A joke? A myth? An ancient legend? What exactly is the purpose of keyword density in the modern era and is it still relevant today? The short answer is yes, it’s very much useful in modern SEO, just not as much as it used to be.
Remember, keyword density is the percentage of times you used your keyword within the total page count of your article/page. So, if your page only contains 100 words and you used your keyword 5 times within that piece, you have a keyword density of 5%.
We’ve talked before about keyword stuffing. To avoid this, we recommend that you keep your keyword density somewhere between the range of 2.5% to 4% maximum. You never want to go over 5% because then Google will see fit to ding you as a keyword stuffer. There are, however, a few other strategies that you can implement to strengthen your SEO. This, combined with a solid keyword density, will ensure you have everything you need to get the perfect SEO structure.
Keyword Density Tools
At Vissina, we like to use the best tools available to give our clients the best experience. This means you use the Yoast SEO tool for all open-source CMS platforms. Their range is similar to the one we set, 0.5% to 2.5%.
There are some factors that you should keep in mind when you’re calculating your keyword density. Your first thought might be that these parameters are a little strict. We assure you, you write 100 words and make 5 of them your keyword. You’ll see how awkwardly they spring up in every sentence you say aloud. These parameters are strictly for the reader. When you stuff your keywords into an article, it sounds unnatural. This is why Google punishes stuffing because they know people simply don’t like it. Keep in mind, the goal of effective SEO is always to please the crowd with concise, well-written text that is easy to understand.
Multiple Keywords
This is becoming the bread and butter of proper SEO. You need to use synonyms that are also relevant to your keyword in place of just using the same term over and over again. This will require additional keyword research but it definitely pays off. Think about the infinite ways different people from different places search for the same thing. I might search for “graphic tees” while another person will search for “graphics shirts.” It all boils down to the same thing, but it helps search engines a lot if you can use multiple keywords like this to help other people find what they need.
Another tactic is to use terms that go with your keyword. Let’s say if you’re talking about hiking, you’ll throw in words that naturally go with that term; trees, forest, hunting, camping, squirrels, etc. Search engines don’t have the brainpower of people. They need to look at an article from every angle to get a good picture. If you help by creating a panoramic scene of your article, Google will have a better time of finding, assessing, and ranking your page.
Keyword Distribution
It’s also a good idea, when you finish your page, to search for the keyword and see where you happened to place that phrase throughout your text. You want to make sure you’re using it or a synonym under your H tags. You can also use the opportunity to spread your keywords out more so they read a little more naturally.
Conclusion
The keyword density of your page is the fundamental building block of on-page SEO. The Yoast plugin for WordPress will help you greatly to organize the structure of your content so you see the most optimized results. It will definitely take some time to master but it’s worth the effort. If you need help perfectly the keyword density of your articles or anything related to SEO, then call the experts at Vissina today!
