Probably a daft question but I am still a beginner in keyword research. Do similar keywords matter? For instance, "hiking shoes for men" and "men hiking shoes". If "hiking shoes for men" is super competitive can you still rank for "men hiking shoes"? What about more similar keywords like "phone cases for samsung" and "phone case for samsung"? Thanks!
Yes, you can still rank for similar keywords even if they are highly competitive. Search engines are now more sophisticated and understand the meaning and relevance of similar keywords. They consider the “entity salience,” or how important a particular term is to the overall topic.
For example, “hiking shoes for men” and “men hiking shoes” mean essentially the same thing. Although “hiking shoes for men” might be more competitive, you can still rank for “men hiking shoes” because search engines understand their semantic relationship.
Similarly, “phone cases for Samsung” and “phone case for Samsung” are considered similar by search engines. While the plural form might have previously suggested a desire to compare options, search engines now understand that both terms are referring to the same product category.
Therefore, focusing on high-volume keywords and incorporating relevant supporting phrases can be an effective strategy for ranking for similar terms, even if they are highly competitive.