For many years, keyword density, the number of times a keyword or a keyword phrase appears in written content in comparison with its word count, was essential in search engine optimization (SEO). Content creators aimed for a specific keyword density, believing it directly influenced search ranking.
A lot has changed since then when simply using keyword phrases a certain number of times in your content could propel it to the top of search engine results pages (SERPs).
Google has made several updates since 2011 to improve the quality and accuracy of search results, shifting the focus from SEO keyword density alone to user intent and content quality. However, that doesn’t mean keyword density is no longer relevant to your SEO efforts.
In this blog, we explore keyword density’s history and current role in SEO, as well as best practices for incorporating keyword phrases into your content for better search visibility and more organic traffic.
We cover:
• Unpacking the Importance of Keyword Density
• Keyword Density SEO: Changes to How Search Engines Ranked Content
• Keyword Density for SEO: Is It Still Relevant?
• Keyword Optimization: Best Practices
• Boost Your SEO With High-Quality, Optimized Content From Thrive
Unpacking the Importance of Keyword Density
Here’s what you need to know about the role of keyword density in SEO:
Keywords and Their Role in SEO
Keywords, or keyphrases, are words or phrases that users enter into search engines to find information. For search engines, keywords function as signposts, telling them what the content is about and whether it aligns with the user’s intent. Search engines also use keywords to determine whether a piece of content is relevant to a search term.
In the past, however, keywords were used in a much more simplistic way, and the importance of keyword density was heavily emphasized.
SEO Keyword Density: Too Much of a Good Thing
Back in the early 2000s, Googling a topic left users finding and reading blogs with keyword phrases in nearly every sentence. Here’s an example:
“Instead of buying bottled water, why not opt for a reusable water bottle? A reusable water bottle can be used many times. By using a reusable water bottle, you can help protect the environment. At the same time, a reusable water bottle ensures you stay hydrated wherever you go, as long as you have your reusable water bottle with you.”
The above paragraph has very high SEO keyword density. The phrase “reusable water bottle” appears several times and is used unnaturally. The content is painful to read, states the obvious and offers no helpful information.
Up to about a decade ago, it was common to find blogs like the above because of the importance of keyword density at the time. Finding helpful content via a web search often felt as frustrating as looking for a needle in a haystack. The Internet was littered with blogs and articles stuffed with keywords, typically not providing information of value to the reader.
Back then, the common perception was that you needed to meet a certain keyword density in SEO to ensure your target audience saw your content.
Calculating Keyword Density for SEO Purposes
To measure keyword density, divide the number of times a keyword or phrase appears in a text with the word count of a text. Then, multiply the result by 100.
Keyword Density = (Number of Keyword Appearances / Total Word Count) * 100
So, if a 1000-word blog had 20 mentions of a keyword phrase, the keyword density in SEO would be 2%.
Many SEO experts claimed that the sweet spot for keyword density was 5%, while others said 7%. However, despite their recommendation to measure keyword density, there was no magic number.
To play it safe, some content mills didn’t bother to measure keyword density and instead focused on cramming as many keywords as possible into content. Some even went so far as to hide keyword phrases in white text on a white background to trick search engines.
Keyword Density SEO: Changes to How Search Engines Ranked Content
Because search engines weren’t as sophisticated in the past, content mills could churn out repetitive, poorly written pieces for websites and have them rank at the top of SERPs simply because every other sentence mentioned a keyword. Needless to say, readability and user experience were not priorities for these companies and their clients.
2011
Then Google rolled out the Panda update in February 2011, which marked the search engine giant’s first significant step toward answering user intent and focusing on user experience. Suddenly, top-ranking articles fell off the first page of SERPs.
Content mills found they could no longer manipulate rankings using their tried-and-true keyword density SEO practices. Meanwhile, users found that search quality improved dramatically, and entering search terms actually pulled up helpful articles relevant to their queries.
Through Panda, Google penalized websites that published repetitive, unhelpful and keyword-stuffed content. A subsequent update, Penguin, doubled down on unsavory keyword density SEO practices by also penalizing websites that utilized black-hat techniques such as keyword stuffing.
2013
In 2013, Google rolled out Hummingbird. Unlike Panda and Penguin, Hummingbird wasn’t just an update to the search algorithm but a complete redo. In keyword density SEO, it marked a definitive shift from optimizing content for search terms to optimizing for user intent.
For instance, in the past, some websites capitalized on the popularity of “near me” searches, such as “fast food restaurants near me,” by spamming content with keywords containing the exact phrase “near me.”
With the arrival of Hummingbird, Google began prioritizing understanding the searcher’s intent behind their query rather than just focusing on the keyword combination. Hummingbird’s ability to interpret natural language allowed it to recognize that the user is likely looking for a list of nearby fast food restaurants, not just webpages with those specific keywords crammed in.
Keyword Density for SEO: Is It Still Relevant?
The shift initiated by Hummingbird meant that SEO needed to adapt as well. Websites could no longer rely solely on optimizing generic content for keyword density in SEO.
Fast-forward to today and keyword stuffing is a surefire way to get your content tanked and not ranked. Google continues to reward content that prioritizes user experience. This means informative, well-written pieces that genuinely address user needs and search intent stand a better chance of ranking high on SERPs.
Google cracking down on keyword stuffing and other black-hat techniques may lead many to assume that SEO keyword density is no longer something to consider when creating content. However, while the importance of keyword density has waned, optimizing content for keywords remains essential, albeit in a more nuanced way.
Keyword Optimization: 5 Best Practices
As mentioned, search intent is now the driving force behind SEO. While keyword density in SEO isn’t a direct ranking factor anymore, strategic keyword optimization is still crucial for getting your content seen by the right audience.
Here are some best practices for utilizing keywords in your content to help it rank higher in SERPs and attract more traffic.
1. Understand Search Intent
Search intent is categorized into four types: navigational, informational, commercial and transactional.
• Navigational: Users with a navigational search intent are looking for a specific page on a website. For instance, a person searching “Gmail login” is looking for the Gmail login page.
• Informational: Users with an informational search intent seek information about something. An example of an informational keyword is “How does SEO work?”
• Commercial: Users demonstrate this search intent when researching a particular product or service. Users with commercial intent could be comparing options or looking for reviews. Meanwhile, keywords used in commercial searches typically contain words like “vs.,” “best” and “reviews.” An example of a typical commercial search query is “iPhone vs. Android.”
• Transactional: Users with transactional intent are ready to make a purchase. As such, they are likely using keywords like “buy,” “order” and “price.” For instance, the search query “buy cotton t-shirts” likely has transactional intent.
Understanding each is crucial to ensuring your content:
• Resonates with your target audience
• Is optimized for the right keywords
• Improves user experience, an important ranking factor
For instance, if you enter “how to make good coffee” into Google, it tells the search engine that you’re looking for informational content about making coffee. Google then populates the SERPs with blogs, articles and recipes on this topic. On the other hand, “buy coffee beans” conveys to Google that you want to make a purchase or have transactional intent. Google then pulls up a list of eCommerce websites where you can buy coffee beans.
2. Perform Keyword Research
Armed with information about your target audience’s search intent, you can begin looking for seed keywords that align with their needs. These keywords function as starting points for your keyword research, allowing you to build a list of terms relevant to your company and offerings.
Keyword research is a powerful tool, allowing you to:
• Identify the Right Keywords: Go beyond high-volume keywords and prioritize those that align with your target audience’s search intent.
• Craft Compelling Content: Knowing the intent behind a keyword helps you tailor your content to provide the information users are actively seeking.
• Target Local Intent: Incorporating location-specific terms, such as “hair salon in Austin” or “fast food delivery in Houston,” in your content can help signal to search engines that your business serves a particular geographic area, helping increase your chances of showing up in relevant local searches. This is particularly advantageous for multi-location franchises.
• Optimize for Different Stages of the Buyer’s Journey: Search intent can also indicate where users are in the buyer’s journey. For instance, informational searches often happen early on, when customers discover a product or service. Meanwhile, transactional searches usually indicate purchase intent during the decision stage. By understanding this, you can create content that caters to users at different stages of their purchasing decisions, guiding them toward conversion.
Note: It is generally better to optimize for long-tail keywords, highly specific keyword phrases of three or more words, than single-word queries. This is because long-tail keywords typically have lower competition and higher conversion rates. Additionally, long-tail keywords reflect user intent more accurately, allowing you to create content that directly addresses your target audience’s needs.
This is the process we use to perform keyword research at Thrive.
“We conduct thorough keyword research to identify high-value terms. Our writers then craft engaging, keyword-optimized content while the SEO team ensures on-page elements like titles and metadata are optimized,” explains Don Gruspe, Senior Demand Generation SEO Specialist at Thrive.
“Additionally, our link-building team pursues high-quality backlinks to authoritative sites.”
3. Employ Keyword Clustering
People search for content or information in different ways. For instance, a person who wants to find Italian food recipes might use search terms like “easy Italian recipes” and “Italian crock pot recipes.” At the same time, another might look up “authentic Italian recipes” and “how to cook pasta with Bolognese sauce.” To accommodate this, SEO experts implement keyword cluster tactics to maximize search results on a particular topic.
Keyword or term clustering refers to grouping related keyword phrases. However, this should not be mistaken for optimizing for keyword density for SEO.
Instead, keyword clustering involves incorporating several related search terms into your pages instead of using the same handful of keywords over and over. By incorporating multiple connected search terms into your pages, you could increase their visibility for a broader range of relevant searches.
To begin with keyword clustering, you should list your company’s products or services. The items in this list will serve as your seed keywords, which you can then expand upon to identify related search terms and long-tail keywords.
Many keyword research tools have keyword clustering functionality, automating the process. These can analyze your seed keywords and suggest related terms, grouping them into clusters based on semantic similarity and search intent. Keyword research tools can be a valuable timesaver, especially when dealing with many seed keywords.
4. Produce Quality Content
Many organizations still make the mistake of posting generic content on their websites and trying to compensate for the lack of quality by retaining a focus on keyword density for SEO. Examples are blogs that tell you what you already know or articles that don’t answer their thesis questions but are littered with keywords. This approach completely ignores search intent and can harm your SEO strategy.
More often than not, “fluffy” content that adds no value will fail to resonate with potential customers, leading to decreased engagement, shares and conversions. Meanwhile, quality content drives positive results. It sends a signal that your website and your brand are trusted resources. Potential customers searching for solutions and information will be more likely to frequent your website.
Compelling, value-added content keeps users on your website longer, giving them time to explore your products and services or learn more about your brand. This paves the way for conversions, whether downloading your eBook, signing up for your newsletter or making a purchase.
What’s more, Google places utmost importance on the Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) of sites and content. It prioritizes those relevant to a user’s search query, addresses their needs and provides valuable information.
Content quality is one of the indicators of the E-E-A-T of a website. While E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor, content that displays E-E-A-T can be seen as more high-quality, trustworthy and credible by the search engine’s algorithm, which may lead to improved rankings.
So, how do you produce quality content? We need to go back to keyword research and search intent for the answers. By identifying the best keywords and understanding the whys and hows behind your target audience’s searches, you can develop a content strategy that resonates with them.
1. Keyword research helps you identify the specific topics and questions your audience is interested in.
2. Understanding search intent allows you to tailor your content to address their needs directly. Are they looking for information, trying to solve a problem, searching for reviews or ready to purchase? By aligning your content with their specific intent, you create content that is both informative and valuable to your target audience.
3. Once you’ve identified your target keywords and understand search intent, it’s essential to weave them naturally throughout your content. This benefits your organization’s SEO strategy by enhancing user experience and improving your website’s search visibility.
5. Incorporate Keywords Naturally Into Content
To elaborate further on number 3, when it comes to optimizing content with keywords, quantity doesn’t matter as much as strategic placement.
“Use keywords naturally and avoid keyword stuffing,” advises Gruspe.
“Place important keywords in strategic locations like the title, headings and the first part of the body copy.”
Here are some other key areas where experts recommend placing keywords:
• Title Tag
• Meta Description
• Image Alt Text
• URL
Including keywords in these places helps search engines understand the topic of your content and its relevance to user searches. It also gives users an idea of what your content is about.
Remember this rule of thumb: Keywords should improve, not hinder, the user’s reading experience. There is no need to repeat keywords dozens of times — as mentioned, doing so would do more harm to your website than good, as this practice can severely hurt its rankings. Instead, use keywords organically throughout the body content where they make sense, focusing on readability instead of SEO keyword density.
Strengthen Your Online Presence With Quality, Optimized Content From Thrive
As Nanette Taripe, Demand Gen Senior SEO Specialist, summarizes, “The priority is no longer keyword density but relevance. This means focusing on creating high-quality content that addresses the user’s query in a comprehensive and informative way.”
Keyword density no longer has a direct impact on search rankings. Taking its place in SEO in terms of importance and effectiveness is a focus on understanding and fulfilling search intent.
At Thrive Internet Marketing Agency, our team of experienced SEO professionals and content writers work together to create quality, compelling content that targets your ideal audience’s search intent and positions your brand as a thought leader. Our bespoke solutions help your organization attract more qualified leads, boost brand awareness and drive conversions.
Learn more about our services and how we can help you achieve your digital marketing goals. Contact us today for a free expert consultation.
