What is Keyword Density?
Keyword density refers to the percentage of times a specific keyword or phrase appears on a webpage compared to the total word count. It is used to gauge how often a term is used and whether it’s distributed naturally throughout the content.
Keyword density is calculated as:
(Number of keyword uses ÷ Total number of words) × 100
For example, if a keyword appears 5 times in a 500-word article, the keyword density is 1%.
Why Keyword Density Matters
Keyword density was once a major factor in SEO rankings. However, modern search engines focus more on content quality, relevance, and context than simple repetition. Still, keyword density remains a useful guideline to ensure content stays focused without overusing keywords.
Maintaining a healthy keyword density helps to:
- Signal topic relevance to search engines
- Avoid keyword stuffing penalties
- Improve readability and user experience
- Ensure the keyword is naturally integrated into the content
Excessive keyword usage can harm rankings, while too little might reduce clarity for search engines.
Example in Use
In an article about “email marketing,” using that phrase a few times in the introduction, headings, and body can help reinforce the topic. But repeating it in every sentence would lead to keyword stuffing, which could hurt rankings.