Keyword density is one of the things that new bloggers ask about. It seems to be the topic that causes many headaches which leaves new bloggers scratching their head wondering what to do. We all know that SEO is important for our blog, and we know that keywords play a huge role in the SEO. But do you actually know the best way to use keywords in a blog post, or are you simply stuffing your post hoping that success will come your way?
Any new blog is going to take time to become indexed by Google. As much as we would like it to, it is not going to be an overnight success. This can become frustrating when starting out as you are working incredibly hard and not necessarily seeing any benefits from it. It is however important to keep at it, because over time you will see things pick up, and once Google finds you, the hard work will pay off.
SEO is an ever changing roller coaster and as soon as you think you have a handle on it….the car moves again! Keeping up to date with SEO is going to ultimately help you in the long run. Keyword density used to be the number 1 thing that bloggers concerned themselves with and would spend hours researching to get this right. This is still very important, but there are so many more things that search engines now look at.
If you are applying good SEO to your site, you should start to see a steady stream of organic traffic coming your way. It is your goal to be on the top of the search results listing for popular keywords in your niche, but how is this achieved?
Unfortunately there is no “Magic Formula” that is going to get this for you. There is not a one size fits all when it comes to keyword density, and it’s foolish to think that we can trick the search engines….because we can’t! There are however some guidelines that we can follow that can certainly help out.
5 tips to bear in mind when considering keyword density
1. Write First – Optimize Second
Let’s start at the beginning. One of the best things you can do is write a valuable blog post and look at your keyword density afterwards. Think about what your post is about, and search keywords that are appropriate to the topic. A valuable blog post will keep the traffic that has been sent it’s way and will help you build yourself as an authority within your niche. So FOCUS on your content, and once that is complete, return to your post and ensure that it is optimized correctly.
2. Choosing a keyword
Even though I have said that there is no magic formula for keyword density, it is still important to choose one and use it well. At the end of the day, your chosen keyword is what the search engines use to index your page and send potential readers your way. You should be choosing just ONE (two at the very most), keywords to focus on per post. If the competition is high, you really should narrow it down to one.
3. Keep it natural
An important thing to consider when you look at your post is whether the keywords look natural. Does it read well, or is your keyword stuffed in every sentence and paragraph? Your keyword placement should be subtle and a natural part of the paragraph. If it is not, then you have likely tried too hard.
Google and other search engines want to send traffic to sites that are providing valuable information to readers, so the number 1 thing to keep in mind are your readers! If your posts are filled simply with keywords rather than actual valuable content, then your readers are not going to be impressed!
If you really must have a figure in your mind, then a keyword density of about 2% should be considered. Any higher than that, you would be keyword stuffing. Be careful though, as this really is just a guide and the context of your post and how you are using the keywords are more important than having that ‘magic number’. If you do not have enough keywords your site will suffer, but likewise if you have too many keywords, your site will suffer!
4. Position your keywords well
Once you have decided upon the keyword you are going to target, you need to ensure that you have used this in the content of your post correctly. As a general rule you should be placing the keyword at the start of your post title, in an H1 or H2 tag, your meta description and tags, and in your images.
Place your keyword in the first and last sentence of your post and it is always a good idea to add some variations of the keyword within the post’s context.
5. Use a plugin to help your efforts
If SEO is something that gives you a migraine, it is definitely worth your while downloading a plugin that will greatly assist your efforts. The plugin will analyze your keyword density and provide you with ideas for their placement. There are many good plugins to use, an example being WordPress SEO by Yoast. The plugin is not going to do the work for you, but it will certainly help keep you on track!
As you learn how to blog, you will find that SEO becomes a lot easier and more natural, so keep persisting because you will get there!
Are there any general rules that you tend to follow when thinking about your keyword density? Please share with us below.
