If you are looking for a search engine optimization strategy (SEOOnce you decide, you will find that your keywords are an important part of your campaign.
When integrating keywords into your page, it is important to keep an eye on your keyword density to ensure that you do not overuse your keywords, which can lead to a decrease in your rankings in Google search results.
Keyword density plays an important role in ensuring that your pages are ranked correctly in search results.
Keyword density is the number of times a specific keyword is used on a page. This is usually expressed as a percentage of the total number of words on a page.
Essentially, this helps search engines and website visitors understand what a particular page is about.
Finally, if you use a specific keyword as your focus point, you will likely write content that is coordinated with that term.
As a general rule of thumb, you should have a focus keyword that serves as the primary search term for your content.
However, you should also include several secondary keywords that improve the overall understanding of the main topic.
It is also important to note that not using enough keywords or having an overall low word count can be perceived as thin content, which is often excluded from SERPs.
Keyword density is not important for SEO, as it is no longer considered a ranking factor. This is because modern search engine algorithms are smart enough to understand what a page is about and how well it otherwise matches the search intent.
Google has confirmed this. Over the years, it has repeatedly advised SEOs against focusing on keyword density:
“I would love it if people could stop focusing on keyword density. … There is no hard and fast rule.” – Matt Cutts
“Keyword density in general is something I wouldn’t focus on. Make sure your content is written naturally.” – John Mueller
When calculating keyword density, you calculate the ratio of the keyword to the total number of your words as a percentage.
Number of mentions of the keyword / Total number of words on the page = Keyword density
To find the keyword density, take the number of times you have mentioned your keyword on your page and divide it by the total number of words on the page.
You can convert this ratio into a percentage by multiplying your result by 100. For example, let's say you write an article that is 1500 words long and uses your key phrase 20 times.
Their formula for keyword density looks like this:
20/1500 = 0,013 x 100 = 1,3%
In this case, your keyword density is 1,3%.
While there are no hard and fast rules for keyword density, many SEOs recommend using about 1-2 keywords per 100 words of text, aside from the ever-relevant advice "Don't keyword stuff." This results in a keyword density of approximately 1-2%.
Your content may perform similarly well with slightly more or slightly less of this keyword density, but general wisdom suggests that Google and other search engines respond well to a keyword density of around 0,5%.
Also consider the value of keyword variations – words and phrases that are similar to, but not identical to, your main keyword. Let's say your website sells outdoor lighting solutions.
While your most important keyword in the SERPs is "outdoor lighting", using this keyword on as many pages as possible will likely harm your overall SEO rather than improve it.
Instead, consider keyword variations, meaning terms that are close to your main keyword but not an exact copy. In the case of "outdoor lighting," variations like "garden lighting," "patio lighting," or "landscape lighting" can help your page rank better without violating keyword stuffing rules.
Are you unsure which options are best for your website?
Use the "Related searches" section at the bottom of Google's SERP for your main keyword.
Here's the reason why: Google has invested a lot of time and effort in understanding search intent. Therefore, the "Related Searches" section shows you terms similar to your main keyword.
There's no specific number considered too high when it comes to keyword density. As long as you don't overload your content with keywords, you're fine.
However, if your keyword density is above 2%, double-check your content to ensure it sounds natural. Then edit it if necessary.
Although you can do the math to calculate keyword density yourself by calculating the total number of words and keywords on each page of your website, this can quickly become time-consuming and resource-intensive as your website expands and the number of pages increases.
Keyword density tools help simplify this process.
Possible options are:
This free tool is browser-based – simply enter your website URL or page text and complete the "I'm not a robot" CAPTCHA to perform a keyword density check. While this tool doesn't offer the detailed analysis of other options on the list, it's a great way to get an overview of your current keyword density.
Why we like it – SEO Review Tools' keyword density checker includes a color-coded warning for keywords with an abnormally high frequency, making it easy to identify which ones you need to reduce. It also provides a breakdown of keywords by word count and allows you to exclude specific phrases.
Similar to the tool mentioned above, the SEOBook Keyword Density Analyzer is free – however, it requires an account to use. Besides basic keyword density reports, this tool also allows you to search for your target keyword in Google, retrieve data for five of the top-ranking pages using the same keyword, and analyze them to see how your keyword compares.
Why we like it – The SEOBook keyword density analyzer allows you to integrate meta information and exclude "stop words" that frequently appear in a text (such as "makes," "a," "the," etc.). You can also set a minimum word length, giving you the option to include only words that meet certain criteria regarding the number of characters.
Copywritely's Keyword Density Checker displays your top keywords by density and color-codes frequently occurring terms. This tool is somewhat more limited than the others, as it lacks the option to exclude stop words and the ability to include meta descriptions. However, it's a great starting tool.
Why we like it – Copywritely's simplicity and ease of use make it a good option if you need a quick keyword density check. You then have the option to sign up for a Copywritely account to review and correct any errors.
Semrush's powerful on-page SEO checker includes a keyword density checker, referred to within the tool as "keyword phrase usage." In addition to evaluating keyword density, the tool offers automated SEO check-ups and reports, title and metadata assessments, backlink prospecting tools, and comprehensive website crawls, scans, and reports.
It also helps you compare your keyword density with that of your competitors. However, it comes at a premium price, starting at $119,95/month.
Semrush is not just a keyword density checker, but a powerful SEO tool that can help you with all aspects of on-page SEO, including competitor comparison.
You can find out how often competitors use certain keywords. You can then get closer to their performance level by adhering to the industry standard.
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