Is this a Google ranking factor?

For a long time, keyword density has been considered a ranking factor.

Some people consider it to be an important part of the SEO puzzle of getting page 1 position in Google.

Why is it so valued?

We know that keywords are important to Google. When these words do not appear in the page text, it is difficult to rank the content of a specific term.

Some SEO Tool Company It helps to increase the belief that there is an ideal keyword copy ratio, which will maximize your chances of getting a high ranking.

It’s time to examine the evidence behind the claim that keyword density is a ranking factor.

Disclaimer: Keyword density is a ranking factor

First of all, what exactly is keyword density?

Keyword density refers to the number of occurrences of terms or phrases related to the amount of text on the page.

It is calculated by dividing the number of keywords by the total number of words on the page, and then multiplying by 100.

For example, if a keyword is used 26 times in a 1000-word article, its keyword density is 2.6%.

There are various theories surrounding the goal of “best” keyword density. You may hear 2% or 5%, or even as high as 10%.

So why do people think that keyword density is a ranking factor?

Different from others Ranking factor myth, This is based on the fact-keyword density used to be a real thing. But we are talking about the earliest search era.

However, this idea still exists today. why? The idea is this:

The keyword signals Google which types of queries should be displayed on the page.

If you use too few keywords, Google may not be able to understand the content of the page.

If you use too many keywords, then Google may see it as an attempt to manipulate search rankings, which is not friendly.

Therefore, some people think that there is a “just right” specific keyword density-a pleasant medium between using too many keywords and too few keywords.

However, there is no magic number that can bring the best results for everyone. This is not the way Google works today.

The truth is simple: using keywords is important, but reaching a certain percentage will not help your SEO work.

In fact, even if the keyword never appears on the page, the web page can still rank for the keyword. This almost immediately blows up the whole concept of keyword density.

Keyword density as a ranking factor: evidence

To answer the question of whether keyword density is a ranking factor in Google, we will look at Official Google Video from 2011, Which is as accurate today as it was then.

The protagonist of this video is Matt Cutts, who worked at Google from 2000 to 2015. He is the head of the Google spam team and serves as the liaison between the company and the SEO community.

Cutts confirmed that Google does not have the ideal keyword density. He said that excessive use of keywords does more harm than good.

Mentioning a keyword multiple times can help improve rankings, but more than this number may cause Google to treat it as keyword stuffing.

“Once you start mentioning it a lot, it really doesn’t help much. Diminishing returns. It’s just an incremental return, but it’s actually not that big. Then you’ll find that if you continue to repeat the content over and over again, then You are at risk of getting stuck in keyword stuffing or nonsense.

So once or twice you mentioned a word that might help your ranking, absolutely. But just because you can say it seven or eight times does not mean it will definitely help your ranking. “

If keyword density is not a ranking factor, what is the correct way to use keywords?

Once you Determine the keywords you want to use, Cutts recommends writing content long enough to add these keywords to the copy in a natural way. After you finish writing, read the content aloud and listen to any content that sounds incorrect.

If the copy sounds artificial, artificial, or written by a robot, this is a reasonable indicator that the keyword has been used too many times. On the other hand, if this sounds natural, then you are on the right track.

Using synonyms whenever possible can help you avoid reusing the same keywords. For example, in this text, we can replace “keyword density” with “keyword frequency”.

Synonyms are also a great way to attract readers’ attention, and they may even help rank other terms. Google understands synonyms, which means that when a page is not optimized for the exact term entered into the search bar, it may rank.

Don’t indulge in keyword density

Cutts’ advice is clear: stop paying attention to keyword density. Be careful with anyone who doesn’t say so.

“If people can stop obsessing with keyword density, I would be happy. It will be different. It will vary from region to region, and it will vary based on how other sites rank it.

This is not a hard and fast rule. Anyone who tells you that there is a hard rule may want to be careful because they might sell you keyword density software or something similar. “

Keyword density as a ranking factor: our judgment

Keyword density may have worked once. Ask any long-term SEO professional, and you will hear a lot of anecdotal evidence that keyword density is effective-and it works well.

But what about today?

Keyword density is not worth emphasizing at all. As long as you use the word or phrase multiple times as if you are not targeting a specific ratio, then you are fine.

At the very least, use keywords in the page title, meta description, and first paragraph. Then limit the use to multiple times throughout the copy.

The perfect keyword percentage is not used because keyword density is not a ranking factor.

Featured image: Paulo Bobita/SearchEngineJournal