Keyword based link problem on site

[TRICORSystems]

So I think I might have identified an issue with a site that I'm trying to get ranked for a specific keyword but, wanted to get some opinions before I started making some big changes on the site.

On my homepage I have the keyword that I would like to be ranked for in the title lets say "Blue Widgets - Company Name', also on the home page I have some descriptions of our services including the keywords. I also have a couple of the keyword based links within in the content, navigation and footer. But these keyword based links all point to another page on the site: blue-widgets.htm. If I really want my home page to rank for the keyword "Blue Widgets' should all of these links point to the home page instead of the sub page?

I know there are a great number of other factors that contribute to rankings but looking at my competition, this is something that they seem to be doing. The keyword based links within the content, navigation or footer all point to the homepage.  I also have a higher Domain Authority than some of the sites that rank higher than me so I'm not sure if building more links is the answer. Of course I always want to build natural links but these sites don't seem to be doing that either.

Any comments, suggestions or input would be greatly appreciated.

[TRICORSystems]

Thanks for the help!

[AlanMosley]

You are on the right track

You want to use your home page wisely. It is almost always the best ranking page in your site, it is also the best page to get a internal link from.

[TRICORSystems]

Ugh, that's what I thought.

So basically I need to make a major decision regarding which pages I want to rank and for and for what keyword. I could focus our home page just on the company brand and try to get the sub page ranked for the targeted keyword. Of course it's always easier to build links to the home page rather than to the sub pages.

[AlanMosley]

Yes you want links with the link text blue widgets pointing to the page you want to rank for blue widgets.
It is even worse if you have link text in links on the page you want to rank pointing away from it, this is called self cannibalization.