10 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
10 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Page B ranking for my target keyword instead of Page A

by Rphil
8 replies
  • SEO
    • |
I have multiple pages on my website. But I have issues with properly ranking my homepage.
example;

Page A = homepage (the page I want to rank for my target keyword)

Page B = a more specific sub-page (this page should only rank for its own niche/brand terms)

Instead of my homepage, Page B is ranking for my target keyword. I have already removed the keyword and close variants from Page B's title, headings, and content, but Google is still ranking Page B for it.

The issue is causing a higher bounce rate because users searching for the target keyword land on Page B, which doesn't satisfy their intent. But if they land on the homepage, it could solve their problems.

My questions:
  1. Why would Google continue to rank Page B for a keyword it no longer explicitly targets?
  2. What are the most effective ways to reduce Page B's relevance for the target keyword without using noindex?

The goal is to keep Page B indexed and ranking for its specific terms, while making it clear that Page A is the main page for the target keyword.

Any insights or experiences would be greatly appreciated.
#keyword #page #ranking #target
Avatar of Unregistered
  • Profile picture of the author jeanbato
    Is your page B linked to your homepage ?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11844429].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Rphil
      Yes it is. and so are over 50 other sub domains. But page B keeps ranking for the priority keyword eventhough the KW is not in the page. I cant remove or noindex the page as it is relevant for its brand specific search terms
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11844433].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author SofttricksM
    Google algorithm may still rank Page B because it has stronger authority, backlinks, or user engagement signals that make it more relevant to the keyword, even if it no longer explicitly targets it.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11844431].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Rphil
      There is no way that this subdomain has more authority, backlinks, or user engagement than the homepage itself. Its actually nowhere close to the homepage's backlinks and engagement.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11844434].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author zadoon
    Google keeps picking Page B because it's still the strongest match for user intent, so you'll need to boost Page A's internal links and onâ€'page signals while dialing back Page B's topical depth without noindexing it.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11844482].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Rphil
    Other than the onpage SEO stuff like changing content, headers or meta, and adding more interlinks to the homepage and stuff, is there any technical SEO that needs to be updated? Like sitemap.xml or robots.txt? Any way to de-prioriotize the subpage for that keyword? because its not just that keyword this page comes up for, it comes up for a bunch of other keywords that are not relevant to the page
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11844484].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author webcazador
    Hey, this happen becuase Google sees Page B as more relevant or authoritative for that query, not just based on keywords, but internal links, backlinks, anchor text, and user signals. Make strong internal linking to Page A and reduce any internal anchors pointing to Page B for that main keyword.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11844629].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Oliver Sophia Turner
    Why

    Google follows links, history, and intent, not just keywords.

    Fix

    Link Page B â†' Page A with the target keyword.

    Remove keyword-based internal links to Page B.

    Strengthen Page A's content.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11844759].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Poshnjari
    Google may continue ranking Page B even after you removed the keyword because rankings are not based only on on-page content. This can happen because:
    • Page B has more authority (backlinks, traffic, internal links).
    • The anchor text of links pointing to Page B still contains the keyword.
    • Google has historically associated that page with the topic.
    • The homepage is not optimized strongly enough for the keyword.
    How to fix it (without using noindex)

    • Add more internal links to the homepage using the target keyword.
    • Change the anchor text of links pointing to Page B.
    • Optimize the homepage with a clear title, H1, and relevant content for the keyword.
    • Add a link from Page B to the homepage for the main topic.
    The goal is to help Google understand:
    Homepage = main page for the target keyword
    Page B = more specific page for niche terms.
    Signature
    https://fullfreesoftware.net | Lightweight WordPress Plugins That Keep Your Site Fast
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11845649].message }}
Avatar of Unregistered

Trending Topics