So many bloggers, writers and businesses want to get to the first page of Google. They want to know the best keyword strategy and whether there is an ideal keyword density to focus on. In fact, you may have heard that there is a safe keyword density of one or two percent, but is this true?
The reality is that the rules around using them are constantly changing and the idea that a particular density is safe could be a myth.
In the past, bloggers and internet marketers found that placing keywords into the content of a post a certain amount of times was an easy way to get that post ranking highly in Google search results. Google caught onto this tactic, and knowing that readers didn’t like the content, they changed their algorithms and these keyword stuffed articles and blog posts dropped down in ranking considerably. So looking back, perhaps there was a time when an ideal and safe density did exist, but does it exist today?
Is Safe Keyword Density Just a Myth?
In my opinion, yes. As Google are constantly changing their algorithms and don’t let anybody know how they really work, I cannot see how anyone can say that they have worked out the perfect density. Especially when they have no understanding about how the algorithms assess them within their content.
One of the reasons Google constantly change and modify their algorithms is to stop people gaming their way to the top of their search results. If they didn’t do this they would end up with websites in the number one spot that were completely irrelevant to the search query.
Now does all this mean you shouldn’t think about using them…. Not at all! I consider keywords to be very important as I have explained in this post: The Importance of Keyword Research. However, I think trying to calculate a safe or ideal density for your posts is a complete waste of time.
Using Keywords
When using them, instead of concentrating on what you consider to be an optimal density, you need to focus on how relevant they are in relation to your content. They need to fit into your content easily, read naturally and make sense. At no point should fitting them in be your main focus for the article.
If you need a bit of guidance on how to implement your keywords, one small trick is to enter them into Google and then look at the top three to five results. As Google has deemed them worthy of these positions they must be doing something right. Look at how many times they have been used to give yourself an idea of how often to use them in your content.
However, keep in mind that the amount of times they appear isn’t the only thing the search engine has considered. There are so many factors involved to determine the positioning of the current pages and where you will fit into the mix.
Once you have completed a piece of content, before publishing it, it’s always a good idea to ask someone else to read it. Ask them if they think your content explains the topic clearly and reads naturally. Most importantly, ask them for their overall opinion of your content and take some time to reflect on their feedback.
Furthermore, using a fresh set of eyes is a great way for spotting basic errors. Quite often, when you have been working on a piece of content for some time, you can make mistakes that you don’t pick up no matter how many times you read it. However, when someone else reads your content for the first time they tend to spot these mistakes instantly.
Don’t Forget
The most important thing is creating relevant and interesting content for your readers. Google wants to know that people want to read what you have to say, so you need to write with your readers in mind. The more naturally you write, the more your main keywords will fit in seamlessly and the search engine results will follow.
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