Keyword Density
01 Definition
Keyword Density meaning: The percentage of a page's words that are made up of a specific keyword or phrase.
Keyword density is the number of times a keyword appears divided by the total word count, shown as a percentage. It was once used to gauge relevance, but modern search engines rely on meaning and context instead. There is no ideal target number, so writing naturally matters more than hitting a ratio.
Also called
Why it matters
How Keyword Density fits the work
Understanding density helps you spot text that repeats a phrase too often, which reads poorly and offers no ranking benefit on today's search engines.
In context
A 1,000 word article that uses the phrase "running shoes" 15 times has a keyword density of 1.5 percent for that phrase.
Practical note
Treat density as a rough check, not a goal. Chasing a specific percentage can push writers toward awkward, repetitive copy that hurts readability and trust.