Create a new page or try to improve rankings for homepage

[DenverKelly]

I'm working with a client attempting that competes in the highly competitive anti-virus market with a very limited marketing budget. They are currently ranking well for only a few terms - one is "Free Antivirus trial" - currently position 11 on Google.

The top ranking sites have a page SEO'ed for this term. My client's SERP is their homepage, seemingly based primarily on the meta description tag.

For SEO and PPC purposes I would like to create a new page specifically for the "Free Antivirus trial" but I'm afraid of messing with the second page listing that currently exists.

My question for SEO folks is...

Should I create a new, properly SEO'd page or attempt to improve the home page ranking?

[EGOL]

Not everyone will agree with me here....   but I really like to attack a KW with multiple pages - one of them with deep content.   It would not bother me a bit to have my homepage optimized for a term and a second page optimized for that same term.

No worries about two pages for the same KW because that second page might outrank the homepage and if it does not it might be strong enough to rank at #20 and that will give me #11 and #12 in the rankings.

If I was attacking in heavy competition with a second page I would like to have an informative page rather than a product page.... however, since you have something FREE, I would gladly use it... but create content there that makes a great reason sign up for this free trial and SHARE. You want content there that inspires sign ups and telling your friends because this service is so damn good.

If they sign up I would like to have some very occasional email that would contact them with a message that will elicit sharing... and when you have substantive upgrades let them know and again... "tweet to us if it's working for you".... suggest  the tweet for them so you get what you want.

[AWCthreads]

How do you avoid duplicate content? Optimize for variations of the keyword in terms of exact, phrase, broad etc.?

[EGOL]

I have lots of pages competing for the same keywords and sometimes hold positions #1, #2, #3 and sometimes even #4.

If you are going for "Mountain Bike Tires"... you could have separate content pages for...

• product category page

• how to select them

• changing a tire in 45 seconds with video of me doing it

• technical specs

• inflation methods levels for different types of riding

• flat prevention

• I could list more - but one should be the first content that an interested person should read about the topic

If you put all of that content out there you will be everywhere in the MBT SERPs and maybe one or two of these articles (all huge presentations with big photos and possible video) will attract some heavy sharing - enough to move it to good rankings.  And, each of these pages that might acquire authority will have straight links into several of your product pages.

[firstconversion]

For EGOLs advice to work, you would need a very well thought through plan and GREAT content (like a lot of super awesome content)

[EGOL]

I agree.

Each page of content (intentionally not using the word "article" because they have lots of photos and possibly video) should be built with the intention of being the best-on-the-web in that niche.

But, if you want to be go-to-guy for mountain bike tires you should be able to pull it off.

[AWCthreads]

Speaking of multiple keywords on the same page....I read your (Stephen's) post at http://unbounce.com/seo/a-5-step-process-for-content-optimization/ and am curious about Google sets. To my understanding its shut down. How will you get similar information in its absence?

Joining the dive forum was brilliant btw.

[Njnbiure45r4]

You can do this practice by adding some more articles related to your category. Informative content on the article helps a lot ranking.  I have tested this technique on my electric bike reviews blog.