Keyword density is the percentage of times a specific keyword or phrase appears in a given body of text, typically a web page. In the early days of search engine optimization (SEO), keyword density was used as a metric to measure the relevance of a web page for a specific keyword or phrase. The theory was that the higher the keyword density, the more relevant the page would be for that keyword, and therefore the better it would rank in search results.
However, with the advancement of search algorithms and an increased focus on user experience, keyword density has become a less important factor in SEO. Today, search engines focus more on the overall quality and relevance of a web page, rather than on the number of times a keyword appears on the page.
In modern SEO, it’s recommended to use keywords in a natural and relevant manner, rather than stuffing them into a page to increase the keyword density. This includes using keywords in the page title, meta description, headings, and throughout the body of the text. However, over-optimizing a page with keywords, known as “keyword stuffing”, can result in a penalty from search engines.
Overall, keyword density is a factor that used to be important in SEO, but has become less so over time. Today, it’s more important to focus on creating high-quality, relevant, and useful content for users, rather than solely on increasing keyword density.