for manual actions if buying established domain.
Subdomain vs Subdirectory
blog.yourbusiness.co.uk (subdomain) vs yourbusiness.co.uk/blog (subdirectory). Subdirectories inherit domain authority better. Use subdirectory for blog/resources. Subdomain for distinct services.
Brandable vs Generic
Generic keyword domains (plumbers.co.uk) maximize initial SEO. Brandable (Pimlico.co.uk) builds long-term equity. Trade-off: short-term traffic vs long-term brand value.
Amazon, Google, Deliveroo prove brandable domains win long-term. No keywords in name. Built authority through quality, not keyword matching.
Local TLDs
.london, .wales, .scot signal geographic relevance. Minimal ranking boost but helps users identify local business in search results. Consider for local-only businesses.
Domain Authority (DA)
Moz's DA score (1-100) predicts ranking ability. But DA is outcome, not input. High DA doesn't cause rankings - backlinks cause both high DA and rankings.
New Domain Sandbox
Myth: Google sandboxes new domains for 6-12 months. Reality: New domains lack authority (no backlinks yet). Appears like penalty but is just absence of trust signals.
Trademark Lens checks domain availability and trademark conflicts simultaneously - choose SEO-friendly domain that's also legally available for registration.