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SEO anchor text phrases "blue widget" "widget tool" vs. "blue widget tool"

by droog
9 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Question for SEOers. I have two high traffic two word phrases and a low traffic three word phrase that contains both the high traffic two word phrases.

Example:
"blue widget" = high traffic
"widget tool" = high traffic
"blue widget tool" = little traffic

If I use "blue widget tool" as anchor text will google give me credit for "blue widget" and "widget tool" the same as if I would have targeted them by themselves or will I just receive credit for "blue widget tool" and only slight credit for the two word phrases inside the three word phrase?

I know some people might say target all of them, but that's not the issue, it's a hypothetical example so I can understand how google interprets anchor text. Thanks in advance!
#anchor #blue widget #blue widget tool #phrases #seo #text #widget tool
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Gavre
    droog,

    I believe Google will give you credit for all three phrases. Of course it will help if you promote all three phrases seperately in your inbound anchor text.

    Here's why I base my opinion on that stance:

    I currently have a website that, using your example, is blackwidgettool.com where I am targeting the keyword phrase "black widget tool". I am currently ranked #7 for "black widget tool".

    All of my SEO efforts have been via article marketing using the three word phrase of "black widget tool" in all my anchor text.

    Now here's the funny thing...

    I am ranked #5 for the term "blackwidget tool" which I have NEVER targeted !!!

    Weird stuff....

    What does everyone else think???

    Michael
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  • Profile picture of the author turbohips
    Boy tough question there. From my experience a combination of the most long tailed keywords worked the best for my sites. That way if only a partial was typed I have a better shot of being found. One thing that I really found helpful was to make sure that my site contained around 5-6% keyword density. Also had to make sure that the long tailed keywords were in my title and meta descriptions. I now have a ton of strange keywords showing my site that I never even optimized for. Strange how the search engines picks up a site from keywords I've never targeted. Best of luck to you.
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  • Profile picture of the author pozzy
    From my experience, using "blue widget tool" will not get as you much credit for the two separate terms as much as using those terms by themselves. However, this doesn't mean that the value it gives to those keywords is not significant, it is just simply not as high as placing those words by themselves.

    Of course, the best strategy as you pointed out that you already know is to alternate between the three.
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    • Profile picture of the author paulgl
      Any anchor text will get you links for ALL words.
      Except of course for "and" "of" etc.

      If blue widget tool is your goal, put all 3 all the time.

      Paul
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    • Profile picture of the author Fraggler
      Originally Posted by pozzy View Post

      From my experience, using "blue widget tool" will not get as you much credit for the two separate terms as much as using those terms by themselves. However, this doesn't mean that the value it gives to those keywords is not significant, it is just simply not as high as placing those words by themselves.

      Of course, the best strategy as you pointed out that you already know is to alternate between the three.
      This is what I have experienced too. The 3 word phrase will help the 2 shorter phrases but not as much as them by themselves. This occurs to plurals as well.

      The method I use it to get blue widget tools to where you want it first and then start working on the other 2. The other 2 already have some power from your first phrase. It also means that you have at least 1 phrase in position getting you traffic while you spend time on the others. It is the most efficient way to do things imo.
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      • Profile picture of the author droog
        Originally Posted by Fraggler View Post

        This is what I have experienced too. The 3 word phrase will help the 2 shorter phrases but not as much as them by themselves. This occurs to plurals as well.

        The method I use it to get blue widget tools to where you want it first and then start working on the other 2. The other 2 already have some power from your first phrase. It also means that you have at least 1 phrase in position getting you traffic while you spend time on the others. It is the most efficient way to do things imo.
        Thanks for everyone's input. Reading this thread there seems to be a variety of opinions and not a consensus. Though I have no proof to back it up the info left by Pozzy and Fraggler seems to make the most sense.
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  • Profile picture of the author jasonmorgan
    I wish I knew the answer to this.

    what I have done with keywords that are similar to your situation is to divide my anchor texts between all of the keywords I'm after.

    something like...
    40 backlinks with the anchor text "blue widget"
    40 backlinks with the anchor text "widget tool"
    20 backlinks with the anchor text "blue widget tool"
    this way I'm building up authority for all of the keywords I want and I'm creating some anchor variety which appears more organic to the SE's.
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  • Profile picture of the author thmgoodw
    Google is very odd sometimes. Their results to not make any sense with respect to multiple keyword domains.

    I have this one microniche site that is brandname + three words. Lets say it is:

    DisneyKingdomGoofyEars.com

    Well, my site is most optimized for DisneyKingdomGoofy in a keyword density sense, but I can assure that that this site is about 10x more optimized for DisneyKingdomGoofyEars than other other site out there.

    So, guess what my Google Rankings are for the possible keywords?

    Disney Kingdom = #2
    Disney Kingdom Goofy = #2
    Disney Kingdom Goofy Ears = #32

    For the life of me, I have no idea how my exact keyword domain is coming in at 32 whereas the sub-keyword combinations are at #2. Thankfully this one has the least volume of traffic, but it still confuses the hell out of me.


    Originally Posted by droog View Post

    Question for SEOers. I have two high traffic two word phrases and a low traffic three word phrase that contains both the high traffic two word phrases.

    Example:
    "blue widget" = high traffic
    "widget tool" = high traffic
    "blue widget tool" = little traffic

    If I use "blue widget tool" as anchor text will google give me credit for "blue widget" and "widget tool" the same as if I would have targeted them by themselves or will I just receive credit for "blue widget tool" and only slight credit for the two word phrases inside the three word phrase?

    I know some people might say target all of them, but that's not the issue, it's a hypothetical example so I can understand how google interprets anchor text. Thanks in advance!
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    • Profile picture of the author paulgl
      Because google ranks websites, NOT domains. Yet another shovel of dirt
      on the coffin of keywords matter in a domain. Anchor keywords for links
      have nothing to do with words in your domain, except by coincidence.
      Anchor text links with keywords you are targeting. If blue widget tool
      are your keywords/phrase anchor text links with that. It gives credit
      for blue widget, blue widget tool, and widget tool. Even blue, widget,
      and tool, separately, as a matter of fact.

      Somewhere in this forum is a post of a guy who accidentally hyperlinked
      a whole sentence. He could not figure out why suddenly he was ranking
      near the top for some odd keywords. Until he discovered quite by accident
      that he had been building backlinks and putting almost a whole paragraph
      as a hyperlink.

      Paul


      Originally Posted by thmgoodw View Post

      Google is very odd sometimes. Their results to not make any sense with respect to multiple keyword domains.

      I have this one microniche site that is brandname + three words. Lets say it is:

      DisneyKingdomGoofyEars.com

      Well, my site is most optimized for DisneyKingdomGoofy in a keyword density sense, but I can assure that that this site is about 10x more optimized for DisneyKingdomGoofyEars than other other site out there.

      So, guess what my Google Rankings are for the possible keywords?

      Disney Kingdom = #2
      Disney Kingdom Goofy = #2
      Disney Kingdom Goofy Ears = #32

      For the life of me, I have no idea how my exact keyword domain is coming in at 32 whereas the sub-keyword combinations are at #2. Thankfully this one has the least volume of traffic, but it still confuses the hell out of me.
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