Is Keyword Density Still Important for SEO?

What is keyword density?

Yes, keyword density is still important. Although we hear far less about it nowadays in SEO circles, keyword density is still an important part of good SEO. The truth is that, as SEOs have begun to disregard it, it simply creates an opportunity for those willing to put in the effort to write well-optimized content.

Keyword density is an SEO concept that counts how many times a search term (or “keyword”) appears on a web page or in a blog post. This density metric is most commonly expressed as a ratio of the number of keywords used to the total word count of the content.

In essence, keyword density is used to (in theory) improve the optimization of your content for the keyword you want to rank. The logic goes that the more frequently you use the keyword, the better content will be optimized.

Why does keyword density still important for SEO?

Because Google tries to match a user’s search query to the best-fitting web pages, keyword density is important for SEO. Google must understand what a web page is about to match it with a specific query. That is why include the keyword or the phrase to rank the article in SERP. This usually comes naturally. For example, if we want to rank for [bake vegan pancakes], we probably use this phrase frequently throughout our text.

If you use your keyword frequently in your copy, your visitors will find it difficult to read. That is something you should never do. After all, you want your users to enjoy and comprehend your copy. A high keyword density also indicates to Google that you may be stuffing keywords into your text, known as over-optimization. Because Google prefers to show the most relevant and readable results to users, this can harm your rankings.

How search engines use keywords density

Keyword density was used in the early days of search engines to determine the relevance of content to a user’s search. It was, in fact, one of the most significant ranking factors. However, search engines are becoming increasingly wary of websites that overuse keywords to “trick” the system. Because there is so much keyword spam, keyword density has become far less important.

Overusing your keyword in your content can penalize a web page by search engines. With this in mind, it is best to concentrate on Google’s named SEO ranking factors rather than writing for the user.

Warning: Avoid keyword stuffing your content

The danger of aiming for a high keyword density as a general rule is that you may overstuff your content with your target keyword. Using your target keyword too many times in a row can make you appear spammy to users and search engines.

“Keyword stuffing” is the practice of cramming your keyword into your content to increase the page’s optimal keyword density. Keyword stuffing is not the best strategy; instead, use related search terms and context to inform users (and algorithms) about the topic of your content.

In short, you DO want to use your keyword in your content, but not to the point where it creates a negative user experience.

Is there an optimal keyword density?

When optimizing your content, there is no ideal keyword density percentage. However, many SEO experts believe that 1-2 percent is a reasonable target. This percentage indicates that you use your target keyword twice for every 100 words of content.

Once again, the goal is to indicate to search engines what your content is about without going overboard. So do not be concerned if you do not reach the 1% mark.

Search engines like Google are smart enough to understand your content and display it for the right search terms by reading context cues from other variations of terms. So do not be concerned about achieving the ideal keyword density.

What SEO experts say:

“Keyword density is important because it encourages content writers to focus on their target keyword. However, it should not be used at the end-all-be-all rule for content and keyword optimization. Your goal is to produce the best content to fit what the user is searching for. You should not compromise user experience for maximum keyword usage”. – Jessica Foster, SEO Content Strategist at Keys&Copy

“When it comes to SEO, it is best to write your content with the user in mind. How can I satisfy the intent of someone searching for that keyword or phrase? After the page gets indexed, see how it lands in the search engine results pages. Then, you can further optimize the article with tools like Surfer SEO to push it higher on Google. I recommend the inverted Pyramid model when writing SEO content”. – Jason Hennessey, SEO Strategist at Hennessey Digital

How to improve your keyword density?

If your keyword density score is too low, use the keyword more frequently in your text. Check your copy to ensure that it is clear what you are writing about. Please keep it on topic! If your keyword density is too high, you use it too frequently. As a result, your text appears to be spammy.

Using synonyms is an excellent way to avoid repetition. However, synonyms do not contribute to your keyword density score, which is based solely on using your primary keyword.

Final Thoughts

Make sure you use your focus keyword frequently throughout the text. At the same time, do not go overboard. You do not want Google to think you’re stuffing keywords into your text, as this is frowned upon. If your keyword density is too low, include your focus keyword more frequently in your text. Check to see if your text stays on topic, as it should be relatively simple to include your keyword multiple times. If your score is too high, go back and reread your text. Look for places where you can use a synonym instead of your keyword. You should be able to get that green bullet for keyword density with these tips!

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