Today, I want to address a concept that has caused confusion among our users and students for quite some time. It's important to clarify the distinction between pages and domains, as we have received numerous questions about this topic recently. Either I have not explained it effectively in the past, or it has become a more prevalent issue. So, let's dive into this topic and revisit the golden rule of keyword research: one core keyword should correspond to one page.

To recap, when you identify a core keyword that you want to target, choose a single page on your website to optimize for it. Many people make mistakes in this process. For instance, some individuals make the error of placing the core keyword on every page of their site. This should be avoided. Similarly, others make the mistake of selecting ten competitive keywords and attempting to incorporate all of them into one page. This is also not recommended.

It's important to remember that Google ranks individual pages, not entire domains. Therefore, you should focus on applying the concept of document relevancy to your pages, rather than your entire domain. Optimizing only your homepage will not necessarily improve the ranking of your deeper pages. While there are exceptions when it comes to making adjustments to your homepage, it is generally not a priority when starting out.

To solidify these concepts, let's consider an example. Suppose we have conducted keyword research on vegan-friendly queries, such as "vegan hamburger buns," "gluten-free vegan hamburger buns," and "dairy-free vegan hamburger buns." We have a core keyword, two supporting secondary keywords, and an accessory keyword with lower volume and potentially less competition.

Now, let's imagine we have a website called veganjoes.com. After conducting keyword research, we should avoid the following mistakes:

1. Optimizing the homepage for all core keywords: Many people make the error of trying to include every keyword from their research onto their homepage. This should be avoided.

2. Optimizing all pages for all core keywords: Similar to the previous mistake, some individuals attempt to incorporate every keyword onto every page of their website. This is also not recommended.

3. Adding one core keyword to every page: In this case, let's say our core keyword is "vegan hamburger buns" for Vegan Joes. Placing this keyword on every URL of the site, such as veganjoes.com/french-fries/salad/about-us/contact, is not advisable.

Instead, the best approach is to have one core keyword associated with one dedicated page. For example, we can have a page specifically optimized for "vegan hamburger buns," ensuring that all necessary on-page optimization techniques are implemented to capture the intent behind that keyword. Similarly, for the accessory keyword "dairy-free vegan hamburger buns," we can create a separate page optimized for that specific intent.

When conducting keyword research, remember to associate one core keyword with a set of related keywords and assign them to one page. Avoid using the same keyword on every page or spreading multiple unrelated keywords across a single page. Stick to one idea per page.

By following these guidelines, you can optimize your website effectively and improve your search engine rankings.