Keyword Density Checker

What is keyword density?

Keyword density is a simple measurement: the number of times a word appears, divided by the total number of words, as a percentage. It was once treated as a ranking formula — writers aimed for an exact percentage. Search engines have moved on, but density is still a useful check: it shows at a glance whether a page is really about its topic, or whether a keyword has been repeated to the point of stuffing.

What is a keyword density checker for, and who uses it?

Writers use it to check a draft before publishing, SEO freelancers use it to review client content, and editors use it to spot over-optimisation in pages that were written to rank. The check takes seconds and answers one question: does this text mention its topic enough, and not too much?

What is a good keyword density?

There is no official number. In practice, a main keyword at around 1–2% of the words reads naturally and signals the topic clearly. Below 0.5% the page may not read as being about that keyword at all. Above 3% it usually starts to feel forced, and above 5% for any single word is a strong sign of stuffing — this tool flags both.

The two-word phrases table matters too: it shows the actual phrases your text repeats, which is often more revealing than single words.

Density, frequency, prominence and proximity — the four terms

Four related ideas are often confused. They are not the same thing:

• Density — how often a keyword appears as a percentage of the whole text.
• Frequency — the raw count of appearances, before it is turned into a percentage.
• Prominence — where the keyword appears. In the title, first paragraph and headings it carries more weight than in the middle of the body.
• Proximity — how close related keywords sit to each other. A phrase with its words together reads more clearly than the same words scattered across paragraphs.

Why keyword density still matters

Density is not a ranking score, but it catches real problems:

• A page that never mentions its topic keyword will struggle to rank for it.
• A page that repeats one phrase in every sentence reads as spam — to readers and to search engines.
• The top-words table often reveals accidental repetition you would not notice while writing.
• Related words and phrases in the table show whether the content covers the topic broadly or just repeats one term.

Best practices — and common mistakes

A few habits keep density checks useful instead of misleading:

• Write for the reader first, then check the number — never write to hit a percentage.
• Do not aim for an exact density — no search engine publishes a target, and 1–2% is a guide, not a rule.
• Use synonyms and related phrases instead of repeating one keyword — search engines understand topics, not just exact words.
• Check two-word phrases as well as single words — a repeated phrase is often the real stuffing problem.
• Do not delete a keyword everywhere to lower density — the page still needs to be about its topic.