I am noticing that many websites that rank in top 3, in my niche, do not have an "home page" anchor text link. They replace home page with keywords. Is that a good strategy everyone could use?
tedster
1:04 am on Mar 9, 2012 (gmt 0)
Last year, several people reported ranking losses after changing their home page anchor text to read "keyword." At the same time, there are examples of it working, or at least not causing trouble.
One of the differences seems to be whether the site LAUNCHED with keyword anchor text or changed it later on. Another factor could be whether there are already enough relevance signals for the keyword used. If there are, then this change could be a signal of attempted "manipulation."
I haven't heard any recent reports of trouble, however - or success either, for that matter.
serenoo
8:11 am on Mar 9, 2012 (gmt 0)
My website launched with "home page", but I do not have breadcrumbs. Now I want to add them, because they help navigation. In your opinion could I add "kewyord" as first breadcrumb link to my home page? I will have 2 links on any page of my website, one with anchor home page and another one with anchor keyword.
FranticFish
11:54 am on Mar 9, 2012 (gmt 0)
I'd be wary of doing this.
One of the differences seems to be whether the site LAUNCHED with keyword anchor text or changed it later on
My experience exactly.
tedster
4:08 pm on Mar 9, 2012 (gmt 0)
@serenoo
- it might help, but only if you feel Google is having trouble picking up your site's relevance for the query phrase in question. If the relevance is already identified (you are ranking for it, but just not as high as you wish) it's not likely to be helpful.
After all, this is mostly a technical manipulation - and something done by the webmaster on their own. It's not a signal coming from the web as a whole, not a "user engagement" signal. Google is moving away from rewarding that kind of thing with higher ranking, because it has been historicall problematic. Historically, it boosts rankings for URLs that are not well responded to by Google users.
But as I said, if you see evidence that Google is not clear about your home page's relevance on this keyword, then it might help.
serenoo
4:31 pm on Mar 9, 2012 (gmt 0)
Thank you Tedster, I am ranking for those keywords, but I am between position 5 and 7. I cannot reach the top, and the top websites use that technique. So you suggest to add breadcrumbs with the usual "home page" link, right?
