Hello! We're re-vamping our website and I'm trying to optimize before we go live. I'm carefully going through the copy and picking out every keyword that I think might be valuable on each page. Is this a good thing? I know it's good if you use different iterations of the same keyword phrase, but what if I have a few different keyword concepts on the same page? Is it better to stick with one phrase and its iterations? or have as many as you've got in the copy? For instance: custom publishing, custom publishing company, publishing company, communication program, communication programs, marketing communication program, online communication program, professional editors, professional editor, cnet, idg, mcgraw-hill, msn, time warner, wired, ziff-davis thanks!
There is such a thing as over using keywords...it's called spam or keyword stuffing and can dilute the effects of your optimization, or the effects of users buying your products / services if the copy sounds too unnatural. Taking the first three phrases from your example... The first three are really all one phrase. CUSTOM PUBLISHING COMPANY is the main phrase, with two other phrases within the one. "Custom publishing" and "publishing company" are part of the phrase and are just more competitive in search results. You will eventually rank for all phrases just by optimizing for "custom publishing company." The other versions of your phrase can be used to support the main phrases if they are part of the main phrase to begin with. You could also use publishing company custom, but it doesn't sound as natural to type in. You may want to do some more keyword research and competitive analysis in order to determine MORE phrases to optimize your site for. Use the ones you have to find others relating to your industry or find out where your competitors rank and have links from. Typically optimizing for two to three phrases per page is the max, and is usually recommended that you try two per page for competitive ones. In your case you could use the first three phrases and possibly the "professional editor" ones on the same page (just an example). Then you may also get ranked for professional publishing company!! Hope this sheds some light! Basis techniques like these can help you to rank better and get better use of your pages and keyword phrases.