Definition
The EMD (Exact Match Domain) Update, deployed on September 28, 2012, targeted sites using domain names that exactly matched popular queries (e.g., best-hotel-paris.com) without offering quality content. Before this update, owning an exact match domain gave a significant ranking advantage. The EMD Update reduced this advantage for low-quality sites while allowing EMD sites with genuinely useful content to maintain their positions. Google estimated this update affected approximately 0.6% of English queries.
Key Points
- Deployed September 28, 2012, affecting about 0.6% of queries
- Reduced the ranking advantage of low-quality exact match domains
- EMDs offering quality content were not impacted
Practical Examples
Low-quality EMD penalization
A site named 'buy-cheap-shoes.com' containing only low-quality affiliate pages loses its first-page rankings despite the exact keyword match.
Quality EMD preserved
A site like 'booking.com' or 'hotels.com' keeps its positions because, despite being EMDs, they offer high-quality service and content for users.
Frequently Asked Questions
An EMD can still provide a slight advantage if the site offers quality content and a satisfying user experience. However, an EMD without valuable content no longer has the automatic advantage it had before 2012. Domain name choice should prioritize branding over keyword matching.
Not necessarily. A relevant EMD for your business can be an asset if backed by quality content. What gets penalized is using an EMD as a shortcut to rank without investing in content and user experience.
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Last updated: 2026-02-07