Do you track both plural and singular variations of your keywords?
-
Howdy,
In trying to make the most of the keyword tracking slots we get with the SEOmoz tool our discussion turned to the importance of tracking both variations of search terms that could be plural or singular.
The example is that we run a local business search database so we target search terms like "chicago pet stores" and "chicago pet store", however the language of our site almost always uses the plural version of the business category.
On one hand we want to know exactly how we rank for variations of search terms, but on the other, with the number of categories we have we could be tracking thousands upon thousands if we included every variation ("pet store chicago", "pet stores in chicago", etc.)
So what say ye fellow optimizers? Is it worth tracking variations of search terms or do you find that Google is smart enough in coalescing the intent of similar search variants that tracking against the most commonly searched one is enough?
Thank you all!
-
The only concern I have about getting to granular is time. Things like the 80/20 rule come to mind. You don't want to chase down minor details when there are big fish getting away. With that said, there is a lot of traffic involved with plural vs singular keywords. Your time is well spent!
-
From watching the SERPs and visitor behavior in my niche... I believe that singular queries tend to be informational.... plural queries seem to be transactional.
-
I have a subscription at both SEOMOZ & Raventools.
Read up on raven and you will see why, especially when it comes to managing many many keywords and staying on top of reporting.
-
I completely agree with you, so much so in fact that some people say I go too far with how granular I get in my data collection/analytics. This question was ultimately a spot check to see if I was going too far, or not far enough.
Thank you for your insight!
-
My problem is that I already have over 100 keywords being tracked for one site and I'm getting ready to launch 2 more, this could get cumbersome!
SEO is highly competitive. High quality SEO involves a lot of work. If it was easy, then everyone would do it
It's up to you to determine if it is worthwhile to track both. My answer is yes, it is. If you are here at SEOmoz, you clearly have a desire to implement industry best practices. SEO is purely a competition. Think Rocky and his opponent slugging it out. You are either prepared to stand toe-to-toe with your competitors and fight for rankings, or you are not. If you want to be ranked at the top, you need to EARN the position and that involves a commitment to do all the work involved.
This is my approach to SEO. Not everyone agrees
-
Yeah the search volume differs greatly, the question is just whether the page I have will rank more or less the same for the plural vs singular and if not would it be so different that it's worth tracking both.
My problem is that I already have over 100 keywords being tracked for one site and I'm getting ready to launch 2 more, this could get cumbersome!
-
This is my issue. In many cases I rank equally well for both singular and plural so it feels like a waste to use one of my keyword slots tracking both when instead I could use it to track another keyword entirely.
I guess for the time being I'll keep tracking both.
-
Agreed, i always check both singular and plural. Not only for traffic reasons but for difficulty as well!
-
For me it depends on the search results in question and also the keyword volumes in the Google Keyword Tool. More often than not, in my industry I find different results (and rankings) for the singular and plural keywords so I do keep track. It is also baffling to me that I can rank #3 for the singular version but #8 for the plural variation of the keyword. Or Google Places will show up for the singular version but not the plural!!
I also use Advanced Web Ranking to automate ranking reports so keeping track of rankings is no problem at all.
-
Do you track both plural and singular variations of your keywords?
I track both the singular and plural versions. It makes a difference. Pick a keyword such as "childrens book" and then search for "childrens books". You will see the results vary. In some instances, there is a huge difference.
According to Google's Keyword tool:
Apple - 83 million global monthly searches
Apples - 6 million global monthly searches.
To use a more relevant example:
Chicago pet store - 5400 global monthly searches
Chicago pet stores - 6600 global monthly searches
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
How to use the Basic SERP to figure out what keywords to target
I'm looking at the SERP report trying to figure out what keywords I should try to rank for and I am having difficulty understanding if I could be competitive in the space. For example I have a new website that has a PA1 and DA1 rank I plan on developing great content and then working on securing quality backlinks for that content. In order to start this process I'm doing my keyword research and I am finding keywords, both short and longtail that I would like to target via Google Keyword Planner. I'm punching them in to see the competition and SERP. This is where I fall short. How do I use this information to identify or rule out what to pursue. I guess I am looking for some criteria or guide to help me begin to figure out or filter out what is the best keyword to pursue that will give me the best odds of success. If anyone can help me I would be eternally greatfull. We are a small company (startup) and it is up to me to make this work. YES - I have read everything that I can find - guides, and I have not run accross an answer. Thanks in advance
Moz Pro | | DDWeddings1 -
Finding Related Keywords and/or Phrases
I'm diving into unknown territory and looking for keywords and phrases related to a prospective new clients business. He knows some of the general terms, for example, water removal. What tool works best to find related search terms and the number of searches for those keywords/search terms. I usually use the Google Keyword Tool but going to give moz a try. Love to be able to get local search data as well. Thanks!
Moz Pro | | DFLsports1 -
Results of keyword rankings way off??
I just did my first crawl, and a bunch of the keywords show my rank as being like 76 or 102 and I'm number 1 for the search when I search manually. **I of course have personal results turned off and I'm not logged into gmail when I search.
Moz Pro | | immortalgamer0 -
Has anyone noticed that there are no local results in their keyword rankings?
Is anyone else having this issue? The universal rankings are not populating in my keyword rankings tool for any of my clients. Is this something that SEOmoz changedrecently?
Moz Pro | | TippingPointMedia0 -
Is there a way to see what keywords users of my site are using to find it online?
Since Google Analytics no longer shows the keywords used by people to find a site online, does the SEOMoz toolset provide somethng to show this data?
Moz Pro | | Mionkeybot0 -
SEOmoz v's Google Webmaster Keyword Ranking
Hi, how accurate is SEOmoz keyword ranking v's Google Webmaster? Some Keywords in SEOmoz say I'm in position 3 in Ireland for some Keywords and in Google Webmaster they are figures like 16. I understand in Google Webmaster that the keyword position is an Average What should I be going by and what is the credibility of both ranking estimators?
Moz Pro | | Socialdude0 -
Can I track the Domain MozRank over time?
I got my pro account a few months ago and now wondering if the Domain MozRank has changed much since when I first started. How can I see this?
Moz Pro | | SharpKiwi0 -
Ranking are not updating for my keywords
i have almost three week now and some of my keywords still not showing any ranking under ranking tab instead they are showing the day next crawl is due. Any suggestions Thanks
Moz Pro | | TahirLiaqat0