Understanding Keyword Density

When a writer takes on the task of developing SEO content for a web page, he or she can commit an SEO copywriting faux pas and run into problems. Keyword density, although an integral part of an effective SEO strategy, can lead to more damage than benefit if it becomes an obsession. A copywriter who may believe he is helping his webpage appear first in a search engine may actually be burying it in the depths of the internet. To better understand why, we first must understand what keyword density is.

Keyword density is the percentage calculated when dividing the number of times a keyword appears on a webpage by the total number of words on the page. For example, if you mention a keyword five times on a page that contains 353 total words (including the 5 keywords) your keyword density is 1.4%.

This is where problems can occur. Whether it is an inexperienced copywriter or a small business owner hoping to take care of SEO themselves, many believe the higher keyword density, the better the search engine ranking. In other words, they believe inserting a keyword as many times as possible on a page, they will be rank first when that keyword is searched.

This is not the case.

This video starring Matt Cutts, a Google Search Quality Team Member, will help you better understand what a high keyword density can really do for a web page.

As you can see, focusing solely on how many times a keyword appears on a page is not effective; you must have informative, engaging content. When you focus on the latter, you’ll see that high quality content will always rank higher than high keyword density.  Google changes their algorithm regularly to counteract this.

Luckily, our team at Automated Marketing Group has a team of SEO experts that will always ensure your website is optimized to help you climb the search engine rankings. All you have to do is partner with us and we’ll take care of the rest—true marketing freedom. Contact AMG today at (303)-703-8000 or fill out our online form for a free assessment of your SEO!

TALK TO A MARKETING EXPERT