For a long time, keyword density was thought to be a ranking factor.
Some consider it an important piece of the SEO puzzle for achieving a Page 1 ranking in Google.
Why is it so well-liked?
We all know how important keywords are to Google. When the words don’t appear in the on-page text, it’s difficult to rank content for a specific term.
Some SEO tool companies contribute to the belief that there is an ideal keyword-to-copy ratio that will maximize the chances of earning high rankings.
It’s time to look into the evidence for the claims that keyword density affects ranking.
The Claim: Keyword Density Is A Factor In Ranking
First and foremost, what is keyword density?
The number of times a term or phrase appears in relation to the amount of text on the page is referred to as keyword density.
It is calculated by dividing the total number of words on the page by the number of keywords and multiplying by 100.
If a keyword appears 26 times in a 1,000-word article, it has a keyword density of 2.6 percent.
There are numerous claims regarding the “best” keyword density to strive for. You might hear 2 percent, 5 percent, or even 10 percent.
So, what makes people think keyword density is a ranking factor?
Unlike other ranking factor myths, this one is founded on reality – keyword density was once a real thing. But we’re talking about the early days of search.
Nonetheless, the notion persists to this day. Why? The reasoning goes as follows:
Keywords inform Google about the types of queries for which a page should appear.
If there are too few keywords, Google may not understand what the page is about.
If too many keywords are used, Google may interpret this as an attempt to manipulate search rankings, which it does not tolerate.
As a result, some people believe that there is a “just right” keyword density – a happy medium between using too many and too few keywords.
There is, however, no magic number that will produce the best results for everyone. That is not how Google operates today.
The truth is straightforward: while using keywords is important, exceeding a certain ratio will not help your SEO efforts.
In fact, a page can rank for a keyword even if that keyword is never used on that page. That pretty much blows the whole concept of keyword density out of the water.
The Evidence for Keyword Density as a Ranking Factor
To answer the question of whether keyword density is a Google ranking factor, we’ll look at an official Google video from 2011, which is still as relevant today as it was back then.
Matt Cutts, who worked for Google from 2000 to 2015, is featured in the video. He led Google’s webspam team and served as a go-between for the company and the SEO community.
Google’s Cutts confirmed that there is no ideal keyword density. He believes that overusing a keyword can cause more harm than good.
Mentioning a keyword a few times can help with rankings, but any more than that may be considered keyword stuffing by Google.
“Once you start to mention it a whole lot it really doesn’t help that much more. There’s diminishing returns. It’s just an incremental benefit but it’s really not that large. And then what you’ll find is, if you continue to repeat stuff over and over again, then you’re in danger of getting into keyword stuffing or gibberish and those kinds of things.
So the first one or two times you mention a word that might help with your rankings, absolutely. But just because you can say it seven or eight times, that doesn’t mean that it will necessarily help your rankings.”
What is the proper way to use keywords if keyword density isn’t a ranking factor?
Once you’ve determined which keywords you want to use, Cutts suggests creating content that is long enough to incorporate those keywords naturally into the copy. When you’re finished writing, read the content aloud and listen for anything that doesn’t sound right.
If the copy sounds artificial, stilted, or like it was written by a robot, it’s a good indication that the keyword was used too frequently. If it sounds natural, on the other hand, you’re on the right track.
When possible, use synonyms to avoid using the same keyword multiple times. In this text, for example, we could replace “keyword density” with “keyword frequency.”
Synonyms are also an excellent way to keep a reader’s attention and may even aid in ranking for other terms. Google understands synonyms, so a page can rank even if it isn’t optimized for the exact term typed into the search bar.
Don’t Get Preoccupied With Keyword Density
Stop obsessing over keyword density, according to Cutts. Be wary of anyone who claims otherwise.
“I would love it if people could stop obsessing about keyword density. It’s going to vary. It’s going to vary by area, it’s going to vary based on what other sites are ranking it.
It’s not a hard and fast rule, and anyone who tells you there is a hard and fast rule you might be careful because they might be selling you keyword density software or something along those lines.”
Our Opinion on Keyword Density as a Ranking Factor
At one point, keyword density may have worked. Ask any seasoned SEO professional, and you’ll hear plenty of anecdotal evidence that keyword density worked – and worked well.
But what about today?
Keyword density is simply not something to be concerned about. You’re fine as long as you use the word or phrase a few times, as you would if you weren’t aiming for a specific ratio.
Use the keyword at the very least in the page title, meta description, and first paragraph. Then, only use it a few more times throughout the copy.
Because keyword density is not a ranking factor, there is no ideal percentage of keywords to use.
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