How Many Keywords Should You Focus On Per Page?
Do you know the correct number of SEO keywords to target per page or whether you should create unique pages for each keyword variation? This post answers your questions.
You should adhere to some standard rules when deciding how many SEO keywords to target per page, which I will explain in the following paragraph.
Implementing the Perfect Strategy
Focus on one primary keyword per page while including two or three SEO keyword synonyms. Each page should focus on a single subject, with the essential SEO keywords included. Choose one to three keywords for each page. That is the basic answer to how many keywords each page should have. However, there are some other things you should think about to get the best rankings.
Let’s look at the most often-asked questions about the number of SEO keywords per page you should try to go for, which can guide you toward success.
What is the maximum number of keywords a page can rank for?
A single webpage can rank for hundreds or even thousands of keywords as long as the webpage is adequately optimized for SEO or has a large enough search volume for the relevant queries. Ahrefs conducted a keyword ranking study on this subject. They found that the average #1 ranking page also ranks in the top 10 [search results] for nearly 1,000 other relevant terms (while the median is approximately twice as large—around 400 terms). Additionally, lower-ranking pages tend to rank for fewer keywords.
Having a page rank for hundreds to thousands of related keywords, known as long-tail keywords, is why this happens. Long-tail keywords are more extended versions of the root keyword you’re trying to rank for. Example being, a page that ranks for ‘best SEO keyword tool for bloggers’ or ‘best SEO keyword tool for small businesses might also rank for ‘best SEO keyword tool.’ Because of how the content was written and how it is optimized for other relevant keywords, it all depends on what is written.
What Is the Recommended Number of Keywords to Focus On?
Having at least two to three keywords per page is crucial. This includes one primary keyword and two closely associated terms. If you can make the content sound natural while optimizing for more SEO keyword variations, then you should focus on more keywords per page. The answer to how many keywords you should have on any particulair page will depend on the length of the content.
You can optimize a 500-word post for two or three keywords, but cramming five or six keywords into a tiny article like that would sound unnatural. However, it’s common to focus on five or six keywords in a 2,000-word post and spread those words out, so the text sounds natural.
Remember that the more keywords you focus on, the more chances your pages have of ranking in search engines. That’s why keyword research is critical for SEO. Shane Barker was able to rank his site for 3,461 keywords on Google’s first page by including two to three related keywords on each page.
Excellent keyword research and page placement are the fastest ways to improve your SEO on any site.
Is it a good idea to use the exact keywords on every page?
Every page should target a unique set of keywords, not the same ones. If you repeat the exact keywords on every page, those pages will compete against one another for search engine traffic. Using the same keyword only once on a different page is best. If you allow keyword cannibalization on your website, you may compromise your SEO and positioning efforts.
According to Yoast, “optimizing posts or articles for similar search queries is detrimental to their rankings because they eat away at each other’s chances of ranking.” In other words, Google cannot determine which post or article should be ranked highest for a specific query if optimized for similar search queries.
There are several simple methods to avoid keyword cannibalization on your site. Every page has a unique set of keywords, so maintaining track of which ones you’re targeting is an excellent way to prevent keyword cannibalization. I do this in a simple spreadsheet by listing the URLs in column A and the keywords in column B. This helps me keep track and I know which keywords I’ve already covered, so I don’t post another post about the same topic or use those words in my other blog posts.
What Is the Recommended Number of Keywords on a Homepage?
The homepage should have at least three to four keywords. The homepage is just like every other page on your website and should be treated the same in terms of SEO. Therefore, target three to four keywords on the homepage to gain the most SEO benefit.
Many people use their homepage as a visual sales piece and keep the text to a minimum. Because search engines cannot recognize much text on a page, this may negatively impact your SEO and keyword rankings for the homepage. To boost your SEO keyword rankings and generate additional traffic, increase the quantity of text on your homepage.
Can we have too many keywords?
Keyword stuffing is when the same keyword is repeated repeatedly, and it can penalize your content. Avoiding keyword stuffing is essential because it can make your content unreadable. Google defines keyword stuffing as a shot to manipulate a site’s ranking in search results. The exact words or phrases are repeated so often that they sound unnatural. When writing a post, you should avoid keyword stuffing instead focus on creating a readable post.
“We custom-make cigar humidors. Please get in touch with custom.cigar.humidors@example.com if you are interested in buying a custom cigar humidor.”
Google can penalize a page if it detects keyword stuffing, resulting in poor rankings or no ranking. Avoid this failed strategy, therefore.
What is the perfect keyword density?
SEO experts say the optimum keyword density is around 1-2% (100 words out of 1,000). Generally, the longer the text, the lower the keyword density. Using the keyword enough times is crucial for good SEO without keyword stuffing.
Google doesn’t require a particular keyword density on every page and keyword. Every page and keyword requires a different set of standards for keyword density.
Even Page One Power SEO agency thinks that keyword density is “the worst metric for SEO ever.”
The most effective strategy here is to write naturally and emphasize the keyword throughout the page. You can get a good idea of the density you should strive for from observing the keyword density in the highest-ranked pages for your target keyword. You can also get a good starting point for similar topics from your highest-ranked content’s keyword density. It would be best if you also thought about your article’s overall SEO word count.
Even though all of that is true, you still want to ensure your keywords are correctly positioned on the page to send the correct signals to Google, letting it know that your content should be ranked for those keywords.
Summary
It’s dependent on the number of words on that content and how many keywords you should target, but it’s best to target at least two or three keywords per page. If you have a lengthy post, the number of SEO keywords per page may range from five to six or more.
You should be fine as long as you keep the content reading naturally. Remember to use your keywords in suitable locations on the page to get the maximum SEO value.
Read Next: Are Meta Robots Tags Important For Search Rankings?
CLICK HERE to schedule your FREE consultation TODAY!
What’s Your SEO Score?
Enter the URL of any landing page or blog article and see how optimized it is for one keyword or phrase.