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Among the many two word search terms relevant for my speciality is one that is the holy grail and offers 1.7 million results. Top 10 there is the Google Goose that lays Golden eggs.
I take top 5 in smaller but more targeted keywords phrases and do just fine.
But for the first time ever, I decided to check my ranking for the ONE word term which contains 5.94 million pages.
To my shock, I found that by not even trying, 3 of my 5 sites rank 20, 41 and 58 respectively.
That's not bad for a single word that gives 5.94 million results and not bad considering I wasn't even trying.
Thinking about it, my anchor text in links pointing to those sites contain the single word, but they do not contain the two word phrase which has the 1.7 million results. That two word phrase would be good but I prefer to target OTHER two word phrases with less competition in an attempt to diversify myself and not put all my eggs in one keyword basket.
But it was just a shock to see I was #20 for one word out of 5.94 million pages and I wasn't even trying for it. Total shock.
To Illustrate:
Widget = 5.94 million and #20
Widget Repair = 1.7 million and #64 but I don't put "Repair" in my inbound anchor text
other widget+blank words with 250,000 or less pages I rank top 5 because I make sure I have the targeted two word phrases put in the anchor text for inbound links.
Conclusion: So having "widget" in with those text anchor links got me to #20 for "widget"
In another thread about this month's algo, the increased importance of anchor text was a widely held perception and boy oh boy I have to definitely agree now.
To the opposite of this, I have PR 5 pages, with no inbound links from external sites, targeted for two word phrases but I don't even show up in the top 75 and PR4s beat me. Conclusion, not having inbound links with the corresponding two word phrase in the anchor text prevents me from any notable ranking.
Here's another theory I am starting to develop and I think Brett brought this up one time. I think that among the 100 or so supposed factors that go into the algo is one that gives weight to the age of a website. Can't prove it, but it's my theory now from observations based on my personal experience.
If you have a lot of high PageRank links with the words in the anchor text, then you'll beat someone without those links but good on-page factors.
If you have the same high PageRank links with the words in the anchor text, then the on page factors will win.
off- & on-page strategies work exceptional well when they don't conflict and work together using their own merits.
I have lots of "Low Cost Widget" or "Affordable Widget" type text in my inbound links but I do not have any "Widget Repair" text in those anchors where I rank #64 out of 1.7 million.
But the fact that I have widget in those anchor text inbound links put me at #20 out of 5.95 million.
ciml, I had to read that 3 times but I think what you said is what I was saying. But yes to fathom's comments too and my on page factors always compliment the inbound anchor text.
I take a page and focus it for the targeted keyword phrases by using basic SEF methods and I also get the inbound links to use the same targeted phrase in the anchor text.
I didn't rank well for the "widget repair' because I didn't ask for 'repair' to be in the inbound anchor text and because I really didn't build the page with the intention of reflecting "repair". On page and off page factors prevent me from doing well on it.
But my realization now is how significant off page factors really are. It's more than I thought, in other words.
What happens when you have 2 links from an internal page going to the same destination page:
Low Cost Widgets
Widgets Repair
will ranking improve for both, or will some kind of spam rule trigger?
