September 2012, Google release an algorithm update that will impact Exact Match Domain (EMD) and Partially Match Domain (PMD) names.
Having EMD and PMD domain name will no longer give you an advantage on ranking higher than other domain names. This is a big hit for many people who try to buy and sell domain name thinking that it will ranking better. The only benefit now is the ease of remembering the domain name for the users.
Matt Cutts tweeted on 9-28-12: New exact-match domain (EMD) algo affects 0.6% of English-US queries to a noticeable degree. Unrelated to Panda/Penguin.
For more information on how Exact Match Domains and Partially Match Domain names have impacted website visit: http://www.intelligentpositioning.com/blog/2012/10/google-emd-and-pmd-decline-over-time/
