Keyword Density

Thursday June 18, 2015

Keyword density is the percentage of times a phrase appears on a website compared to the total number of words on a page.

In the early days of the SEO industry, keyword density was a huge determinant of relevancy in search engines. Websites stuffed web pages with a keyword thousands of times – racking up 100% keyword density. In some cases, keywords were even camouflaged throughout a page. The text color would be the same as the background color, rendering it invisible to the naked eye.

This keyword stuffing tactic pushed many websites to the front pages of search engines. However, the experts at Google caught on to this algorithm manipulation and adjusted their strategy. Nowadays, search engines reward websites that use keywords in an organic manner – meaning they aren’t simply shoved into a webpage, but used naturally.

Today’s optimum keyword density is 1-3% per page. Because keyword stuffing results in penalties for websites, the best approach is to write content as if you’re having a conversation about it. Focus your energy on the message you’re trying to convey first and foremost. Then, go back and make sure you mention the keyword every now and then to bring the focus back.

Curious about the keyword density of phrases you’re looking to target? Get an onsite analysis with our free 14 day trial and find out!

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