You need 23 keywords in a blog post to rank well. Not.

As a search engine optimization (SEO) content writer who participates in many SEO-related Facebook groups, I am frequently asked the same question:

“How many keywords should I use in my posts?”

People seem to be looking for an exact number or percentage that defines an ideal “keyword density” for web pages and blog posts. They feel there is a sweet spot, and if they hit it, the traffic will come pouring in!

Sadly, that’s not exactly the case. In fact, keyword density is a useless metric when it comes to writing content optimized for search engine traffic and conversions.

To help anyone looking for an answerto that question, I want to try and debunk some common misconceptions about keyword density and show there is no magic keyword number. I will also share a handful of strategies I feel are useful for writing SEO-friendly content.

Debunking keyword density

There is no clear correlation between keyword density and how much organic traffic is generated by a post or page. In this case, the lack of evidence may be evidence in and of itself, as no SEO expert has been able to pinpoint the ideal ratio of keywords to content for generating traffic. I’ve tried and failed more times than I care to admit.

That’s not to say keywords don’t matter; they do and will continue to matter for the foreseeable future. However, it’s important to think beyond keywords and understand there are many more important factors coming into play.

[Read the full article on Search Engine Land.]

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About The Author

Jessica Foster

Jessica is an SEO content writer and content marketing strategist at Keys&Copy – a content agency that helps marketers get the best ROI on content for their clients. She is a regular contributor to Search Engine Land and other industry-leading blogs. When she’s not writing, she’s likely jet-setting across the world, laptop in tow.