Keyword density and targeting are the bread and butter of search engine optimization (SEO). But how do you know how many you should target on your web page?

The right keywords can lead your target audience straight to your website, bringing a flood of traffic and increasing conversions like a tidal wave. They’re the secret ingredients that help your website rise to the top of search engine results pages (SERPs) like a hot-air balloon on a sunny day. So here’s our guidelines for getting your keyword density right the first time around!

What exactly is keyword density?

First things first, let’s talk about keyword density. Keyword density refers to the number of times a particular keyword or phrase appears in the content of a website relative to the total number of words on the page. By using keywords strategically throughout your content, you can help increase visibility in SERPs and create more engaging content for users.

What’s the optimal density for a web page or post? 

A good rule of thumb is to aim for a keyword density of 1-2%. So, for a 1,000-word landing page, use your primary keyword at least 10-20 times.

But, having said this, you should always avoid keyword stuffing – a common black hat SEO practice that crams as many relevant keywords as possible into content, often resulting in poor readability and even decreased rankings. I would recommend keeping your primary keyword density to 1% of your word count.

To avoid keyword stuffing, focus on creating useful, quality content while incorporating a few carefully chosen, relevant keywords that accurately reflect the topics covered in your content. It’s also vital you regularly review your website for any potential keyword-stuffing issues.

To optimise your site content, try out one of the many keyword density checkers available. Yoast SEO or WebpageFX Keyword Density Checker are great options for ensuring you don’t repeat words too often. Just pop in your URL and be sure you haven’t been too overzealous with those magical marketing terms!

Remember, too many keywords on one page can dilute the focus of your content and make it tough for search engines to determine the relevance of your page. So, keep it simple, silly!

Keyword clustering – what is it and why is it important?

Ever wondered why Google ranks some web pages higher than others? It’s all about relevance. One way to make sure your content is seen by the right people is by using keyword clustering—that is, grouping related keywords together in your content.

The key is to use semantically related words and phrases so that Google’s spiders can more easily understand what your content is discussing. By creating groups of related keywords, you give a better idea of what your page is about and can increase its visibility.

So, if you want to improve your search rankings, consider creating clusters of relevant keywords that accurately describe the topic at hand. Doing this could help boost visibility and attract a wider audience.

What is the ideal word count for a web page?

One of the best ways to do boost rankings is to provide plenty of relevant content. After all, the more information you provide, the better your chances of showing up in search engine rankings.

But don’t just throw together a bunch of random words—300 should be your absolute minimum for body copy. That way, you can ensure that your page is full of helpful and accurate information that will help people find what they’re looking for.

If you want to get more traffic, Google’s EAT (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) recommendation is a way for content creators to ensure their web pages provide value to users. In short, the goal is to produce quality content that’s trustworthy, accurate and reliable.

When creating content, it’s important to focus on Expertise—do you have the skills or knowledge necessary to create this content? Do you have any credentials or awards that prove you are an expert in your field? Are any of your sources experts in the area?

Authoritativeness is about making sure your content is truly valuable. Have it reviewed by peers or competitors, if possible. Use reputable sources when citing facts and figures so that your information can be verified.
Last, focus on Trustworthiness: make sure you back up all claims with facts and evidence, and don’t be afraid to offer differing opinions where applicable. Showing that you have considered all angles will add trustworthiness to your pages.

Always prioritize quality over quantity. It’s not just about word count—it’s about providing useful and engaging information. Google rewards pages that offer valuable answers, so make sure that your content really addresses user queries and provides worthwhile insights. And remember, if you need to help, you can always give us a call.

How many keywords should I target to rank higher?

I often get sent page-long lists of keywords a client wants to target on a single page, sometimes with no search volume data to help me decide which would work best for their business.

Unfortunately, targeting too many keywords on a single page can dilute the focus of your content and make it difficult for search engines to determine the relevance of your page to specific keywords. This can cause lower rankings and reduced visibility in SERPs.

Here’s a keyword density formula that will help you kiss your SEO woes goodbye:

1. Choose a single topic as a focus for your page.

   Tired of feeling like you’re all over the map with your website content? When targeting keywords, focus on one topic per page. This is crucial folks! It makes it easier for search engines to understand your page’s relevance and helps you rank higher. Setting a primary keyword makes targeting your content easier, so that your page has more focus and direction. Plus, google will love it, since they’ll be able to better understand what your page is about and therefore rank it higher.

2. How to find the right primary keyword.

First things first, what is a primary keyword? It’s essentially the main term or phrase that describes your content aim. For example, if you’re writing about SEO, your primary keyword might be “SEO”.

Finding the right primary keyword for you can take some time and effort. There are three main elements to pay attention to: relevance, competition and search volume.

• Relevance is important because Google ranks content based on how relevant it is to a user’s search query.

• Competition is important because it tells you how many other websites target that same keyword.

• And search volume is important because it tells you how many people are searching for that term.

To get started with your keyword research, make a list of subjects related to your business and then narrow down those topics until you find one that has a good balance of relevance, competition and search volume. You can use tools like Wordtracker or Ahrefs to help with this process.

It’s essential to choose a focus keyword with a good search volume and low difficulty. A keyword with high search volume means that many people are searching for that keyword, providing an opportunity to reach a large audience. A keyword with low difficulty means that there is less competition for that keyword, making it easier for your page to rank higher in the SERPs.

Now, decide on your secondary keywords.

Once you’ve identified your primary keyword, don’t forget about secondary keywords! These are related terms that help support and expand upon your primary keyword.

For example, if your primary keyword was “SEO”, some secondary keywords might include “search engine optimisation” or “keyword research”. Including these secondary keywords in your content will help boost its relevance and visibility in search results.

1. How many secondary keywords should you have?

Use only 2-3 secondary keywords per page. Never try to stuff as many as you can into your content––instead create a new page to cover the topic.

They should be keyword variants on your primary keyword, related to your primary keyword and provide additional context to your page’s content.

 Why can’t I target more keywords per page?

You can, but you’ll also need to extend your word count if you want to do so. Targeting more than 4 keywords per 1,000-word page is difficult. Why? Because the length of your page title, SEO title, and meta description are character restricted, so it’s difficult to fit 4 keywords into these areas.

When it comes to keyword targeting, it’s essential to focus on quality over quantity. By targeting the right keywords and using them strategically, you can improve your visibility in the SERPs and drive more traffic your way.

One way you could target your entire list of keywords is to create a long page full of useful information. I’m talking 2000+ words. However, this approach brings its own challenges and while it may work for a pillar post (aka a really long blog), it probably won’t be practical for a landing page.

What about long-tail keywords?

Ever heard of long-tail keywords? They might sound intimidating, but they’re actually invaluable for SEO success. Here’s why you should try them: They target a smaller niche audience and are easier to rank for. So, instead of going for the big, broad keywords, aim for the more specific ones that pack a punch.

Terms with the highest search volumes can be pretty competitive. That’s where long-tail keywords come in! These longer searches often result in higher conversion rates since they are more likely to be targeted by users who are ready to buy or take action. So if you’re trying to attract high-quality leads and make more sales, incorporating long-tail keywords into your content is a great way to do it.

Another great thing about long-tail keywords is they provide an opportunity for creative writing and storytelling within your content. For example, instead of simply saying “dog food”, you could use something like “all-natural vegan dog food”. This provides a bit of extra context for your readers and helps them better understand what your page is about.

Now I’ve got my target keyword, where do I put it?

So you’ve zeroed in on the perfect primary keyword for your website—congrats, you’re almost there! Now that you have it, let’s take a closer look at where should you use it.

The best place to put your target keyword is within the page title and headers. This way, search engines can quickly identify what your page is about and rank it accordingly.

Don’t forget to include it up to 10 times per 1000 words of body content! But you’ll want to insert your keyword naturally as well to avoid sounding robotic and annoying your target audience. Write for humans first, google second! Don’t just throw it in wherever – instead, try to work it into sentences organically or use some creative wordplay.

Don’t forget about meta tags, either! These are snippets of text that appear when a link shows up in search results. Include your target keyword here as well for extra visibility. And then there’s alt text (aka alt tags, alt attributes, and alternative text). These are short pieces of descriptive text you can associate with your web images. This text displays in place of the image if it fails to load, or if viewers are using screen readers.

Alt text gives context to an image and helps search engines better understand what the page is about, as well as make sure visually impaired users can access all of your content. Generally, it should be concise yet descriptive—only 125 characters for each image. Using keywords within your alt text can also help boost your website’s SEO rankings.

Test your density often.

Now that you’ve implemented all of the above steps, how do you make sure your page is getting maximum visibility on Google? Testing your keyword density can be a great way to determine how effective your content is.

Look at the current metrics for your page, such as traffic and ranking. This will give you an idea of where your page stands in the search results. Then, try changing the keyword density and watch what happens to your metrics. With Google Analytics, you can track exactly how these changes affect your performance.

By testing different levels of keyword density, you can see which works best for improving visibility and driving more traffic to your website—so don’t forget to keep an eye on it!

So there you have it folks—with proper keyword placement, you’ll be well on your way to boosting your SEO and getting more organic web traffic. With target keywords and good keyword density, remember it’s all about quality over quantity. Who knew SEO could be so fun?

TLDR: Keyword targeting is a crucial aspect of SEO, and it’s all about finding the right balance. Aim for a keyword density of 1-2%, focus on one topic per page, use 2-3 secondary keywords (preferably long-tail), and choose keywords with a good search volume and low difficulty. And don’t forget to have fun with it!