For those who have been paying attention to SEO trends over the last couple of decades, you know that the way search engine optimization works has changed. In the 1990s and early 2000s, search algorithms placed a heavy emphasis on keyword density. And so, marketers began the trend of “keyword stuffing” to rank higher in Google search pages. Since then, Google has altered their search algorithms to favor more natural, high-quality content. Does that mean keyword density has lost all SEO value? Not quite.

What Is Keyword Density in SEO?

First, let’s address the question of what keyword density is, in regards to SEO. Keywords are, in essence, the words and phrases that searchers type into a search engine when trying to find a product or service.

Your goal as a business owner is to identify the search terms that your target demographic would use to find your business, then get a favorable SEO keyword ranking for that phrase. If you want to see where you currently stand for relevant search terms, we can provide you with a keyword ranking report.

Keyword density, as it pertains to SEO, refers to the number of times those search phrases appear on your site. It is usually expressed as a percentage—essentially, what percentage of the text on the page is a keyword. A keyword analysis report can provide you with this information. Now that you know what it is, let’s address the ideal density and what its SEO value is.

The SEO Value of Keywords

In 2017, Google released the Hummingbird update to its search algorithm. This shifted how its crawlers rank pages based on various SEO factors, and placed less emphasis on how many times keywords appeared on a page. Rather, natural language and quality content were prioritized.

But the vast majority of high-ranking pages still contain relevant keywords. So how often should you include keywords, and where should you place them for optimal keyword density? Here are a few key points to remember:

• • Keep the keyword density between 1-3%. This is enough to signal to crawlers the relevance of your content, while still allowing you to create quality content with natural language. We can provide a keyword analysis report for your content so you know it has the proper density.

• Place keywords high in the content. They hold more value when placed in titles or high in the body of the content than if they’re buried at the end.

• Provide great content. The most important thing to know about your content is that it should be excellent. The more engaging and helpful your content is, the better you will rank.

So what is keyword density in SEO? Does it still have value? Absolutely. But you have to know how to use it. If you want high-quality content that is optimized with proper keyword density, contact PPM.