SEO-Guidelines-Smartcrawl/seo-strategy/keyword-selection-by-page.md

Keyword Selection by Page Type

Every page on the site should target one primary keyword with a clear intent match. This guide covers how to choose keywords for each common page type.

Homepage

Aspect	Guidance
Primary keyword	Core service + primary location
Intent	Navigational + commercial
Title pattern	[Brand Name] | [Primary Service] in [Location]
Example	"Alaska Safe Riders | Motorcycle Safety Courses in Anchorage, AK"

Rules:

• Establish what you do, where, and why you're the best choice
• Don't try to rank for everything — let inner pages handle specifics
• Don't keyword-stuff the homepage

Service / Product Pages

Aspect	Guidance
Primary keyword	Specific service + location
Intent	Commercial or transactional
Title pattern	[Service Name] in [City, State] | [Brand]
Example	"Basic Rider Course in Anchorage, AK | Alaska Safe Riders"

Rules:

• Each distinct service gets its own page — "Basic Rider Course" and "Advanced Rider Course" should be separate pages
• Include pricing (or "contact for pricing"), what's included, duration, schedule, FAQs, testimonials
• Clear CTA (register, contact, sign up)
• Answer the questions a buyer would have before purchasing

Blog Posts

Aspect	Guidance
Primary keyword	Informational long-tail query
Intent	Informational
Title pattern	[Question/Topic] — [Brand or Category]
Example	"What to Wear to a Motorcycle Safety Course | Alaska Safe Riders"

Rules:

• Each post targets one specific question or topic
• Use Google's "People Also Ask" to find questions your audience searches
• Internal link every blog post to relevant service pages — this is the primary SEO purpose of blog content
• One blog post per topic — don't split thin content across multiple posts

Portfolio Pages

Aspect	Guidance
Primary keyword	Descriptive + role-based
Intent	Navigational or commercial investigation
Title pattern	[Project Name] — [Role/Skill] Portfolio | [Brand]
Example	"IDT 5210 Capstone — Instructional Design Portfolio | Chelsea Paige Mann"

Rules:

• Each portfolio piece: descriptive title, project summary with natural keywords, skills/tools, outcomes
• Alt text on portfolio images should describe the work shown, not just "screenshot"
• Link to related pieces and back to the portfolio index

Contact Page

Aspect	Guidance
Primary keyword	"contact [brand]" or "[service] [location] contact"
Intent	Navigational / transactional
Title pattern	Contact [Brand] | [Location]
Example	"Contact Alaska Safe Riders | Anchorage, AK"

Rules:

• Include full NAP (Name, Address, Phone)
• Embedded Google Map
• Contact form
• Business hours
• These signals support local SEO even if the page itself doesn't rank for much

About Page

Aspect	Guidance
Primary keyword	"[brand name] [location]" or "about [brand name]"
Intent	Navigational
Title pattern	About [Brand] — [Qualifier] | [Location]
Example	"About Alaska Safe Riders — MSF-Certified Training Since 2015"

Rules:

• Credentials, experience, team info, location details
• Supports E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
• Natural keyword use (don't force it)
• Link to service pages and Google Business Profile

Landing Pages

Aspect	Guidance
Primary keyword	Highly specific transactional term
Intent	Transactional
Title pattern	[Specific Offer] in [Location] | [Brand]
Example	"Spring 2026 Motorcycle Course — Register Now | Alaska Safe Riders"

Rules:

• Minimal navigation, singular CTA
• Everything on the page drives toward one action
• Seasonal landing pages capture time-specific traffic
• Can noindex after the season ends, then republish/update for the next cycle

Location Pages (Multi-Location Businesses)

Aspect	Guidance
Primary keyword	[service] in [specific location]
Intent	Commercial / transactional
Title pattern	[Service] in [City] | [Brand]
Example	"Motorcycle Courses in Fairbanks, AK | Alaska Safe Riders"

Rules:

• Each location page needs genuinely unique content — local landmarks, directions, area-specific details, local testimonials
• Do NOT create thin location pages that only swap city names — Google penalizes doorway pages
• Only create if you have enough real content to differentiate each page

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Same keyword on multiple pages	One primary keyword per page. If two pages target the same term, merge them.
Homepage targeting specific long-tail	Let inner pages handle specifics. Homepage = broad brand + service + location.
Blog posts with no internal links to services	Every blog post should link to at least one relevant service page.
Service pages with no CTA	Every service page needs a clear next step (register, contact, buy).
Portfolio pages with no keywords	Add descriptive titles and summaries with natural keyword use.
Contact page with just a form	Add NAP, map, hours, and service area for local SEO signals.