URL Keyword Variations?

[JABacchetta]

I'm aware that keywords in the url aren't as effective as they used to be, but I'm still convinced that they do have a significant impact (based on results in one of the niches I'm in).

My question is, will variations of keywords and "hidden" keywords have as much value as an exact keyword? For example, let's say that I'm trying to target the keyword "day." Will including variations like "daily" in the url work just as well? What about a brand name that includes the keyword hidden in its name, like "Dayest"?

And, as a followup question, does including "stop" words have any effect? For example, if I'm trying to target the keyword "Day of the Month", would including "day" and "month" in the url be just as effective as including "day of the month"?

[Chris.Menke]

JABcchetta,

I'm interested in knowing what convinces you of the ongoing significant impact of keywords in URLs in your niche when in  most niches, it's satisfactory to simply throw something keyword related in the url and be off to spending time on other aspects of SEO.  If you've done testing to that effect, it would certainly be valuable information for the rest of us.

I think that in most niches, the difference in value of using keywords in the various ways you describe is negligible.  I'd recommend to keep up the testing and do some niche-specific verifications on which of your choices work best. As for the stop words, I never put any value in that concept.

[JABacchetta]

Chris,

Admittedly, I don't have any testing to backup my hunch. The only thing that I can say is that the entire first page of results are from urls that include the keyword in the url. Now, that might simply be because all of these sites were started long ago when keywords in the url had more of an impact, and since they're older sites, naturally they have more backlinks and rank the highest. I just find it odd that not one ranking site on the first page includes a url without the keyword.

You mention, "it's satisfactory to simply throw something keyword related in the url." So, let me ask a question with a more specific example. Let's say you were targeting the keyword "Quotes by Topic" . . . would the following url work since it has "quote" in the domain's brand name, even though the brand name isn't truly a dictionary word (and therefore Google might not pick up the word, "quote"?):

quotery.com/topics

Or would you gain value by adding quotes in the url string? As follows:

quotery.com/quotes/topics

[AarcMediaGroup]

I think this you're over-thinking it on this one personally.  I think that if you simply write the URL based on what you think will be most useful to your visitor, without making it over-complicated that you'll be fine. If there is benefit to be had, having the keywords there in a simple manner will give you that benefit, but you'll be spinning wheels if you spend too much time on it.

I think you'd be fine cutting out words. We always cut unnecessary words out of the URL as you mentioned doing above simply to keep the URL's a bit shorter.

I know it's cliche, but if you write the URL so it make sense to the visitor, without being over-complicated and spammy, then I think that's the best way to get whatever strength may be available to be passed by "the google machine".