The Keyword Density Factor
If you are using any form of Internet Marketing
to promote your company products and services then you already know that
search engine optimization is fundamental to success at the moment. There
are an incredible number of companies offering their services claiming
to increase search engine rankings. However, the truth is that none of
these companies can honestly guarantee search success. Why? Well, this
is simply because the algorithms used by the major search engines to rank
websites are far too complicated and sophisticated to ever really crack.
But, even if a programmer did manage to work out the exact algorithm and
was able to apply it to creating the perfect optimized site, it would not
last since the search engines regularly alter the algorithms to prevent
any such breach.
For example, Google factors over 100 variables
in their algorithms. Although it is difficult to determine the running
order of importance to the various factors, it is generally agreed that
keyword density is a deciding factor used for search engine ranking. Keywords
are simply the words and phrases that a surfer types into the search box
to find the relevant information available on the Net. The search engines
in turn provides the surfer with a listing of websites related to their
query. If you type in 'sailing', then you do not want to look at a web
page that mentions the word only once as it is likely not to contain the
information that you are looking for. However, if the web page mentions
the phrase "sailing" ten times, then it is much more likely to contain
the information that you seek. This is the clear reason why keyword density
is such an important variable.
The Keyword density can be expressed as
a percentage of the total number of words found on a particular web page.
It represents the number of times the keyword is mentioned and can be determined
by dividing the number of keyword occurrences by the total number of words
on the page. So if you had an article with 200 words and 10 of those were
the keyword, then there would be a keyword density of 2%. It is generally
accepted that a keyword density of between 2 and 5 percent is optimum.
This may vary between search engines but it is a good rule to follow. It
is also a good idea to include the keyword within the title as most search
engines consider a keyword title more relevant. However, be careful with
the use of your keyword since the search engines will penalize you if you
overuse it, so its a good idea not to exceed the 5% density level.
Primary keywords are those exact phrases
typed into the search engine. Tier one keywords are those that are
the same as the primary keyword, but with a slight modification in grammar.
"Bicycle parts" would be a tier one keyword for "bicycle part". They
should be used only once in the first or second paragraph. Tier two
keywords are words that one would relate to the primary keyword.
For "bicycle part", tier two keywords would be things like: seat,
handlebars, spokes, wheels, or anything else that might appear in an article
about bicycles. These do not need any specific density but should
be used naturally throughout the article. Finally, keyword variations are
the final component. For "bicycle part", they would be: bicycles,
part, parts, and bicycles. These need to be used throughout the article
but should never exceed 5% in total density.
Again, the success of these rules will
vary from search engine to search engine. However, following these
tips will boost rankings by telling the search engine that your article
is more relevant to the keyword, typed in by the surfer, than others. You
will need to experiment with the formula to discover the best way to increase
your rankings. Achieving an optimal keyword density is not the only variable
in gaining a high ranking on the search engines, but it is one of
the most important ones so be sure to take the time to find the keyword
density formula that works best for you.
Desmond Mantor is the Marketing Manager
for Have Traffic
a company specializing in traffic generation for for commercial websites.
Please visit http://www.havetraffic.com for information about our revolutionary
web site promotion service
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