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Free Keyword Density Checker

Analyze keyword density on any web page. Enter a URL to see which single words, two-word phrases, and three-word phrases appear most frequently — and identify potential keyword stuffing or optimization gaps.

Analyze Keyword Density

Why Keyword Density Matters for SEO

Keyword density is one of the oldest on-page SEO metrics, and it still plays an important role in how search engines understand your content. When Google crawls a page, it analyzes word frequency to determine what topics the page covers and which search queries it should rank for. Pages that mention a keyword too few times may not signal strong relevance, while pages that repeat keywords excessively risk being flagged for keyword stuffing.

Modern SEO is less about hitting exact density targets and more about using keywords naturally alongside semantic variations. However, checking keyword density remains a valuable diagnostic tool — it can reveal accidental over-optimization, content gaps, and opportunities to incorporate related terms.

Recommended Density Guidelines

While there is no single "perfect" density, these ranges are widely recommended:

  • Primary keyword: 1-2% density — enough to signal relevance without over-optimizing
  • Secondary keywords: 0.5-1% density — support the main topic with related terms
  • Warning zone: Above 2-3% density may look unnatural to search engines
  • Keyword stuffing: Above 3% density is a red flag that can lead to ranking penalties

How to Use This Tool

  1. Enter a URL — paste the full URL of the page you want to analyze (e.g., https://example.com/blog/my-post)
  2. Click "Analyze" — the tool fetches the page, strips HTML tags, scripts, and styles, then analyzes the remaining text content
  3. Review word stats — see total word count, unique words, and total keywords detected across all phrase lengths
  4. Switch between tabs — explore single words, two-word phrases, and three-word phrases to understand your content's keyword profile at different levels
  5. Check density percentages — green indicates healthy density, yellow suggests caution, and red flags potential keyword stuffing

Understanding Keyword Density Results

  • Single words: Shows individual word frequency with stop words (like "the", "and", "is") filtered out to focus on meaningful content words
  • Two-word phrases (bigrams): Reveals the most common two-word combinations, which often correspond to short-tail keywords and topic signals
  • Three-word phrases (trigrams): Identifies longer keyword phrases that closely match how people search — these often represent your long-tail keyword targets
  • Density color coding: Green (0-2%) means healthy, yellow (2-3%) means borderline, and red (above 3%) warns of potential keyword stuffing

Common Keyword Density Mistakes

  • Obsessing over exact percentages: Search engines use hundreds of ranking factors. A density of 1.3% vs 1.5% won't make or break your rankings. Focus on writing naturally.
  • Ignoring multi-word phrases: Many SEO practitioners only check single-word density, but search queries are often 2-5 words long. Analyzing bigrams and trigrams gives a more accurate picture of your keyword targeting.
  • Not using keyword variations: Repeating the exact same phrase creates a poor reading experience. Use synonyms, related terms, and natural variations to cover the topic comprehensively.
  • Stuffing keywords in hidden elements: Placing keywords in hidden text, tiny fonts, or off-screen elements is a black-hat technique that search engines can easily detect and penalize.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is keyword density?

Keyword density is the percentage of times a keyword or phrase appears on a web page relative to the total number of words. It's calculated as (keyword count / total words) x 100. For example, if a keyword appears 5 times in a 500-word article, the keyword density is 1%. This metric helps you understand how prominently a keyword features in your content.

What is the ideal keyword density for SEO?

Most SEO experts recommend a keyword density between 1% and 2% for primary keywords. Going above 3% may be considered keyword stuffing by search engines, which can hurt your rankings. The key is to write content that reads naturally while ensuring your target keywords appear often enough to signal topical relevance.

What is keyword stuffing?

Keyword stuffing is the practice of unnaturally repeating keywords on a page to try to manipulate search rankings. Google considers this a spam technique under its spam policies and may demote or remove pages that do it. Signs of keyword stuffing include density above 3%, blocks of repeated keywords, and text that reads unnaturally because keywords are forced into sentences.

What are n-grams in keyword analysis?

N-grams are contiguous sequences of words from a text. A unigram (1-gram) is a single word, a bigram (2-gram) is a two-word phrase, and a trigram (3-gram) is a three-word phrase. Analyzing n-grams helps you understand which phrases — not just individual words — appear most frequently on your page. This is especially useful because most search queries are 2-5 words long.

Does keyword density still matter in 2025?

Keyword density as a standalone ranking factor has diminished in importance, but it remains a useful diagnostic tool. Google's algorithms now understand semantic meaning and context, so exact keyword matching matters less than topical relevance. However, checking density helps you avoid keyword stuffing (which still triggers penalties), identify under-optimized content, and ensure your target keywords appear at a reasonable frequency.

Track Your Brand Across Google & AI

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