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The central focus keyword serves as the foundation of your post or page, symbolizing the keyword(s) you aim to excel in ranking for. While the allure of optimizing multiple articles for the same keyword is strong, there’s a crucial caveat – it’s advisable to limit its usage to just once. In this article, we’ll explore the rationale behind this approach and provide insights for achieving optimal SEO outcomes.

Table of Contents

Unpacking the Previously Employed Keyword Check in SEO

Steering Clear of Self-Competition

Why advocate against the repeated use of your focus keyword? The primary reason is to avoid the pitfalls of self-competition and the concept known as keyword cannibalization. When you optimize multiple articles for the same keyword, you unintentionally convey to Google that each piece is equally relevant to users searching for that specific term. This may lead to a division of the ranking potential among these articles. While it’s not entirely implausible for two articles to rank for the same keyword, accomplishing this feat demands a considerable level of site authority.

Navigating Existing Rankings

If you already enjoy ranking success with one article, there may be an inclination to explore ranking possibilities with a second one. However, exercising caution is paramount. For those yet to secure a ranking, doubling down on the identical focus keyword is not recommended. Instead, consider refining and updating your original article and creating supplementary posts that address variations of the keyword.

Crafting a Strategic Content Approach

Achieving a prominent ranking for your desired keyword necessitates a strategic content approach. Suppose you’re launching an online store specializing in horse feed and aiming to rank for “[horse feed].” In that case, it’s essential to resist the misconception of optimizing all your posts exclusively for this specific term. Instead, diversify your content by targeting related terms identified through comprehensive keyword research.

Tailoring Content for Blogs

For blog content, consider crafting a comprehensive cornerstone article that covers diverse facets of horse feeding. Optimize this article for a broader term, such as “[feeding your horse],” designating it as cornerstone content using SEO. Subsequent posts can delve into specific aspects like “[best type of hay for your horse]” or “[feeding thin horses],” categorized as long-tail keywords. Establish strategic interlinks between these posts and your cornerstone article to guide Google in recognizing the content hierarchy.

Tailoring Content for Stores

In the case of product-heavy pages, such as those showcasing various types of horse feed, prioritize the optimization of category pages over individual product pages. This approach ensures a focused strategy for keyword optimization without diluting its impact.

Evaluating the Viability of Repeating a Focus Keyword

Although technically feasible, using a focus keyword more than once is generally not a recommended strategy for achieving elevated rankings. A more effective approach involves delving deeper into your chosen topic, addressing user queries through long-tail articles, and conducting competitor analysis to distinguish your content. Crafting a well-structured site further enhances the prospects of securing a prominent position in search results.

Decoding the SEO Previously Employed Keyword Check

The assessment of the previously employed focus keyword check within the SEO plugin assumes a pivotal role in SEO analysis. This evaluation scrutinizes whether words from your focus keyword were previously employed for other posts or pages on your site. A red light signals a potential conflict, underscoring the significance of optimizing only one page for a specific focus keyword.

Rectifying the Use of Multiple Keywords

Upon identifying multiple articles targeting the same focus keyword, conduct an assessment of their performance in search engines or traffic metrics. Retain the article with superior results or amalgamate the strengths of both into the higher-ranking article. Our Duplicate Post feature can assist in streamlining this process.

In summary, while using a focus keyword more than once is technically feasible, it lacks strategic merit for optimizing SEO results. A nuanced approach that prioritizes content depth, strategic linking, and a discerning application of keywords forms the foundation for enhanced rankings and heightened online visibility.