Keyword Density for Search Engine Optimization
People involved with SEO always end up debating keyword density. People have some strong opinions about this and its involvement with your rankings in the search engines. However, some serious questions need to be answered. Does it really exist? Does keyword density improve your rankings and if so, what’s the proper density that you should be going after?
When someone mentions keyword density for SEO, they are talking about the percentage that a particular word is found within the content of a page. A single word keyword used 5 times in 500 words has a 1% density. However, keep in mind that a 4 word key phrase used 5 times in 500 words actually has a 4% density because of the number of words used.
In the earlier years of SEO, many people believed that trying to achieve an exact density was the true key to improving their rankings. Many people began trying to estimate exactly what they should try to shoot for, with some people estimating perhaps 2-3% and other estimating very high numbers such as 8-10%. After all of this time, what’s the true answer for the keyword density you should shoot for?
In reality, there is no specific keyword density that is a magical solution for your SEO. If you hit a 2% density, there is no green light that turns on in the search engines that says “page 1 ranking”, and the same holds true for any other density. Therefore, a smarter strategy than worrying about keyword density is just worrying about including the keywords to some extent, and in a natural way.
When you include your keywords naturally, you aren’t trying for a specific keyword density. You also aren’t forcing your keywords into a spot where they don’t belong. Instead, you just ensure that you talk about your topic and reference the keywords and phrases where they make sense.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t set a few rules or guidelines for yourself. For example, many people practicing SEO try to use their keywords once every 100 words or so. Other people might try to use a keyword once every paragraph. Regardless of your strategy, just remember to take it easy and don’t jam the keywords into every nook and cranny of your content. While no keyword density guarantees success, too many keywords on a website is a surefire signal of spam, and an easy way to ruin your rankings.
Also, as you produce the content for your website you need to remember that the article or paragraph structure isn’t the only place where keywords can be on your website. Other places include your META tags which get read by the search engines, as well as your navigation links and more.
By now, the SEO debate for keyword density has been solved. The answer is to stop trying to pursue exact percentages. Instead, focus on natural inclusion and avoiding excessive usage of your keywords. In this way you’ll please both your visitors and the search engines and your rankings will improve.
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