What Is Keyword Density?
Keyword density is the percentage of times a specific word or phrase appears on a page compared to the total number of words. It helps you understand which terms a page focuses on and whether any keyword is overused or underused.
For example, if a page has 1,000 words and the word "tiles" appears 20 times, the keyword density for "tiles" is 2%.
Why Keyword Density Matters for SEO
While Google has moved beyond simple keyword counting, the words on your page still matter. A page about "running shoes" that never mentions "running shoes" is unlikely to rank for that term. Conversely, cramming a keyword into every sentence (keyword stuffing) can trigger spam filters and harm your rankings.
The ideal approach is natural usage. Your primary keyword should appear in the title, H1, first paragraph, and a few times throughout the content, but it should read naturally.
How RankNibbler Analyses Keyword Density
RankNibbler extracts visible text from the page (excluding script and style code), then calculates the frequency and density of every word. The Content tab shows the top 15 most-used keywords and the top 10 two-word phrases with their counts and density percentages.
Best Practices
- Aim for 1-3% density for your primary keyword.
- Use synonyms and related terms rather than repeating the exact same keyword.
- Check 2-word phrases to see if your target key phrases appear naturally.
- Compare with competitors to benchmark keyword usage.
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