Can you use multiple keywords for on page for ranking?

[cschwartzel]

I understand using a keyword (or phrase) and correctly building that into the site structure (URL, Title Tag, body, etc).

So, this question is going to be elementary, but I am starting to question myself as I write content. I have a client, for example, that has a new site and a page for Chocolate cakes. Now the other pages they built out are for Cheesecakes, Cupcakes, etc. So we optimized the Chocolate cakes page with our keyword throughout (Getting an A+ on page content grade). But now they are asking me why they can't be found for chocolate eclairs, chocolate fudge cake, devils chocolate cake, double chocolate cake, etc.

My first quick answer is that they should build more pages. But am I doing this wrong?

[JTsem]

One of the ways that we have created new pages is by building a landing page system, where we did have separate pages that targeted each of the groups of consumers that we wanted to use.  We created these pages at domains that were not on our main website, allowing us to target our home web page to all of those consumers and draw users in by targeting them specifically with the landing page.

If you would like to hear more about our system check out the blog post we wrote about it at https://www.jtechcommunications.com/blog/blog-detail-11

[randfish]

Thanks for the shout out Dana! I do think that WB Friday can help. I'd also suggest checking out http://moz.com/blog/mapping-keywords-to-content-for-maximum-impact-whiteboard-friday - a Whiteboard Friday from 2011 that provides more detail on precisely the multiple keywords on a single page question.

In general, Courtney, you're absolutely right. If the intent of the searchers who query those keywords are unique (e.g. chocolate cakes vs. chocolate eclairs - two very different pastries!), then you want to have different pages built to target each of those terms. It's only when the keywords AND the searcher intent directly overlap (e.g. chocolate cake and chocolate-flavored cake) that you'd go with a single term/phrase.

BTW - as you're optimizing, the on-page tool can be helpful, but there's a lot of human-factors that software can't check for, too, so applying http://moz.com/blog/visual-guide-to-keyword-targeting-onpage-optimization may be helpful.

Best of luck!

[EGOL]

If they want to be found for "chocolate fudge cake" and "chocolate eclairs" then their work needs to begin with a dedicated page for each of those topics.  Those dedicated pages will need to be very high quality compared to what is already out there and that just the start of what is needed.

These are moderately difficult queries.

If you go to the SERPs for "chocolate fudge cake" you will see some formidable competition - FoodNetwork, Nigella, About,com, Food.com, Epicurious and lots of other important domains are there already and some of them have been there for ten years or more.   New content on these subjects is being added to other websites every month so ranking in these SERPs will be challenging and elusive.

To rank quickly, you need great content on an strong and established domain.  If you have a new site, a weak site, a tiny site, or a just a "not very well known site", then ranking for these queries is going to take time and a lot of work spent promoting the site and its content.  That means publishing content that is immediately impressive to the visitor, linkworthy and highly sharable.  Then it will need to be promoted to get it noticed by people who will share it, like it, link to it.

An unestablished site in these SERPs could spend a year or two or more of weekly publishing and promoting just to begin getting traction in these SERPs - because there are so many well established sites and a large number more that are hoping to "make it".

[danatanseo]

Your question really has perfect timing. Rand's most recent White Board Friday video/blog post addresses this topic specifically and shows you how to go through the process of creating Topics pages that rank for a set of keywords, rather than just one keyword or keyword phrase in particular.

Building SEO-Focused Pages to Serve Topics & People Rather than Keywords & Rankings

Here's the link: http://moz.com/blog/topics-people-over-keywords-rankings-whiteboard-friday

Hope that helps! I could have paraphrased the whole thing, but you're better off learning straight from the master!