Site Architecture: How do I best Optimize for Similar Keywords?

[TBiz]

Hello Moz Community!

I'm really struggling trying to decide on an improved site architecture.

I run an online proofreading & editing website.  This leaves us targeting many different niche keywords.

For example: blog editing/proofreading, essay editing/proofreading, book editing/proofreading, resume... you get the point.  I feel like editing & proofreading are similar enough to target on the same page(s).

However, the issue is that I'm also having to deal with what I'm calling derivative keywords.

For example, when I try to optimize for 'essay editing/proofreading', I also have to think about:

paper editing, paper editor, paper correction, edit my paper, etc.

I would have no problem optimizing the page for 'essay editing' in the title, H1, etc. and then targeting these words as secondary keywords within the body text, etc., however, I keep thinking 'a large slice of a small pie is better than a small slice of a big one.'

You see, the keyword 'essay correction' has only about one-third the monthly searches as 'essay editing', but it is 50% less competitive.  The same is loosely true for the rest of the 'derivative' keywords.

I'd have no problem building specific pages for these derivative keyword groups, however, I'm very concerned how this would effect my site from a user experience perspective.  I don't want to have a master "services" page with links to book editing, resume editing, essay editing, etc. and then also show paper editing, essay correction, etc.  To me, this would be confusing... "What's the difference between essay editing and paper editing?".

Any guidance is much appreciated.  This has got my head spinning!

Thanks!

[katemorris]

I agree with Janet. Testing and PPC will help, but more than that your intuition helps most.

Bucket those keywords based on intent.

Essay editing, booked editing, and resume editing are slightly different so I'd make a page for each (include examples, be specific to that type of project). But when it comes to broad variations, go by the intent.

Essay correction and Essay editing should be the same page, and I'd mainly target editing as it sound more like what your product is, but use essay correction in the text. And try to vary the anchor text to the page when you link internally and externally.

When it comes to small slice of a big pie or big slice of a smaller pie, that's a call for you to make. Check out the competition on essay editing ... can you compete? Are you better than them for the searcher? How? Make that apparent and push for it with marketing. If you are the same ... but can own "essay correction" (the SERPs are not as competitive) ... go after that first.

Hope this helps!

[ACNINTERACTIVE]

To answer your question:

I'd have no problem building specific pages for these derivative keyword groups, however, I'm very concerned how this would effect my site from a user experience perspective

You wouldn't know truly, unless you included some sort of a/b testing, which would be helpful to your visitors. I would recommend creating category groupings of editing, i.e. "paper editing" might include "resume editing", whereas "essay editing" might include child pages such as name of the visitor group your targeting, if your targeting college students who need essay editing, then you might target that group navigationally with "college students" and then include child pages that would be most relevant to them underneath, i.e. "college essays" etc.

Of course another good indicator is to see in Google search, what other pages appear for the keywords your trying to optimize for, do those results reflect the most relevant search results for your pages? Would it make sense to have your pages appear in those search results?  Ultimately, I would test out what works for your audience and go with those. If you need a quicker answer, rather than waiting months for site logs, if you have some funding, try an Adwords account and see how those keywords convert.

hope that helps!