2

my custom product designer web application is in the following page of my site: www.example.com/designyourself

This page can show different designable product based on Query String, example:

  • www.example.com/designyourself?product=sweatshirt
  • www.example.com/designyourself?product=tshirt

I have created the following pages to rank in google as catalog pages for users to choose a product and the navigate to app:

  1. www.example.com/designtshirt
  2. www.example.com/designsweatshirt

The problem arises here. For example (1) page consists of 4 different t-shirt images, and 4 links below the images as below:

  • <a href="https://www.example.com/designyourself/?product=tshirt">Design Tshirt</a>
  • <a href="https://www.example.com/designyourself/?product=womantshirt">Design Woman TShirt</a>
  • <a href="https://www.example.com/designyourself/?product=oversizetshirt">Design Oversize Tshirt</a>
  • <a href="https://www.example.com/designyourself/?product=childtshirt">Design Child Tshirt</a>

Yoast SEO plugin of WordPress warns me about the problem:

Link keyphrase: You're linking to another page (/designyourself/?product=tshirt) with the words you want this page to rank (Design Tshirt) for. Don't do that!

Okay, I understand that, but both my pages are related to designing the t-shirt. 1 is showing users to choose which t-shirt they want to design, and the other one opens the application with t-shirt product selected. I am not sure what to do to solve this problem.

Improve this question
3
  • 1
    Why not just link on some other text besides "Design Tshirt"? Maybe, Design your own, custom, etc.?
    – Trebor
    Commented Mar 19, 2019 at 1:59
  • I could change the keyword and eliminate the error, but here I am trying to figure out how same keyword with equal importance to 2 different pages could break one of those page's seo ranking. The above structure is correct and understandable by the customer (site visitors view of the website), but it could be problematic by search engine ai. But on the other side, google always says do not try to SEO for the google, but instead create a good website for customers. So I am in the middle of these 2 ideas and tring to figure out.
    – HOY
    Commented Mar 19, 2019 at 2:39
  • 1
    If changing the anchor text doesn't make sense for your users, then maybe you're focusing on the SEO side too much. Remember, Yoast is just a tool. Many of us use it, but we don't all follow it's recommendations all of the time either. I'm sure @StephenOstermiller will have some good input for you if you can't change your anchor text.
    – Trebor
    Commented Mar 19, 2019 at 3:18

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

When you have two such pages with similarities but different purpose, you can usually find different keywords for the two pages. Your second step is trying to narrow down the type of t-shirt, so I'd recommend finding a more specific phrase. Maybe one of:

  • Regular t-shirt
  • Men's t-shirt
  • Unisex t-shirt
  • Crew neck t-shirt

I'm also not sure why you are using the word "design" in two of the four links. "Design" could apply to all four of those links. Rather than use it in the anchor text of each of them, you should use it in a question or heading. I'd think it would be clearer if you phrased it as:

What type of t-shirt would you like to design?

  • Men's t-shirt
  • Woman's t-shirt
  • Oversize t-shirt
  • Child's t-shirt

That way, the first page of your flow would be targeted at "Design t-shirt" and the second page of you flow would be targeted at the more specific "Men's t-shirt."

For what it is worth, Yoast is being overly pedantic. The anchor text that you use internally on your site to your own pages doesn't make much of a difference for SEO these days. Eight years ago Google gave a lot more weight to it. That rule in Yoast is likely left over from the days when that anchor text could have mattered.

It is a useful exercise to think carefully about each page's keyword targeting, but it isn't an "SEO error" to use the same anchor text internally point to two different pages. I'd fix this on your site mostly because I think it would be confusing for users to have to click on "Design t-shirt" twice to get to the correct type of shirt they want.

Improve this answer
3
  • "I'm also not sure why you are using the word design in two of the four links",My mistake, edited it . I created catalog page because when search "design t-shirt" in google in local language, I usually face with pages like catalogs, where customers choose. Then they are directed to the application. But when I search in english, first page is the customink company's design app. So I don't understand which page I should focus, and how to focus. Because they seem like the two pages are are equally important, and what would google want me to do.
    – HOY
    Commented Mar 19, 2019 at 2:21
  • Because there will be other catalog pages too like "design sweatshirt", where users can choose among different products, and "design top tanks", or "design woman t-shirts"
    – HOY
    Commented Mar 19, 2019 at 2:21
  • It is fine to have lots of different catalog pages with varying keywords like that. If they need to click off the catalog page to start the design, you can always make the link "Start designing" or "start designing your sweatshirt" or just "sweatshirt". There are lots of ways to phrase it that won't make Yoast complain.
    – Stephen Ostermiller ♦
    Commented Mar 19, 2019 at 9:53

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.