Sacrificing tone for keyword density

[JoHunley]

I get the keyword density notion. What I'm not sure I get are the requests for really high keyword density. Is 7-9% the magic figure which gets top Google ranking? There has to be some reason.

Further, I've taken a stab (several stabs) at writing with an inflated keyword density. With only 500 words to work with, your keywords rather have to be in every single sentence to keep the keyword density so high. I can't get the article to sound like anything but as if it were written by a babbling idiot whose whole goal isn't an informative, unique piece but KEYWORD DENSITY. Well, I can, but I have to satirize myself and anything that tongue-in-cheek goes over too many readers' heads (keyword density).

Have I just not picked up the knack of a density as thick as peanut butter? Maybe someone can point me toward an article to show how one does it correctly. Or does everyone just snigger quietly at the requests for up to 9% density, ignore them and go on their merry way to a request which can be written intelligently.

(If you're wondering, I think I got almost 5% in this post. Keyword density, keyword density, keyword density. Should be 6% now.)

[Ed]

Don't sacrifice quality for keyword density, no. Well-written content trumps keyword-dense content any day. You can often repeat keywords in place of pronouns, which often also helps with clarity, but not when it drags down the quality of the content.

Ed

[jak]

I went to a seminar on SEO recently, run by a very successful local site-building company. One of the messages was that a too high keyword density is now frowned on by the search engines. It used to count, but no longer. Now it can do you down if it looks artificial. I was relieved as I had just written for one of those requests asking for 7-9%, found it impossible but submitted anyway. Not that that will help as the customer wasn't privy to the seminar.

[Celeste Stewart]

7-9% seems sooooo excessive to me. Yikes! I have also heard that you shouldn't overdo it or you'll get dinged. That said, here are a couple of techniques to use keyword phrases in a more natural flow:

Use Headings - For example, if your keyword phrase is "art supplies for kids" use headings throughout the article such as:

Where to Buy Art Supplies for Kids
Art Supplies for Kids with No Creativity Whatsoever
Art Supplies for Kids who Hate Art

Break it up! Search engines don't care about punctuation or paragraph breaks. Using the phrases in separate sentences or paragraphs makes it sound less forced. For example:

It's important to clean your art supplies. For kids who need a little guidance, consider investing in blah blah blah.
Be sure to buy art supplies (for kids) and cleaning supplies (for adults) that are easy to use and non-toxic.

Combining the Heading technique and the Break it Up technique:

(Heading) Storing Art Supplies
For kids, art is either a passion or chore. Either way, blah blah blah

Hope these tips help!

[jak]

Brilliant. Thanks Celeste.