Exact Match Domains Still Rank in Local SEO - David Quaid Explains How

E1189: Exact match domains still rank in local SEO, and David Quaid explains where they still give businesses an advantage.

David breaks down how to use exact match domains for local businesses, how they interact with Google Business Profiles, why branded domains and EMDs serve different purposes, and where people go wrong when they expect the domain alone to do all the work.

David also explains why EMDs work especially well in competitive cities, how he thinks about topical authority, and why a local business should build around one valuable root keyword instead of trying to rank for everything.

We cover:

- Why exact match domains still matter in local SEO

- How to choose an EMD around your highest-value keyword

- Why city modifiers matter for local businesses

- How EMDs affect Google Business Profile relevance

- Why David prefers combining a brand with the target keyword

- When to use a new domain versus your existing branded domain

- Why EMDs still need links, authority, and trust

- Why adding "best" to a domain does not automatically improve rankings