Modifiers (alternative yet specific keywords) are what differentiate websites that have a minuscule trickle of traffic to websites gushing with an abundance of visitors, sales and conversions. This aloof yet effective SEO technique incorporates the power of landing pages, segmentation and keyword modifiers…
Getting the most out of search means putting your best foot forward, which means appealing to the right audience with the right message (by design). This means that if you only focus on a narrow range of keywords (and omit the keyword modifiers that represent the real consumers using commercial search queries who are ready to purchase) – then you are only limiting your online exposure through search engines from this tactical oversight.
For example, if you were looking online for a digital projector, would you be satisfied with a search result that served up something completely unrelated? Similarly, those who “know what they want” are already on a mission to find it and “find it fast” with the least amount of resistance…which leads to the next point.
If a landing page ranks for a primary keyword in a prominent position, then you could also rank for multiple variations of that keyword or additional semantic overlaps (projector stands, projector cases, affordable projectors, etc.) with ease as a result of the primary focal point of the page.
If your page provides “what they need” and encompasses all of the possible action-words and semantic variations they might use while conducting a search, then search engines will elect your page as the “go to” source when it comes to a competitor’s page that pales in comparison to your own.
There is a technique for implementing this type of laser-targeting that allows search engines to identify your page as the preferred landing page for your primary, secondary and tertiary keywords using alternative search modifiers and this is how it’s done.
Keep in mind that as a page ages in search engines and gains more internal link citation or deep links (links from other websites), this creates a process known as keyword stemming. If your primary page has the proper ingredients, then you can add selective secondary navigation or contextual links to other (highly touted lateral pages) which represent an equal share of market potential for conversion.
This stemming of keywords means that if an internal anchor or external inbound link has a particular keyword that is also mirrored on the page, any two keyword combination’s that correspond to each other based on that prominence or proximity (that is reinforced by citation) has the ability to rank in search engines – from a related search query.
In other words, your page can rank for (a) its primary keyword and (b) any other keyword or key phrase combination that is linked to or appears on that page.
Also, pages that are themed (similar in context) can provide primary ranking factor for other themed pages (by swapping out a modifier, brand, make or model number while preserving the semantic base).
One example is, say you have Sony projectors, Dell projectors, Samsung projectors, etc., they are still projectors, but in this case the brand is the modifier.
You can tack on additional keywords (1080i, 1080p, HD, Light, Portable, Business, Home, color variations, etc.) in the meta data and on page correlations to make each page rank for very specific or multiple keyword combinations.
As long as they are constructed with prominence and link to each other accordingly, search engines can sort which page is the proper match based on a query.
Which means, if you understand (1) how to properly structure your content (2) how to leverage internal linking (by using the site:command) and (3) how to evaluate the tipping point of content, text and link ratios, acquiring any keyword is simply a matter of time, citation and authority (which are all scalable resources) that create gravity in search engines.
Here is one simple SEO tactic you can use to set the wheels in motion to create a ranking juggernaut as a result of layering your on page (how you structure your pages and content) and off page (how you promote your pages to acquire links) efforts.
1. Use your primary keyword first in the title, followed by a keyword modifier or alternative semantic variation (i.e. cost, prices, rates, fees) and mix them into the next region (the meta data).
2. Reinforce the secondary keyword alternative (a.k.a. modifier or plural variation of the key phrase) in the meta description area.
3. Use exact match naming conventions for the URL.
4. Mirror the primary keyword in the H1 Tag (a given for proper SEO).
5. Use the secondary keyword in the H2 tag (another common technique).
6. Build at least 9 internal links (from related pages) within your website that are based on a similar semantic set (if not, then create additional overlapping pages with an alternative primary keyword focus).
7. Build a 6-10 deep links to that page and alternate keyword 1, 2 and keyword variations (using the stemmed keyword modifiers) to promote rankings for that page (for any combination of the aggregate / multiple keywords).
8. Elect a primary page as a preferred landing page within your website and link consistently with the highest frequency to that page with the primary anchor.
9. Ensure that the alternative keywords you intent the page to rank for are present on the page.
10. Stagger inbound links over time or make sure to revisit pages or posts to provide second tier ranking factor to them (so that the entire site gets stronger) which creates mid-tail and long-tail keyword derivatives.
This is the value of creating an authority site (a large site constantly producing themed content) which has the ability to devour a niche or market over time.
By selectively infusing a site with a plethora of primary landing pages (in the root folder) while providing tiered content within subfolders further from the root folder domain.com/subfolder1/content-page1/ then as those content pages age and gain more traction and stem, they also provide more weight to the primary pages that serve as the apex for the primary keyword / landing page.
The tactic involves (1) mapping out keyword objectives thoroughly from the onset (2) developing staggered content based on the needs of those primary keywords (the more competitive the keyword the deeper the silo of content is required to provide ranking factor) and (3) creating a sustained yet robust array of links (from various sources) to nurture those pages from link attrition as the site gains traction in search engines.
Once a page gains enough trust from search engines (4-6 months) you can augment that page using off page ranking factor (inbound links, social media or promotion) to broaden the array of keywords that page can rank for (to broaden the funnel of possibilities and traffic).
Using modifiers in internal links, content, meta data or layering multiple pages to a primary cluster of keywords allows a website to sprout rankings whenever a champion page is elected.
Search engines know the range and scope of the content of all pages indexed in your website, however it is more about the correlation to the search query and focus of the page (to see if there are lexical overlaps) which translate into relevance signals via search queries and search engine result page rankings.
For additional food for thought on keyword modifiers, follow the related links below…