Ranking for 2 similar keywords without cannibalization

[sekt]

Is it possible to rank the same site for 2 keywords that differ only in an adjective? Let's take helmets and best helmets as an example.

Right now, I'm #1 for best helmets and #5 for helmets. The current page is targeting best helmets.

If not, would a landing page on a different domain with a backlink make sense for the 2nd keyword?

Thanks.

 

[tazarbm]

Ranking for 1-word keywords like "helmets" takes a lot of authority (ie. backlinks), and if you're ranking #1 for "best helmets" you're already in a better position because "best helmets" is more targeted and should already be making you money

EDIT: anyway, to answer your question, yes it's possible to rank the same site (even page) for both keywords, but you want to target the more targeted keyword anyway, not the broad one

 

[SirLouen]

You must rank both keywords in the same page. Unless you want to create a second site to empower the first, empowering with a page from the first site is a bad idea for what exactly you comment (cannibalization). I would not do it
In case that for any reason you have two pages cannibalizing, just put the content of the worse page in the first page (whole text or partially) and then do a 301 redirect to the first ranked one.
You can always go wide, ranking best + keyword or just the keyword is just a matter of semantics.
But is is true, that sometimes, some words are a informational definition logic (helmet = what is a helmet? or what means the word helmet) and sometimes, they are a informational review logic (best helmet = which is the best helmet? 10 best helmets of the market).

But sometimes just the product (high heel shoes), it's a buying intent logic (list me all te high heel shoes you have in your ecommerce).

Check SERPS to see which kind of intent logic is currently Google prioritizing for the keywords you are going to rank in both "keyword" and "best + keyword" formats before you take any action, because, there could be a possibility that logics differ therefore, two pages could be more adequate (or specific content with Table of Contents within the same single page that covers both logics).

 

[VortexAlpha]

Yes, it's definitely possible that your target and be ranked for those two keywords, especially as they belong to the same niche, and it's pretty normal that you would try to be positioned for all variations and synonyms of your initial target keyword. It's, of course, a much harder task to get a good position for a helmet since it's broader and it appears on many sites in different contexts, and best helmets are something that is still broad, but still more specific as it usually refers to pages that are selling helmets, so you would have less competition here, but it's also a query that not so many people searches so it will require some time improve the ranking towards the first position, but it's absolutely doable.

 

[sekt]

Ranking for 1-word keywords like "helmets" takes a lot of authority (ie. backlinks), and if you're ranking #1 for "best helmets" you're already in a better position because "best helmets" is more targeted and should already be making you money

EDIT: anyway, to answer your question, yes it's possible to rank the same site (even page) for both keywords, but you want to target the more targeted keyword anyway, not the broad one

Yes, it's definitely possible that your target and be ranked for those two keywords, especially as they belong to the same niche, and it's pretty normal that you would try to be positioned for all variations and synonyms of your initial target keyword. It's, of course, a much harder task to get a good position for a helmet since it's broader and it appears on many sites in different contexts, and best helmets are something that is still broad, but still more specific as it usually refers to pages that are selling helmets, so you would have less competition here, but it's also a query that not so many people searches so it will require some time improve the ranking towards the first position, but it's absolutely doable.

Perhaps a bad example, as the broader keyword (helmet in this case) is a 3-word one, and the competition is the same as for the best+kw. Thanks for the input, I'll try ranking the best+kw page for both keywords.

You must rank both keywords in the same page. Unless you want to create a second site to empower the first, empowering with a page from the first site is a bad idea for what exactly you comment (cannibalization). I would not do it
In case that for any reason you have two pages cannibalizing, just put the content of the worse page in the first page (whole text or partially) and then do a 301 redirect to the first ranked one.
You can always go wide, ranking best + keyword or just the keyword is just a matter of semantics.
But is is true, that sometimes, some words are a informational definition logic (helmet = what is a helmet? or what means the word helmet) and sometimes, they are a informational review logic (best helmet = which is the best helmet? 10 best helmets of the market).

But sometimes just the product (high heel shoes), it's a buying intent logic (list me all te high heel shoes you have in your ecommerce).

Check SERPS to see which kind of intent logic is currently Google prioritizing for the keywords you are going to rank in both "keyword" and "best + keyword" formats before you take any action, because, there could be a possibility that logics differ therefore, two pages could be more adequate (or specific content with Table of Contents within the same single page that covers both logics).

Thanks, I'll try ranking best+kw for both keywords. I can probably get it a bit higher by changing the metadata and internal links.

I'd say that intent is the same, as the two SERPs are identical with the exception of positions.