Member Avatar for jewboy

Let's generate some conversation here.

When you start a backlinking campaign, how many keywords/phrases do you use at once?

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There are several valid ways to run a backlink/content campaign — some members here favour a tight one-by-one approach, others rotate a broad list, and some warn about obvious link-gaming. The better question is not “how many keywords?” but “how many topics/pages can you support with high-quality content, links, and measurement.” Google’s guidance is to build people-first pages that show real expertise and focus; that principle should drive how many targets you run at once. (developers.google.com)

A practical workflow that balances risk and scale:

  1. Inventory and cluster: group similar phrases into topic clusters and pick one primary goal (topic) per content hub or page.
  2. Map pages, not keywords: assign each cluster a primary landing page and several supporting posts; each page should serve one clear intent.
  3. Produce quality, then link: publish the hub and spokes with useful content, add natural internal links, then start contextual outreach for a few high-value pages.
  4. Stagger launches: run 3–5 priority clusters in parallel (depending on team capacity), not dozens at once — this keeps link velocity and editorial quality sane.
  5. Iterate: expand clusters only after clear wins or measurable improvements.
    This hub-and-spoke model is a well-established approach for expanding keyword coverage without cannibalization. (blog.hubspot.com)

How to know when to move on: treat a keyword effort as “complete” only after you see consistent improvements in Search Console metrics (impressions, clicks, CTR, average position) and in business signals (leads, conversions). Use Search Console and analytics to watch trends over multiple reporting windows; if rankings or traffic plateau after a reasonable testing window, revise content/intent or build more topical links before shifting focus. Also avoid obvious anchor-text-heavy link schemes — Google treats manipulative linking seriously, so favour editorial, diverse anchors and gradual link growth. (developers.google.com)

Timing rule of thumb: expect meaningful results in the 3–6 month band for most efforts (faster for low-competition/local targets; longer for competitive national terms). If progress is small after two to three months, iterate rather than simply abandoning the keyword — often the fix is better intent-matching, improved titles/snippets (to lift CTR), or adding supporting cluster pages. (databox.com)

Practical caution: don’t spread resources so thin you can’t create authoritatively useful pages. Focus on a small number of commercial/prioritized topics, measure with Search Console and conversions, then scale the successful clusters.

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Member Avatar for Scribbller

I am optimizing my site for 3 keywords right now, one is almost complete will start on the other 2 today. I prefer to do it one at a time so just waiting for next backlink update from google to wait and see the results.

Member Avatar for jewboy

What are the determining factors that make it complete, rather, over what time span do you move on from one to another?

Member Avatar for SiteTutor

When starting a backlinking campaign you should never focus on a few keywords. Focus on ALL that apply including the name of your business. Search engines are getting smart. They have been smart but now they are implementing their ideas. The Google patent has just been released and it states clearly that generating links for the sole purpose of gaining SERPs can result in your website being banned. What you have to do is use common sense. If you only target a few phrases, search engine spiders will recognize the intent meaning it's obvious you were asking the webmasters how to link to you.

Mike

Member Avatar for mnemtsas

I focus on 40 odd KW, and as I'm link building I tend to rotate them on an ad hoc basis or in response to SERPs movements.

Member Avatar for newsman007

by rotating the key words, does that dilute effect? Would it be better to concentrate on less key words?

Member Avatar for SiteTutor

No, the more content you add and the more links are coming in, the wider a variety of related keywords you can rank for. There will be a core term that your rankings are built around and the more power your site gains, the broader the circle is going to be.

Mike

Member Avatar for Dani

Start with one at a time. For a small site, build up to one (max two) per page. For a large content-driven site, one or two per major section.

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