Need to optimize for multiple variations of a keyphrase? Trying to work in something like “omega3,” “omega-3” and “omega three” into the same page? Using tricks and elementary tactics to try and get several spellings/variations of keyphrases into a page can leave you looking unprofessional. Find out some tips for best practices from expert SEO copywriter Karon Thackston.
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Thanks for the video, Karen. Very good points you make and very clear. Although I have one question: Are you suggesting that you have one variation on the page and then put other variations in the title tag, etc for that same page? Aren’t keywords that appear in a title tag supposed to actually appear on the same page in the copy?
Thanks for asking that question, Juliet. I should have been more clear. I did not mean to only use the alternate spelling of the term in the title tag. Yes, what appears there should mesh with what’s in the copy. You can, however, include other variations in the title tag at the end. Most often, only about 65 characters or so are visible on the search engine results pages (SERPs). The rest is truncated due to lack of space. The search engines can read the rest (you can technically make the title tag as long as you want), but the part that is cut off won’t help you attract visitors to click on your listing from the SERPs. So, your title tag could read:
Buy Top-Quality KEYWORD 1 Direct & Save | Company Name | KEYWORD 2, KEYWORD 3, KEYWORD 4, ETC.
Does that make sense?
It seems like a good idea to place the different variations in other places of the website, such as in the title and anchor tags. But given Google’s ability to pick up synonyms I wonder if this practice is still required.
Hi Mark… If you do the tests I mentioned in the video, you’ll see that they do come up differently which indicates that (synonyms or not) Google is ranking the various phrases on their own merits. I take that to mean that (while Google recognizes synonyms) it still has a preference for the actual term itself.