Keyword vs. Pluralized Keyword?

Discussion in 'Keywords' started by rbf738, Jan 27, 2009.

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  1. #1
    If I want to rank for both the hypothetical "guitar" and "guitars", what should I go after in an article. Should I write an article for each/use both frequently in one article...or should I just solely try to rank for "guitars", and the single "guitar" will just follow naturally?

    I've heard both schools of thought on this so I'd love to finally clear this up, thanks.
     
    rbf738, Jan 27, 2009 IP
  2. vansterdam

    vansterdam Notable Member

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    #2
    I would include both the singular and plural version in important spots on the page....title, meta description, headers, regular text, etc

    Then work at building backlinks alternating between using 'guitar' and 'guitars' as link anchor text. Ideally you would be targeting more than just those 2 phrases and you would alternate between several different keywords as link anchor text.

    If you rank for a plural keyword you don't necessarily automatically rank well for the singular version of the keyword. Sometimes that might be the case, but I think it would depend on whether your top competitors optimize for the singular too or not.
     
    vansterdam, Jan 27, 2009 IP
  3. tonyrocks

    tonyrocks Active Member

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    #3
    you could focus on the plural because Google is going to index for the base word.
     
    tonyrocks, Jan 27, 2009 IP
  4. vansterdam

    vansterdam Notable Member

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    #4
    Sorry Tony, but that isn't very good advice. Do a Google search for a singular phrase, then do a search for the plural version. You will see that the rankings are not the same. So obviously you have to focus on both plural and singular. Focusing on just the plural will not get you as good rankings for the singular version.
     
    vansterdam, Jan 27, 2009 IP
  5. kutekutta

    kutekutta Peon

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    #5
    I agree with you and most of the users will searching by plurals only so give more focus on plural keywords.
     
    kutekutta, Feb 3, 2009 IP
  6. ricko

    ricko Peon

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    #6
    Mix and match both. I'd focus on whichever one is a better opportunity (when comparing your competition and daily volume).

    You can't always have both, but at least one will suffice...
     
    ricko, Feb 3, 2009 IP
  7. Jim4767

    Jim4767 Prominent Member

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    #7
    One thing for sure — if you do a Google search for the singular, the results will include both singular and plural forms of the word. Likewise, if you do a Google search for the plural, the results will again include both singular and plural forms of the word.

    On the other hand, whether the singular-versus-plural matters in the SERPs ranking, I don't know on that one. Maybe, maybe not. Does anyone have any hard evidence on the SERPs question (not just opinions)?
     
    Jim4767, Feb 3, 2009 IP
  8. willyboy104

    willyboy104 Active Member

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    #8
    It shouldn't really matter much as Google usually accounts for both plural and singular. I would concentrate on writing your articles for your readers and not for the search engines though.
     
    willyboy104, Feb 4, 2009 IP