What is Keyword Density and LSI and Why They Matter For Your SEO Strategy
Often times you hear people refer to “keyword density” when talking about search engine optimization.
Keyword Density
Keyword density refers to how often a phrase is mentioned throughout the content of a web page in contrast to the total number or words within the page.
Search engine optimization specialists who offer professional SEO services generally concede that a density of between 2% and 5% is optimal when completing the on-page optimization of a website. What that means is that your targeted keyword phrase for that web page should make up between 2% to 5% of the total page text content.
However with the changes that Google has made over recent years with regards to Latent Semantic Indexing, keyword density for targeted keyword phrases has become more difficult to incorporate successfully.
Latent Semantic Indexing
Latent Semantic Indexing (also referred to as LSI) was introduced into Google’s algorithm a few years ago.
Similar to synonyms, Google created their own database of “key” word phrases that are synonymous or related to one another. Google based their list on the search queries of internet users and the phrases that website owners used within their websites to describe the same “key” word phrase.
When synonymous keyword phrases (also called “related” or “stem” phrases) are used within a web page they are considered to be the same as using the targeted keyword phrase and changes the dynamics of “keyword density” within a web page.
Most keyword density tools however, are not equipped to determine successfully what phrases Google considers synonymous or related to other phrases; therefore these tools cannot actually determine the keyword density accurately.
The result can leave a website owner either with an under-optimized (low keyword density) web page or an over-optimized (high keyword density) web page; either way the page is not likely to obtain high natural rankings in the search engine listing results.
Identifying Google’s Synonymous Phrases
One easy way to determine which phrases Google finds synonymous is to use Google’s advanced search operators when completing a search query. Below is an easy example to help get you started.
Google’s Synonymous Phrases for “Car”
To find the synonymous phrases for the word car, simply go to Google.com and in the search box type in the tilde (~) and then the word “car”. It should look like this:
~car
Press the search button.
When the results are returned, you will see various words that are bolded within the various search engine results. These bolded words are the phrases that Google has indicated as being synonymous or related to the word “car”.
Some of the phrases that you will see are:
- BMW
- Cars
- Auto
- Automobile
- Vehicle
- California Association of Realtors
Synonymous Phrases, Related Phrases & Acronyms
As you can see there are some phrases that are not truly “synonymous” with the word car, but are more or less related. You can also see that “CAR” is the acronym for California Association of Realtors, not a synonym for the phrase car.
To utilize keyword density effectively in your search engine optimization efforts, it is important that:
- You review these related phrases and ensure that any phrases that are semantically related to the phrase you are targeting from your keyword research will also be utilized in your text content.
- It is equally important to ensure that you do not add in any phrases that are not related to your text content, just because they show up within your LSI research
1st on the List Professional SEO Services
Our copywriting team at 1st on the List Promotion Inc understands the importance of keyword density and utilizing LSI and related keyword terminology effectively to achieve organic search engine rankings.
We can incorporate compelling copy when creating new content or working with existing website content based on the keyword research and targeted keyword phrases you have chosen for your search engine optimization campaign and the keyword density requirements for that page.
Effective use of keyword density, LSI and related key phrase placements will not only help to provide visitors with the information they need to make purchasing decisions, but also allow the search engines to understand the relevant phrases for your website.
Let us help you make your on-page optimization easier. We understand how to make phrases naturally occur within the text content of your web pages while satisfying the keyword density requirements necessary for top search engine rankings.
To learn more about effective use of keyword density and Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) or to ask about any of our professional SEO services please Contact us today or call 1st on the List Promotion Inc Toll-Free at 1-888-262-6687.
