Filler words like "for" in keyword phrase

[SebastianKnopp]

Hey,

I wonder what the effect of filler words like "on" or "for" is when I try to rank for a certain phrase.

Here is an example, lets say i try to rank for "best apps iphone" but the grammatically correct usage in the headline or text is "best apps for iphone". Is there any difference or should I use the exact keyword without "for"?

Thanks!

[Immanuel]

Even though search engines don't see the the "for" (correct me if I'm wrong) keep in mind you're ultimate target is humans. So being grammatically correct might affect how they perceive you.

Ciao,

Immanuel.

[DougRoberts]

Remember that the title isn't just there to get your keyword in front of the search engines. In conjunction with the meta description it also has to persuade people to click-through from the SERPS and visit your site.

As long as you keep it short, natural and make sure people feel that they'll find what they're searching for when they click on your site it should be ok.

You might also want to think about how your can differentiate yourself from the competition. In the example above "best" is pretty generic.

For a recent project I found optimising for "my keyword + year" got me a chunkier slice of a competitive keyword than if I'd just gone for the keyword alone.

Yes you need to get your important keywords in there, but you've also got to think broadly when you cover the topic on your page and think about the human visitors.

Trust and credibility are important factors and poor copy - especially when it's bordering on spammy, over-stuffed or irrelevant to the searchers intent, is a great way to undermine your website - and that can start in the SERPS!

[SebastianKnopp]

thanks, that answers my question

[SebastianKnopp]

Thank you very much for the elaborate answers, this helps a lot