Hey Kalena
Quick question for ya if you got a minute. If I’m targeting a keyword or phrase, lets say dogs. I write a 500 word article about dogs. I post it on my site. I want to target my main url i.e. www.dogs.com. How many times can I create anchor text in that one article that links to the main page?
Chris
Hi Chris
It’s really not about counting the number of keywords or links - it’s about what sounds natural to a reader and what makes the most sense in the copy. If you can read page copy aloud and it doesn’t sound stilted or repetitious, you’ve probably got the right balance of keywords. As a general rule of thumb, I recommend aiming for keyword repetition of around 2 to 3 times per page for each keyword/phrase you are targeting. More than that usually ruins the copy and/or triggers red flags in search engine filters.
When using anchor text, a good way to avoid excessive keyword repetition is to try using keyword variations and word stemming e.g. accounts, accountant, accounting etc. Also consider using your keywords in headings, sub-headings and bullet points. These have the added advantage of breaking up the copy and making it easier to read. Oh and if you decide to use “dogs” in your anchor text, for Pete’s sake make sure the page you are linking to talks about dogs! Sounds obvious but it’s amazing how often this is overlooked.
ADDED: Nick from Search Engine Optimization Journal has blogged about this post. He took from my comments above that when I said 2 or 3 instances per page, I was referring to anchor text links. But I was actually referring to keywords per page, not links per page. Nick’s right, too many links pointing to a single page using the same anchor text is dodgy and unnecessary and may trip spam filters. Just wanted to clarify this point to avoid confusion. Thanks Nick!
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[…] reader asks Kalena Jordan this question: Quick question for ya if you got a minute. If I’m targeting a keyword or phrase, lets say dogs. […]
Nick from SEO Journal (linked in the above comment) assumed from my post that when I said 2 or 3 instances per page, I was referring to anchor text links. But I was referring to keywords per page, not links. I will amend my post to clarify this in case the question submitter also misunderstood my meaning. Thanks Nick!
Keywords in anchor text really help in getting traffic. Repetition of keywords in the content in right way will help a little. Keyword selection and promoting in content will be a good Natural SEO tactic.
@ Martin - thanks for stopping by. Please note that although this post was about the subject, anchor text links are not allowed in comments
Doorway pages are specially created to fool the search engines algorithm and
draw search engine visitors to a website. Doorway pages are Web pages
designed and built specifically to draw search engine visitors to your
website. They are standalone pages designed only to act as entry or door to
your websites. Usually these pages are theme based. They are also known as
portal pages, jump pages, gateway pages, and entry pages
Doorway pages are considered to be part of black hat and should not be used,
although many of seo companies use these pages for gaining more traffic.
Well said, finally a good report on this stuff
How are you sure about the number of anchor text in a single page of article? Are you sure it doesn’t work if it becomes 4 or 5? Have you ever tried this before? what was it’s impact on the ranking?
Depends really on where the article is located. If you submit an article to an article directory for example, you have to read the site’s rules first before submitting.
I read that 3-4 anchor text links per article are OK. I guess it worked for me.
If you are talking about linkbuilding, it is best to do about 3-5 at first, and continually increase until you dominate all of your desired keywords.
If you are talking about keyword density, about 5-7% would be ideal.
I think if ever you really want to advertise using your keywords on a content you are sharing, always make sure that the first and foremost concern should always be to share useful information and avoid keyword stuffing.