Optimizing pages for keywords
-
I have a couple of websites for retailing the western chaps manufactured by my company. I have recently tried to increase my learning for SEO since one of my main sites (started in 2006) just lost about 45% of it's organic search volume since the end of May. It seems my search to learn just creates more and more questions.
I have been using google adwords for several years now and have used that information to find the most searched keywords. There are some general keywords like western chaps and cowboy chaps that receive decent search volume. If I get more specific to a certain type of chap, chinks for example, the popular high volume keywords are chinks, chinks chaps, western chinks, and cowboy chinks. These all relate to one type of chap...the chink. I want to be visible for these keywords, but how does one optimize for more than one without diluting? Should I also try to optimize on the homepage of my sites for the general terms like western chaps and cowboy chaps? Can I optimize for both?
I could really use some help. Any experts out there up to the job of consulting for me, some with extensive knowledge and experience? I'm not looking for the SEO giants with hundreds of clients. I don't feel that I will get the proper value from those types. My company is small and spending is an issue, that's why I would like someone to consult with. I should be able to do most of the labor, I just need the knowledge.
-
Hello Mike,
Thank you for taking your time to respond. I can easily write good content using all those keywords and can do so without stuffing.
-
Choose what works best for the product and fits naturally into the content. You need to remember that the search engines will decide what they think you're most relevant for and rank you accordingly.... which means that just because you optimize for "Cowboy Chinks" doesn't mean you won't also rank in the SERPs for "chinks" and "western chinks". Google recognizes synonyms in content. Write for people, not for the bots... unique, informative content that will best serve your customers is better than attempting to force in every keyword imaginable in the hopes of ranking for everything with a single page. And once you start writing it you just might realize you could fit all or most of those naturally into your content.
-
Hello Brooke,
Thanks very much for your input. I do intend on optimizing indiviual pages but I'm a little confused on how to go about it.
I was a little bit general in my first post. Let's say I want to optimize a page on my site for the specific type of chap called "chinks". My google adwords campaigns have shown that consistently over a several year period, the most searched keywords are 1) chinks, 2) chinks chaps, 3) western chinks, 4) cowboy chinks. They all have significant traffic.
I have only one product category for chinks on my website and all the pairs of chinks that we sell are shown that category. Do I need to specifically choose only one of the four keywords to optimize that product page for? Do I just forget about having decent placement for the other three? I could create four product categories for chinks and optimize each one for each of the keywords but that would look like a ridiculous site to anyone searching for chinks on my website because there would be four different categories, each with a different name but all four would show exactly the same chaps. Logic tells me that I can't optimize my existing chink category for all four keywords.
Also, should I optimize the paragraphs describing each of the individual pairs of chinks with the same keywords or would this create keyword cannibalization?
Thank you,
Kelly
-
Hi Kelly,
I agree with Bethany below that you should start to look at how to optimize pages of your website instead of trying to optimize the whole thing at once.
I would really start by looking at the pages on your site that receive the most traffic from organic search. Make sure your title tags, meta description and content contain the keywords you would like to appear for in SERPs while also insuring that the optimizations add value to the user experience (I am not telling you to keyword stuff by any means!)
I would then start to build content around these keywords and topics that add value to your brand. This will help to regain some of the lost position in SERPs and also help to ensure that you are not penalized by another Google Update. I will let you know that this isn't a solution that is going to work over night, but will help your website to build strength for those topics.
After you have built your content I would start to focus on off-site optimization to help get links regardless of what anyone else says.
Sorry this is a really broad recommendation. Let me know if you need anymore detail.
-
Think of about optimizing PAGES not your entire site. So optimize pages that are related to chinks for those specifically related chink keywords. Optimize your homepage for the broad keywords like 'chaps.'
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Theme create category page stuffed with Keyword
Hi All, Quick question and I think I already know the answer but wanted to get a second opinion. We have a ecom site running woo commerce and the theme is coded to insert the product category name under the product name on the category page. This has resulted in the category page being stuffed with my keyword 'sofa beds'. Am I right in thinking that in the eyes of Google this page will be penalised for over use of my keyword or does Google view category pages differently? Thanks in advance
On-Page Optimization | | Jon-S0 -
Am I spamming my Keyword?
Hi All I am trying to rank my site for many key phrases but the pretty much always contain the word "Sussex" The biggy with a lot of competition is "Caterers Sussex" and similar variations when I view source on their page I find that Gastro catering's code uses "sussex" 92 times in it code. My site www.SussexChef.com uses the word "Sussex" 590 times, the competitors site mentions the word less in its code and is dominant for all my desirable key words. Am I spamming my keyword by using Sussex too often when naming my image file? Is there anything in this or am I barking up the wrong tree? Thanks for your help Ben
On-Page Optimization | | SussexChef830 -
What's better for SEO a page per review or a page with all reviews?
Was wondering what's better for SEO. We have a platform where consumers can read and write reviews. But the question is: is it better to give one page per company with all the reviews on it? Or should we have different pages for the specific company? Example: Itunes has a company page with all reviews on the page, but not the whole review. You have to click further to view the whole review (new page), at the moment this the current situation. What if we place the whole reviews on the company page, so you don't have specific pages for the reviews? Hopefully can someone help us out. Contact me if it's not clear or you want more extended information. Kind regards
On-Page Optimization | | MozzieJr0 -
Sold Products appear as duplicate pages 'Page Not Found' ???
Hi there, I'm down to just 6 duplicate page warnings but I'm not sure how to deal with this one: Information Page Not Found! http://www.vintageheirloom.com/index.php?route=information/information&information_id=6 My Ecommerce shopping site products are unique, 1 of a kind. So once one product has sold and been delivered we take the product off our website, hence the Information Page Not Found! As I understand when search engines re-index these warnings will drop off but new sold products would replace them. So redirecting seems like hard work and never ending. Is it ok to ignore these warnings? Thanks Mozzers..
On-Page Optimization | | well-its-1-louder0 -
Duplicate Page Content for Product Pages
Hello, We have one website which URL is http://www.bannerbuzz.com & we have many product pages which having duplicate page content issue in SEOMOZ which are below. http://www.bannerbuzz.com/backlit-banners-1.html
On-Page Optimization | | CommercePundit
http://www.bannerbuzz.com/backlit-banners-10.html
http://www.bannerbuzz.com/backlit-banners-11.html
http://www.bannerbuzz.com/backlit-banners-12.html
http://www.bannerbuzz.com/backlit-banners-13.html We haven't any content on these pages, still getting duplicate page content errors for all pages in SEOMOZ. Please help me how can i fix this issue. Thanks,0 -
How many keywords max can I optimize each page for?
I don't want to over optimize by doing 1 keyword per 1 page, but then if I do more, seomoz on-page tool report doesn't give an A grade for each keyword I optimize. I usually optimize for max 3 keywords that are very closely related, meaning they use the same words. Ex. dentist los angeles, los angeles dentist, dentist in los angeles Am I on the right track or what's your recommendation? Should I create different landing pages for each keyword?
On-Page Optimization | | sub90900 -
Where this keyword comes from?
I have a ON-PAGE optimized website, but seomoz research tool says that 24 pages are F graded, and i was checking the keywords and i noticed that the keywords seomoz research tool was analising wasnt the ones that i used. Let me explain its like this: My Keyword is : Santa and seomoz is running the keyword : Santa Claus Where did the tool got that Keyword from? Thank you
On-Page Optimization | | dmunchen0 -
Is it necessary to optimize every page of a site
I recently took over the SEO work for a website that has a limited budget. I'd like to use the resources to get as much as I can for a few pages on the site (keyword research, on-page optimization). Are there pitfalls to not optimizing every page on a site? If so, what are they?
On-Page Optimization | | EricVallee340