Search Engine Optimization Programs | SEO Tutorial Program

Number of Keywords on a Page

One of the accepted ways to catch the eye of a search engine spider is to optimize the number of keywords on a web page. By keywords, it is meant the core subject described in the webpage or a particular word a person gives to the search engine to search in the cyberspace.

Ideally, for better results, the keywords must be used at least three to four times in the page text. There is no set limits to the number of times the keywords can be used, but ideally it must not be too less or too high. If there are keyword phrases (combination of many keywords), care must be taken that the keyword phrases as such are repeated several times in the article, with each of the words in the phrase coming in the exact order always. Further, each of the words in the keyword phrase must be used independently and liberally elsewhere in the text.

For example, if the keyword phrase is ‘SEO optimization’, the phrase as a whole should be used a number of times in the text body, followed by ‘SEO’ and ‘optimization’ used independently a further number of times, spread across the page. As a rule of thumb, if the key phrase ‘SEO optimization’ is used 10 times, ‘SEO’ can be used 7 times and ‘optimization’, 5 times. This is not a set pattern, but it presents the general picture of keyword/key phrase distribution.

Another way to express the number of keywords on a page is through keyword density. In fact, this is the way web designers interpret the arrangement of keywords in a webpage. Keyword density denotes the frequency of keywords appearing in the given text. It is usually expressed in percentage. For example, a keyword, appearing 6 times in a page of 100 words, the keyword density is 6%. 

The importance of keyword density is borne out of the fact that if the keyword density is too less, search engines give scant heed to the page. Again, if the keyword density is too high, still it could invite trouble for then the search engines will consider it as spam and activates the spam filter on the particular webpage. If the latter comes, Google will penalize the webpage and demote the website in its rankings. To put it in simpler terms, maintaining keyword density is a tightrope walk, with very less room to make a mistake. It is hit or miss at its very best!

For optimal search engine response, the keyword density in a webpage must be ideally between 5 to 7%. In case of keyword phrases, the total density of the individual words in the phrase must be within these limits. But anything more than 7% could be counterproductive. It is not only suicidal but also spoils the readability of the webpage content.

Another aspect that could help pep up search engine response is the number of keywords intelligently used at the start of the page or in the headings. Search engines generally give more weight-age for keyword density at the top part of a webpage. Also, keywords in the title tag, those expressed in the <strong> font, and the keywords or key phrases featuring in the links to other pages, could influence search results phenomenally.

To conclude, keywords in a page are very vital in improving the rankings of a webpage. But care must be taken that it is done optimally and without any overdoing. This is because, once Google or other search engine penalizes a webpage for its contents or ungentle manly behavior, it would be very difficult to gain the lost ground again.