Keyword Density: What It Is and Does It Still Matter?
Blog / SEO
Keyword density is the percentage of times a word or phrase appears compared with the total word count. It is a useful editing check, not a ranking target.
How to calculate it
Keyword density = (times the keyword appears ÷ total words) × 100. A word used 10 times in 1,000 words has a density of 1%.
Avoid keyword stuffing
Repeating a keyword unnaturally can hurt readability and violates Google's spam policies. Use the main term naturally plus related words and synonyms.
Use density to find repetition
A keyword density list quickly shows overused words you can replace.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good keyword density?
There is no official number. Write naturally; many natural articles fall around 0.5–2% for the main term.