undefined
Skip to content
Moz logo Menu open Menu close
  • Products
    • Moz Pro
    • Moz Pro Home
    • Moz Local
    • Moz Local Home
    • STAT
    • Moz API
    • Moz API Home
    • Compare SEO Products
    • Moz Data
  • Free SEO Tools
    • Domain Analysis
    • Keyword Explorer
    • Link Explorer
    • Competitive Research
    • MozBar
    • More Free SEO Tools
  • Learn SEO
    • Beginner's Guide to SEO
    • SEO Learning Center
    • Moz Academy
    • MozCon
    • Webinars, Whitepapers, & Guides
  • Blog
  • Why Moz
    • Digital Marketers
    • Agency Solutions
    • Enterprise Solutions
    • Small Business Solutions
    • The Moz Story
    • New Releases
  • Log in
  • Log out
  • Products
    • Moz Pro

      Your all-in-one suite of SEO essentials.

    • Moz Local

      Raise your local SEO visibility with complete local SEO management.

    • STAT

      SERP tracking and analytics for enterprise SEO experts.

    • Moz API

      Power your SEO with our index of over 44 trillion links.

    • Compare SEO Products

      See which Moz SEO solution best meets your business needs.

    • Moz Data

      Power your SEO strategy & AI models with custom data solutions.

    Track AI Overviews in Keyword Research
    Moz Pro

    Track AI Overviews in Keyword Research

    Try it free!
  • Free SEO Tools
    • Domain Analysis

      Get top competitive SEO metrics like DA, top pages and more.

    • Keyword Explorer

      Find traffic-driving keywords with our 1.25 billion+ keyword index.

    • Link Explorer

      Explore over 40 trillion links for powerful backlink data.

    • Competitive Research

      Uncover valuable insights on your organic search competitors.

    • MozBar

      See top SEO metrics for free as you browse the web.

    • More Free SEO Tools

      Explore all the free SEO tools Moz has to offer.

    NEW Keyword Suggestions by Topic
    Moz Pro

    NEW Keyword Suggestions by Topic

    Learn more
  • Learn SEO
    • Beginner's Guide to SEO

      The #1 most popular introduction to SEO, trusted by millions.

    • SEO Learning Center

      Broaden your knowledge with SEO resources for all skill levels.

    • On-Demand Webinars

      Learn modern SEO best practices from industry experts.

    • How-To Guides

      Step-by-step guides to search success from the authority on SEO.

    • Moz Academy

      Upskill and get certified with on-demand courses & certifications.

    • MozCon

      Save on Early Bird tickets and join us in London or New York City

    Unlock flexible pricing & new endpoints
    Moz API

    Unlock flexible pricing & new endpoints

    Find your plan
  • Blog
  • Why Moz
    • Digital Marketers

      Simplify SEO tasks to save time and grow your traffic.

    • Small Business Solutions

      Uncover insights to make smarter marketing decisions in less time.

    • Agency Solutions

      Earn & keep valuable clients with unparalleled data & insights.

    • Enterprise Solutions

      Gain a competitive edge in the ever-changing world of search.

    • The Moz Story

      Moz was the first & remains the most trusted SEO company.

    • New Releases

      Get the scoop on the latest and greatest from Moz.

    Surface actionable competitive intel
    New Feature

    Surface actionable competitive intel

    Learn More
  • Log in
    • Moz Pro
    • Moz Local
    • Moz Local Dashboard
    • Moz API
    • Moz API Dashboard
    • Moz Academy
  • Avatar
    • Moz Home
    • Notifications
    • Account & Billing
    • Manage Users
    • Community Profile
    • My Q&A
    • My Videos
    • Log Out

The Moz Q&A Forum

  • Forum
  • Questions
  • Users
  • Ask the Community

Welcome to the Q&A Forum

Browse the forum for helpful insights and fresh discussions about all things SEO.

  1. Home
  2. SEO Tactics
  3. On-Page Optimization
  4. KeyWord Density?

Moz Q&A is closed.

After more than 13 years, and tens of thousands of questions, Moz Q&A closed on 12th December 2024. Whilst we’re not completely removing the content - many posts will still be possible to view - we have locked both new posts and new replies. More details here.

KeyWord Density?

On-Page Optimization
5
7
9.4k
Loading More Posts
  • Oldest to Newest
  • Newest to Oldest
  • Most Votes
Reply
  • Reply as question
Log in to reply
This topic has been deleted. Only users with question management privileges can see it.
  • JML1179
    JML1179 last edited by Oct 31, 2012, 1:31 AM

    What is an acceptable density for a keyword? It's wise to push it as close to spam without sacrificing user experience, correct?

    I read an article on SeoMoz (outdated I think) that mentioned 6%.

    If it's a keyword phrase, do you have to make sure you don't go over the density level of a particular word in the phrase. If it's a three word phrase, do you have to not use any one word more than X% or just monitor the exact keyword.

    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
    • Jungles
      Jungles last edited by Nov 1, 2012, 2:48 PM Nov 1, 2012, 2:47 PM

      In my understanding  - Google is a machine that wants us to think that it is acting as a human being 😉

      In general - there is some human influence on their 'algos' but it's important to understand -  it is still a machine! And most important is to clearly lied down - it is machine that constantly keeps upgraded and tweaked by humans.

      I see where and why Joseph coming from and I see why he still is not satisfied with the answer. You know why? Because question is wrong for this community 😉

      Everyone here wants to do good for you Joseph! And that is why you are not getting direct answer regarding correct keyword density percentage. The truth is - this number is keeping changing constantly and whatever  'density' will you apply to your article it is - DANGEROUS! There is no exact magical number but there is a safe side that works for present moment.

      And to answer you directly - do not cross 1.5 - 2.0 percentage at the moment. Think about this like that - If you will apply wrong keyword density to your article you will get fired from your job.

      So, how to apply correct keyword density you are asking! -  you see, you asking to guarantee you something that only Google can guarantee as there is no insight - what Google will implement next and how that will affect everyone here.

      One golden rule applies for this though - keep constantly updating and changing your content! As far it is the best of the best of all ranking advices what I can give you because as far as it goes now - Whenever new content is published Google clearly and immediately recognizes, responds and communicates with you via changes of you ranking positions via what!? - via keyword density,placement,decoration,website structure, credibility,visibility and all this blah,blah,blah stuff 😉 You see - keywords are still there!

      So, sorry, but there is no magical and precise pill for this! That is why question was a bit wrong.

      all the best,

      Jungles

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • skehoe
        skehoe Subscriber last edited by Oct 31, 2012, 5:55 AM Oct 31, 2012, 5:55 AM

        Google is placing less and less importance on keyword density.

        As a general rule always have the keyword/phrase in the Title, summary and opening paragraph and enbedded in any images/videos attached. And include some variations of the key term throughout the content eg. using synonyms.

        I would recommend sticking at around 3% anything more than that definitely looks spammy

        A little bit 'old school' but a tool you can use is http://www.visiblepr.com

        You just enter in your top 3 keywords/phases and copy and paste the text into the box and it will tell you the density.

        As mentioned through Google will probably appreciate the synonyms throughout the content over high density keywords.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • Debdulal
          Debdulal @JML1179 last edited by Oct 31, 2012, 3:22 AM Oct 31, 2012, 3:22 AM

          Keyword density is passe. Just make  sure you have used the targeted keywords in the title and a couples of times in the body content. But no need to use them as it is. For say if you are writing on Web design NY, you do not need to use the phrase as it.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
          • nbeske
            nbeske @JML1179 last edited by Oct 31, 2012, 2:45 AM Oct 31, 2012, 2:44 AM

            I believe the tools are focused on a minimum number of instances of the phrase and not the %. Keyword density as an important ranking factor is a myth.

            Here are two great links that will help shine some light on the subject for you:

            http://www.seomoz.org/blog/10-myths-that-scare-seos-but-shouldnt-whiteboard-friday http://www.seomoz.org/beginners-guide-to-seo/myths-and-misconceptions-about-search-engines

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
            • JML1179
              JML1179 @nbeske last edited by Oct 31, 2012, 2:11 AM Oct 31, 2012, 2:11 AM

              This is a common sense approach. There is an optimal %.

              I can write endless content that has high value. My site targets local real estate. I could write a hundred pages with a high value to customers. I need to know the %. I could write 300 words at 6% phrase. I could write 1,000 words at 3% etc... No matter how much content I add, it will be high quality.

              I appreciate the link to the tool; however, even the tool has to target a specific %. It has to have an objective concept in which it weighs by. I am certain it has a %.

              A blog on SEOMOZ once said 6%. A local SEO told me that is high level spam.

              nbeske Debdulal 2 Replies Last reply Oct 31, 2012, 3:22 AM Reply Quote 0
              • nbeske
                nbeske last edited by Oct 31, 2012, 1:46 AM Oct 31, 2012, 1:46 AM

                You should always write content for users and not search engines. Trying to achieve a specific percentage of keyword density could do more harm than good if it messes up the natural flow of your content. Instead you should use the on-page optimization tool to make sure your following best practices. It will of course let you know if you should try and include a few more instances of your targeted keyword. Adding additional content sections to the page can sometimes help you find better places to work in your keywords, try adding testimonials, lists, pull out quotes or excerpts of the main content, etc. There's also data that suggests partial match and related terms can help influence your on page relevancy so be sure you're working in these types of terms as well.

                JML1179 1 Reply Last reply Oct 31, 2012, 2:11 AM Reply Quote 3
                • 1 / 1
                1 out of 7
                • First post
                  1/7
                  Last post

                Got a burning SEO question?

                Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.


                Start my free trial


                Browse Questions

                Explore more categories

                • Moz Tools

                  Chat with the community about the Moz tools.

                • SEO Tactics

                  Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers

                • Community

                  Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!

                • Digital Marketing

                  Chat about tactics outside of SEO

                • Research & Trends

                  Dive into research and trends in the search industry.

                • Support

                  Connect on product support and feature requests.

                • See all categories

                Related Questions

                • xdunningx

                  Using Bold text for keywords

                  Hello I am updating an old e-commerce website of mine and many keywords are in bold - shall I remove the bold tag or keep them there? This is for SEO.

                  On-Page Optimization | Nov 8, 2017, 7:10 AM | xdunningx
                  0
                • woodchuckarts

                  How can a page rank for keywords that it does not have on it?

                  I have a client that is ranking in the top 10 for several keywords on their homepage. Their site has no purposeful SEO in it, there is barely any text on the homepage at all and none of the text are the keywords it is ranking for.

                  On-Page Optimization | Sep 10, 2017, 7:18 PM | woodchuckarts
                  2
                • Mike.Bean

                  Keyword Stuffing Question

                  Say your on a e-commerce category page "Shirts" every lower level category has "shirts" in it such as: T-shirt, long sleeve shirt, sweat shirt, v-neck shirt, and so on. Is this page going to be penalized in google for the keyword "shirts" just because it is in the title and on the page a thousand times because i'm targetting words like "long sleeve shirt? and if it is, will the "long sleeve shirt" keyword be negatively affected as well? Answer much appreciated,
                  Thanks in advance.

                  On-Page Optimization | Jan 27, 2016, 12:37 AM | Mike.Bean
                  0
                • estebanseo

                  Using keywords in my URL: Doing a redirect to /keyword

                  My website in "On Page Grade" received an A.Anyway, I only have 1 thing to optimize:_"Use Keywords in your URL__Using your targeted keywords in the URL string adds relevancy to your page for search engine rankings, assists potential visitors identify the topic of your page from the URL, and provides SEO value when used as the anchor text of referring links."_My website is ranking in top10 for a super high competitive keyword and all my others competitors have the keyword on their domain, but not for my URL.Since I can't change my domain for fixing this suggestion, I would like to know what do you think about doing a 301 redirect from / to mydomainname.com/keyword/So the index of my website would be the /keyword.I don't know if this can make a damage to my SERP for the big change ir it would be a great choice.

                  On-Page Optimization | Mar 30, 2015, 10:13 AM | estebanseo
                  0
                • FarrisFahad

                  How does Google Detect which keywords my website should show up for in the SE?

                  When I checked my Google Webmaster Tools I found that my website is showing up for keywords that I didn't optimize for ... for example I optimize my website for "funny pictures with captions", and the website is showing up for "funny images with captions". I know that this is good, but the keyword is dancing all around, sometimes I search for "funny pictures with captions" and I show up in the 7th page, and some time I don't show up. and the same goes for the other keyword. of course I am optimizing for more than two keywords but the results is not consistent. my question is how does Google decide which keywords you website should show up for? Is it the on-page keywords?, or is it the off-page anchor text keywords? Thank you in advance ...
                  FarrisFahad

                  On-Page Optimization | Jul 8, 2013, 10:30 PM | FarrisFahad
                  0
                • Bram76

                  The word "in" between 2 keywords influence on SEO

                  Does anybody know when you have the word "in" between two keywords has this a negative influence in Google? For example: "Holiday Home Germany" is the search term in Google
                  "Holiday Home in Germany"  as h1 on our website or do we have to use "Holiday Home Germany" on our website?

                  On-Page Optimization | May 22, 2013, 10:47 AM | Bram76
                  0
                • sub9090

                  How many keywords max can I optimize each page for?

                  I don't want to over optimize by doing 1 keyword per 1 page, but then if I do more, seomoz on-page tool report doesn't give an A grade for each keyword I optimize. I usually optimize for max 3 keywords that are very closely related, meaning they use the same words.  Ex. dentist los angeles, los angeles dentist, dentist in los angeles Am I on the right track or what's your recommendation? Should I create different landing pages for each keyword?

                  On-Page Optimization | Sep 11, 2012, 4:23 PM | sub9090
                  0
                • dgruhin

                  Need help with fluctuating ranking for a specific keyword

                  my website www.totalmanagement.com fluctuates for the search term: web based property management software I have been using SEO Moz for a few months now and have managed to get to the top 5 and jump around between 3 and 5. Does anyone have any suggestions to assist me? Long term goal is also to really target: Property Management Software But I am still very new at this. Thanks in advance for the help!

                  On-Page Optimization | Mar 9, 2012, 1:54 PM | dgruhin
                  0

                Get started with Moz Pro!

                Unlock the power of advanced SEO tools and data-driven insights.

                Start my free trial
                Products
                • Moz Pro
                • Moz Local
                • Moz API
                • Moz Data
                • STAT
                • Product Updates
                Moz Solutions
                • SMB Solutions
                • Agency Solutions
                • Enterprise Solutions
                • Digital Marketers
                Free SEO Tools
                • Domain Authority Checker
                • Link Explorer
                • Keyword Explorer
                • Competitive Research
                • Brand Authority Checker
                • Local Citation Checker
                • MozBar Extension
                • MozCast
                Resources
                • Blog
                • SEO Learning Center
                • Help Hub
                • Beginner's Guide to SEO
                • How-to Guides
                • Moz Academy
                • API Docs
                About Moz
                • About
                • Team
                • Careers
                • Contact
                Why Moz
                • Case Studies
                • Testimonials
                Get Involved
                • Become an Affiliate
                • MozCon
                • Webinars
                • Practical Marketer Series
                • MozPod
                Connect with us

                Contact the Help team

                Join our newsletter
                Moz logo
                © 2021 - 2025 SEOMoz, Inc., a Ziff Davis company. All rights reserved. Moz is a registered trademark of SEOMoz, Inc.
                • Accessibility
                • Terms of Use
                • Privacy

                Looks like your connection to Moz was lost, please wait while we try to reconnect.