Linkbuild on 'new' or 'old' url?

[anubis2]

Hi,

I'm trying to rank for a keyword. For the last year and 4 months the rank hasn't changed much. It stays on the 3th page. Within this period the rank has first gone down and then up.

Three months ago I started doing linkbuilding for the url the keyword was linked to. This is a main category page. Lately, I don't know when exactly I've discovered that the keyword is ranking for a different url, a product category of these items for 1 brand. I'm wondering if it's wise to shift my focus and start using the 'new' url for linkbuilding? The 'old' url isn't in the top 100 for the keyword. However, if you search for the url in Google, it shows up. And, if I'm advised to shift my focus to the 'new' url, is it advisable to go back and change the backlinks to the 'new' url?

A question related to the above one, is there another tool like Open Site Explorer which shows you an overview of the backlinks directing to a deeplink? Like MajestickSEO. I'm trying to get the most extensive overview possible.

Thanks in advance.

[ZoeRigley]

Hi Anubis,

I'd first compare the two URLs, and question why search engines are favouring the second URL over the first. Is it because the page has more text, better optimised titles, more links, better internal linking? Is it because the page is more user friendly and what search engines are looking to provide as the answer to the visitor's question? I'd aim to get the most relevant result to the user ranking well, regardless of what's ranking well now, because ultimately that's what search engines are trying to do.

Is it a very competitive niche? I'd also check your on-page optimisation, and the user experience of the page, and ensure there's enough text for search engines to understand the content of the page, and enough information for users.

I'll let someone else come back on the tools, as I always use Open Site Explorer.

Hope this helps! 
Zoe