How would you optimize a web site for a NYC real estate brokerage with apartment rentals and apartment sales?

[platinumseo]

I would think it would make the most sense to optimize the homepage for 'NYC apartments'. Then have two pages, one for 'apartment rentals' and another for 'apartment sales' directly underneath in the site's hierarchy.  Is this is how you would do it? The competition for these keywords mostly have 'NYC Apartment Rentals' and 'NYC Apartment Sales' bunched together on their homepage. Is it possible to have 3 separate pages from the same domain rank on the first SERP?

Also, the company I work for is called Platinum Properties. If we fail to include 'Platinum Properties' in the title tag would that negatively effect our current position for 'Platinum Properties' in the search results? What would be an effective way to get listed for both the keyword and company name?

[RyanKent]

it would make the most sense to optimize the homepage for 'NYC apartments'

I agree.

If I may ask, why do you desire to rank so well for "Platinum Properties"? If that is your company name, most people who search for you will find your site whether you are the first result or the tenth. I would recommend focusing on the other two pages you suggested.

Home page: NYC apartments and another variation of the phrase such as "apartments New York" or whichever key word phrase you feel would be best.

Page1: NYC Apartment Rentals and another variation of that phrase

Page2: NYC Apartment Sales and another variation of that phrase

For the title tag, any change can affect your current ranking. You can make no change and your ranking can move up or down based on a variety of factors ranging from Google changes to how your competitor's rankings change.

Have you considering moving your company name to the end of your title tag? You would want to improve the first half but a fast example would be

<title>NYC Apartments Rentals and Sales | Platinum Properties</title>

[SEOSHARK]

I agree with the building out of pages that will have both the shorter url, and more reliance to said page. Tied into the html and xml site maps.  Placement is all about reliance and reputation, so of course if each page has its own SCOPE, it SHOULD obtain great placement and people will have found more of what they were looking for when they get there.....