<!-- Updated: 2026-04-17 -->
# Keyword Density and Placement Rules

Based on published research from Semrush, Ahrefs, Yoast, and Google's own guidance on keyword usage.

## Primary Keyword Density

**Safe range:** 0.5% to 2.0% of total word count.

| Density | Assessment |
|---------|-----------|
| Below 0.5% | Under-optimised. Likely missing from key locations. |
| 0.5% - 2.0% | Optimal range. Natural reading, clear topic signal. |
| 2.0% - 3.0% | Review required. May read unnaturally. |
| Above 3.0% | Keyword stuffing risk. Likely to trigger penalties. |

**Practical example:** For a 1,000-word article at 1-2%, the primary keyword should appear roughly 10-20 times total. This includes headings, body text, and image alt text.

**Diminishing returns:** The first 1-2 mentions of the primary keyword carry the most SEO weight. After that, each additional mention provides less ranking benefit. Prioritise placement quality over quantity.

## Required Placement Locations

The primary keyword MUST appear in all of these:

1. **Title tag** (near the front, not buried at the end)
2. **H1 tag** (near the front)
3. **URL slug** (lowercase, hyphenated)
4. **Meta description** (naturally integrated)
5. **First paragraph / first 100 words** (establishes topic immediately)
6. **At least one image alt text** (reinforces topic for image search)

## Locations Where It Is NOT Required

- Every H2 or H3 (if the H1 covers the keyword, subheadings carry context naturally through semantic relationship)
- Every paragraph or section (clustering looks unnatural)
- Anchor text of every internal link (vary the anchor text)

## Secondary and Semantic Keywords

| Type | Count | Usage |
|------|-------|-------|
| Closely related terms | 5-8 | Distribute through body content and H2-H6 headings |
| Broader semantic terms | 10-15 | Cover related concepts and user intent variations |
| Synonyms | As natural | Improve readability. Do NOT count toward primary density. |

## Distribution Rules

- **Spread evenly** throughout the content. Do not front-load all mentions into the introduction or cluster in one section.
- **Per-section guidance in briefs:** For each section in a content brief, specify:
  - Which keyword (primary or secondary) should appear in the heading
  - Whether the section body should include the primary keyword or a variation
  - Format: "Use secondary keyword '[term]' in H2. Body: mention primary keyword once."

## Common Mistakes

1. **Exact-match obsession:** Using the exact phrase every time instead of natural variations. Google understands synonyms and related terms.
2. **Heading stuffing:** Putting the primary keyword in every H2 and H3. One H1 mention plus 1-2 H2 mentions is sufficient.
3. **Ignoring first 100 words:** The opening paragraph is the highest-value placement after the title and H1.
4. **Forgetting image alt text:** A free placement opportunity that also helps image search rankings.
5. **Counting synonyms as density:** "Web design", "website design", and "site design" are different strings. Only count exact-match appearances toward density.