If search engine optimization is new to you, you might encounter the term “keyword density” thrown around a lot. But what does it actually mean? And how can you ensure that your blog posts and web pages use the ideal keyword density for your target audience? In this comprehensive guide, we will answer all your questions about keyword density and teach you to utilise it for your website’s search engine ranking.
What Is Keyword Density?
Keyword density refers to the number of times a keyword is used based on the total word count on a page. It is a metric usually expressed as a percentage.
Keyword density, also known as “keyword frequency,” is a way to monitor the balance in using the keywords to avoid hurting your ranking.
Why Is Keyword Density Important?
Keyword density is critical because it is one of the many factors that search engines use to determine the relevancy of a web page. If you stuff your content with too many keywords, it will be difficult for people to read and understand. This will not only turn off potential customers but also get you penalised by Google. On the other hand, if you don’t use enough keywords, your page may be lost among all the other internet pages that are using the same keywords.
Calculating Keyword Density
To calculate keyword density, divide the number of times a keyword is used on the web page by the total number of words on the page. Multiply it by 100 to get a percentage.
Example
Let’s say a blog post contains 1000 words, and the keyword “SEO” appears five{5} times. It will be:
5/1000 = 0.005 x 100 = 0.5%
This means the blog post has a keyword density of 0.5%, which is between the Ideal Keyword Density.
You can use keyword density checker tools available on the internet to calculate keyword density instead of computing it manually.
What is the Ideal Keyword Density?
A great rule of thumb for good keyword density is to keep it between 0.5% and 1.75%. Anything higher than that, you run the risk of being penalised by search engines for “keyword stuffing,” and for anything lower, you may not be using the keyword enough to rank for it.
How to Improve Keyword Density?
If you want to improve your website’s keyword density, there are a few things you can do:
- Use keyword variants of your focus keyphrase throughout your content. For example, if you’re trying to rank for the primary keyword “SEO tips,” you can also use phrases like “search engine optimisation tips” or “how to improve your SEO.”
- Use related keywords/phrases. In addition to using keyword variants of your focus keywords, you can also use related keywords or phrases that are similar to your topical target keyword. For example, if you’re trying to rank for “SEO tips,” some related keywords you could use are “SEO tools,” “SEO strategies,” and “SEO trends.”
- Use synonyms. Synonyms are words that have the same or similar meaning as your focus keyword. For example, if you’re trying to rank for “dog food,” some synonyms you could use are “dog food brands,” “dog food recipes,” and “best dog food.”
- Use LSI keywords. LSI (latent semantic indexing) keywords are words or phrases related to your top keywords but aren’t necessarily synonyms. For example, if you’re trying to rank for “dog food,” some LSI keywords you could use are “dog nutrition,” “dog diet,” and “dog food ingredients.”
- Use meta title and meta keyword tag. Your title and meta description are two of the most important places to use your focus keyword. This will help search engines understand what your page is about and improve your chances of ranking for your given keyword.
[Image title: google-share-result.jpg]
[Alt text: google share result with generated by meta title and meta description texts in a square conversation bubble]
- Use keyword-rich alt text. You must include keywords in the alt text of your website’s photos. This will help Google comprehend the image and increase your chances of ranking for the one word you choose.
[Image title: with-and-without-alt-text-filenames-sample.jpg]
[Alt text: images of two cats side by side with and without alt text filenames]
- Use keyword-rich heading and subheading tags. Splitting your contents into more manageable chunks, such as headings and subheadings is good for readability and a great way to include additional keywords.
[Image title: typography-best-practices-for-the-modern-web.jpg]
[Alt text: typography best practices for the modern web in a heading subheading format]
- Use keyword-rich anchor text. Whenever you link to another page on your website, make sure to use keywords in the anchor text. This will assist Google in understanding the linked page’s content and increase your chances of ranking for your target keyword.
Following these methods will drastically improve your website’s keyword density and start ranking higher on search engine results pages. Just be sure to avoid keyword stuffing on your content, or you’ll risk being penalised by search engines.
What Is Keyword Stuffing?
The practice of shoving your website content with unnecessary keywords is called keyword stuffing. This can make your content hard to read, sounds unnatural and forced, and can get you penalised by Google. To avoid it, you need to be responsible for placing your keywords.
Keyword Density Checker Tools
You can use several tools to check the density of your keywords. Some of these keyword density tools are free tools, and it include:
SEO Review Tools Keyword Density Checker
SEO Review is one of the popular search engine optimization tools with a keyword density tool to identify the total number of keyword usage and keyword frequency. It is also a free tool.
To do a keyword density check, paste the URL of your site in the provided field. Make sure to complete the captcha code.
[Image title: keyword-density-check-sample.jpg]
[Alt text: sample result for keyword density check]
Once completed, you can now check how many times a keyword appears on your website.
Copywritely Keyword Density Checker
Copywritely is also one of the best keyword density checkers that many SEOs recommend that helps to identify how many keywords or even a specific keyword appears in your content.
To use their keyword density checker tool, paste the URL of your website.
[Image title: keyword-density-report.jpg]
[Alt text: sample of keyword density report]
Once completed, you can see how many words appear or how many times a keyword phrase shows on your site.
Conclusion
Keyword density is necessary for optimising your site for good search results. Overlooking this will result in a low-ranking website.
You can also use keyword clustering to improve your SEO. And finally, you can use several different keyword density checker tools to check the density of your keywords.
