Is it helpful to place a link from one page point to itself . Like place a link on page A , and this link target to page A , using the keyword as anchor text . Is it helpful for this page's ranking for this keyword ?
Yes it is helpful because Google considers it a link. This is why many ecommerce websites tend to rank fairly high.
Anchoring your keyword on your page is very important. The surprise is that it does not matter where the link points, just that your keyword is anchored on your page gives that page great relevance. Bompa
if you are using a CMS, then it's always useful to have your anchor text in a sitewide, for example instead of a link called "Home", it's better to call it the main keyword you are targeting. this way all your internal links including he homepage will point to you with that anchor, and the internal links may get natural links and pr, so they will pass it to the homepage.
if your keyword with anchor text pointing self than definitely increase your same keyword ranking, this type link also known as internal link.
But don't spam with Anchor Keyword. If you build much more links with the same Anchor, It will got spam one of my site spammed for 2 keywords.
Search engine considers it as internal link. It doesn't effect negatively. You can use. But, don't point same location multiple times using same anchor text.
I agree with this little trick of NOT using "Home" as the link text for your Home link in the navigation or footer but instead linking to your home page with the primary targeted keyword phrase that you want your home page to rank for. If you have a top navigation link AND footer link to the home page then vary the text. In the top navigation use your home page's primary targeted keyword. In the footer use your home pages secondary targeted keyword (if you have one) or a slight variation of the primary keyword phrase. If you use breadcrumbs then have the home link in your breadcrumbs use your home page's tertiary targeted keyword phrase (if you have one) or another slight variation of the primary keyword phrase. Also most people make breadcrumbs like: Home --> parent page --> current page where the current page is NOT hyperlinked. I use the current page link in my breadcrumb to get another link to every page on my site and vary the link text slightly like: Home keyword --> parent page w/varied text --> current page w/ varied text
If you can have only one link like that, that is ok, no harm. Make sure you are fine with anchor text too. However, if you have more on the same page, then goolge will identify your page as spammy page. That is sure
not sure about that mate, it's a little bit confusing for the search engines to link to your homepage, from your homepage with two different anchors, i don't think it's a natural scenario. if i want to variate anchors, then maybe using variations on some internal pages when linking to the homepage is more logic.
It's pretty freakin' hard to "confuse" the search engines. They actually think it's unnatural to link to the same page with the same link text all the time. If you're going to link to Page B from Page A multiple times, you should vary the link text. And as far as linking to Page B from Page A multiple times, it happens naturally on the vast majority of commercial sites out there. Most big sites will have a top nav with links to their most important product pages. Then in the footer they will link to those same pages that are in the top nav PLUS some of the other lesser important pages on the site. Even if a site does not have footer links, ever site that has bread crumbs stands the chance of linking to something in the top nav and the same page in the breadcrumb. I SEO a PR7 site as a full time SEO, and I have NEVER had a problem doing anything I suggested above. The site ranks #1, 2, or 3 at Google for the majority of the most desired single, double and triple keyword phrases in probably one of the top 3 verticals on the web. Some of my one word head terms have in excess of 180,000,000 results on a typical search. Adword CPCs for these words are $20-30USD typically. So it's not a problem. If Google and the search engines can read all the crappy HTML/XHTML out there, follow peoples convoluted and stacked redirects, actually interpret and in some cases execute Javascript now for discovery purposes, and the other million things that they're PhDs have developed over the years, I doubt VERY seriously, in fact I know, that having 2 or 3 links on Page A pointing to Page B with varied link text does NOT "confuse" the search engines. You have to give them more credit than that. Even the idiots at Ask.com would not get "confused".
I can see how this will help seo, but not so sure about the end users experience. Won't it make it hard for people to find the homepage if it's not labeled as such?
well, everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but i still think it is not natural to link "from your home page to your home page" twice or 3 times using different anchors like: Baby clothes, Baby showers, Baby Bedding, i don't think there will be any advantage or extra points from doing so, note that i am talking only about the homepage link, getting external links with different anchors, or even other internal links is another story and i recommend it because it is obviously the most natural scenario. very good point, but it all depend on your design and link structure, where you place that anchor, and the way you place it, and the way it is designed is very important, using those 3 elements you can make your users easily understand that the link will take them to the home page