"Website" vs "Web Site"

When I try the Overture Search Term Suggestion Tool and use the KW "website" it returns results splitting the word in two: "web site"
h*ttp://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/

The Google suggestion tool returns both but mostly prefers "website"
When you search for "website" on Google you get 68,200K pages returned - search for "web site" and you get asked if you really wanted "website" and about 8,020K pages returned.
h*ttps://adwords.google.co.uk/select/main?cmd=KeywordSandbox

Interestingly Adobe comes top for both

I found this through wordtracker:


keyword count
website 2705
web site 797


This tells me that more humans are actually typing in *Website* in a search query.



Keli
www.BearCanyonSEO.com
www.KeliE.com

If I was SEOing a page for Google, I would go with website because when a visitor enters in web site, Google asks them if they meant website.

hmmmm..... If you do a search on either of those, there are three **** loads of very high PR sites at the top. They don't even need the search term in their title tag to come up at the top of the serps.

If you play for either of those you better have a whopping PR and tip-top onpage SEO skills... or take the easy way out and use the adwords. The side attacks on that term are probably heavy competition too.

You probably have a stronger site than I do along with more backlinks but I don't think I would go after either of those terms - unless you are combining it with perhaps an adjective such as "flash websites" "custom websites" "business websites" - the competition there is probably not as steep - but you still better be very good and very determined if you want to win.

Hi guys, long time lookie loo, first time poster,

I think Egol's right about the double keywords. Single words in general are just too obscure to go for. Just of the top of my head, I can think of a dozen variations that would all be valid searches for website.

Look at the keyword, "SEO" for example. Sure, it gets 10x more searches than the next related item (SEO company), but what about all those people that are looking for Danny Seo, or the "Sponsors for Education Opportunity"? Think about how many backlinks both of those people/groups are going to have pointing to them, with "SEO" in the anchor text.

Personally, I'd rather be #1 for my relevent terms, and just use SEO as a starting point for keyword analysis.

Anyways, that's my 2 cents on the subject.

I like this thread. Egol makes a good point. If you feel you can compete then use the more competitive term (i.e. website). I had an english professor in college that beat me up when i used the term "website" as one word. He said the correct english is "Web site". So if you look at my corporate site, you will see Web <space> Site.

i addressed this very issue a long time ago.
the correct usage is 'web site'.
as in web site design.
there is no such thing as the word 'website'.
although this says nothing about its popularity in actual usage.

so i mix both forms in my link text as well as my site copy.

pop culture can drive changes in some words.
for example email used to be more commonly refered to as 'e-mail'.
...but is rapidly being more acceptable as 'email'.

'website' may be on its way to the top soon too.
....the power of the masses.

interestly however....
even though google suggests 'website design' when you search for 'web site design'.....
..it show 9M results for 'web site design' and only 6M for 'website design'.

::: Website Has More Searches And Less Competition :::



Hi Keli,

Yes, they sure are, but interestingly the competition is around 3 times greater or more for Web Site in the examples we show below.

Hmmm? Go figure, huh?


Just For Your Information

























Your Friends,

Sharon and Roy Montero

Terms like "web site" will always have more results in Google simply because Google will be looking for sites that relate to "web" "site" and "web site". Just because the results are larger doesn't mean all sites are necessarily "web site" relevant so some good SEO can easily put you at the top for your desired term. I agree with RZ in that pop culture does influence alot of searches but it's good to cover all bases.

Good to see you Sharon & Roy. Glad you found SEOChat. Your info is always useful.

Sharon and Roy,

Long time no see, where have you been?

Didn't notice the "Join Date:" oooops. Sorry Sharon & Roy.

Hi Barry,

Yes, it has been a while since our last post here.

Where have we been? Well, we've been spreading ourselves really thin over the last year and one of our top New Year's resolutions is to post more at some of our favorites SEO forums.

We have to say that 2003 was the "Year Of The Forum" as we witnessed countless marketing and SEO forums pop up everywhere, not to mention all of the blogs that address these topics as well.

Whew! So many forums/blogs and so little time! LOL

By the way, Barry, your Search Engine Roundtable Weblog < http://www.seroundtable.com/ > is EXCELLENT!

It's been bookmarked AND it's been put on our DAILY REMINDER, whereby we are automatically reminded to view your Home Page each and every day, because no matter what else we may be doing, we'll be notified by an audio alert which is then immediately followed by the opening of your Home Page which then occupies the top most window of our screen, which means that we have no option but to read your most recent entries, which is the whole idea for adding your Weblog to our daily reminder in the first place. This list of daily reminders is our way of saying that these are the can't miss, won't miss, must read and must read now kind of content pages that satisfy our insatiable appetite for staying current within our ever changing and fast moving industry.

You just gotta love technology!

Kudos Barry, and keep up the great work, as we are sure that the SEO and marketing communities appreciate your dedication and contributions!

Your Friends,

Sharon and Roy Montero

Hi PK,

Thanks for your most kind words, we appreciate them!

Your Friends,

Sharon and Roy Montero

So true, so true. Hope you spend a lot of 2004 at SEO Chat, I know our members will love what you guys bring to each and every thread you contribute at.



That is too funny, does a hand come out and slap you also?

The blog is going through some major changes, being that the purpose of the blog is to represent every SEO/SEM forum on the net, there is a lot of politics involved. I am hoping to get the current issues wrapped up shortly and start to get some good blog authors and posting back up.

Wish me luck!