Abbreviations or Full Names for SEO?

Do you use the whole name, or the abbreviation for SEO? Or do you use both? And if you use both, where do you use which?

The answer, like so many things in SEO, is both simple, and complex. The short answer is, It Depends.

If the keyword is a location, use both, and it does not really matter where you use which one, overall. Just use one or the other, in a natural way, through the site. Search engines though, are now generally smart enough to know that Wyoming and WY are the same thing.

If it is a company abbreviation, only use the abbreviation if it is commonly searched on. Otherwise, you may be better off using the full name - it has more impact.

Other common abbreviations are best used alternately with the full name - the key to this is to not overdo. Don’t get repetitious in your desire to load the page with BOTH terms. If it does not read naturally, then you did not do it right!

Think in the way that your site visitors are most likely to think, and then use what they are most likely to use. Provide alternates, but do not feel obligated to give them equal weight. It isn’t worth running analysis over - keep it natural, and use common sense first.