Keyword Density is an SEO metric that measures the number of times a keyword is mentioned on a page compared to the number of total words on that page.
It’s primarily displayed as a percentage.
The higher the percentage, the more often the keyword is used on the page.
Why is it important?
Short answer: You don’t want your content to be under-optimised (invisible) OR over-optimised (spammy).
You want to get the optimisation level just right.
To rank for specific keywords, you need to mention them in your content. But mentioning them too often could be seen as keyword stuffing.
On the other hand…
Not mentioning the target keyword enough can lead to Google not drawing enough relevance between your content and that keyword.
In that case, you just won’t rank!
Keyword density is a great way to ensure your content is optimised to the right level.
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What Will I Learn?
Keyword Density means the percentage of times a keyword is mentioned on a web page compared to the total number of words on that page.
The more times a keyword is mentioned, the higher the keyword density.
This concept is essential for understanding how to optimise your content to rank higher in search engines like Google without “over-optimising” it.
A good keyword density for SEO is 1%. This means that the keyword should be used once for every 100 words you write.
It’s important to note that there is no hard and fast rule for keyword density.
The 1% guideline comes from independent studies done by SEOs.
The truth is that as Google’s search algorithm has become more sophisticated, keyword density has become less important.
But it is still a factor in optimising your content correctly.
To calculate keyword density, divide the number of times a keyword is used by the total number of words on the page.
Then, multiply this by 100 to get the keyword density.
It should be expressed as a percentage.
Here’s the formula:
(Number Of Keywords / Total Words On Page) x 100 = Keyword Density
For example, if your keyword is used 15 times in a 1500-word article, the Keyword Density would be:
(15 / 1500) x 100 = 1%
There are a number of free tools that calculate keyword density automatically. My favourite is RankMath.
Follow these 5 best practices for keyword density:
Keep your keyword density natural and avoid keyword stuffing.
Excessive use of keywords is against Google’s Webmaster Guidelines and can lead to Google penalties.
Use keywords naturally within your content and keep your keyword density at 1% maximum.
Want to maximise the visibility of your content?
Incorporate synonyms and related keywords to improve the relevance of your content for multiple search terms.
Ensure you integrate relevant LSI keywords, allowing you to rank for more keywords.
This is the best way to maximise the amount of traffic you get without exceeding the recommended keyword density limits.
What are related terms?
When Google analyses your content, it looks for specific terms, words, and phrases to better understand your content.
These terms also help Google choose which search queries your content should rank for.
Use tools like Surfer SEO and Frase to add essential related terms to your content.
They will tell you what words you must add and how many times.
Write naturally.
I can’t stress this enough.
Your content should flow nicely and provide real value to the reader. You usually have good keyword density by default when you cover a topic comprehensively.
Think of it like this…
Every time a website visitor reads your target keyword – They shouldn’t even notice it’s been placed there.
It’s important to place your keywords into the right parts of your article.
This includes:
This will maximise the effectiveness of your keyword placements without impacting the readability of your content.
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