Keywords and Targeted URLs

Can we rank more URLs for one keyword? For example: If 1 keyword optimized for 3 URLs
Or can we rank more keywords for one URL? For example: If 3 keywords optimized for 1 URL

Which one is true from search engine's point of view?

I would choose second one: 3 keywords optimized for 1 URL. The reason is, you will deal with less work and also easier for search engine to understand what you are trying to do. The other one seems like creating useless dupes.

And what do you mean by "URL"? As in optimizing the URL itself or a certain page of your site? I tend to target XY keywords per page pretty often. The longer the content, the more keywords you can optimize your page for. So the answer is, as many as you can, without screwing your keyword densities.

Yes, the second option is wise and natural for Google. According to Ahrefs study "The average #1 ranking page will also rank well for abt. 1,000 other relevant keywords"

You can read more details here https://ahrefs.com/blog/also-rank-for-study/

Here a few articles on Moz how to find out and optimize multiple keywords on a single page
https://moz.com/learn/seo/multiple-keywords-video
https://moz.com/blog/target-multiple-keywords-next-level

I would choose the one where it more natural looking which is the second one. It is easier for a search engine to know what you are up to by having more keywords than URLs. You can optimize multiple keywords in one page too.

Loren

Puja said:

Can we rank more URLs for one keyword? For example: If 1 keyword optimized for 3 URLs
Or can we rank more keywords for one URL? For example: If 3 keywords optimized for 1 URL

Which one is true from search engine's point of view?

Click to expand...

The second one is natural & true one of search engine's point of view!!

3 keywords optimized for 1 URL

Nargil said:

And what do you mean by "URL"? As in optimizing the URL itself or a certain page of your site? I tend to target XY keywords per page pretty often. The longer the content, the more keywords you can optimize your page for. So the answer is, as many as you can, without screwing your keyword densities.

Click to expand...

This -- you can targer multiple KWs per page, OP. I think that is what you're asking. And yes, that is a good idea to target longtails and so on in addition to your main keywords.

And the opposite -- trying to target the same keyword on multiple pages -- is a bad idea. Look up content cannibalization / keyword cannibalization. Google generally likes to rank only one result per domain when it shows SERP results for keywords. If you have multiple pages competing for the same keyword, Google will generally pick one (hopefully the better one) and ignore the others. If you want to target the same keyword multiple times, you're going to want to make multiple domains and/or create http://www.blackhatworld.com/blackhat-seo/making-money/702089-parasites-pwn-leeching-authority-sites.html on larger domains.

First more url for one keyword, for a website not work well.
Second is legit and will rank, drive more traffic to your website.