Single keyword density
A target keyword is measured as a count and a percentage of total words, framed as a guardrail against over-use rather than a number to maximize.
Phrase frequency
One, two and three-word phrases are ranked by frequency, since phrase-level repetition is what real keyword stuffing usually looks like and single-word counts hide it.
Keyword prominence
The tool reports whether the keyword appears in the title, the first heading and the opening 100 words, because placement carries far more weight than raw frequency.
Stuffing detection
Unnatural repetition is flagged when the same phrase recurs densely in a short span, matching the pattern Google describes in its own spam policy.
Stop-word handling
Common filler words are filtered from the single-word ranking so the results show meaningful terms rather than "the" and "and".
The useful question is not "what is my keyword density" but "does this read naturally and is the topic clearly placed." Google has stated for years that density is not a ranking signal and that writing for users is what works. Where density still matters is the downside: stuffing a keyword unnaturally is an actual spam violation that can suppress a page. So the practical value of measuring density is catching accidental over-optimization, not hitting a magic percentage — any tool that tells you to aim for a specific number is selling outdated advice.
Keyword density looks very high
A high density is fixed by replacing repeated exact-match instances with natural variants and synonyms, since natural writing uses varied language and only stuffed writing does not.
Keyword missing from the title or first heading
A keyword absent from the title or H1 is fixed by working it in naturally there, because prominent placement signals topic far more effectively than repetition in the body.
Keyword absent from the opening
A keyword that never appears in the first 100 words is fixed by introducing the topic early, since the opening is weighted heavily by both readers and search engines.
The same phrase repeats unnaturally
A phrase that recurs densely in a short span is fixed by rewriting for a human reader, which removes the spam pattern Google explicitly describes.
Trying to hit a target percentage
The urge to reach a specific density is fixed by ignoring the percentage entirely and writing comprehensively for the reader, because no ideal density exists.
What is a good keyword density?
There is no ideal keyword density. Google has stated it is not a ranking factor, so the right approach is to write naturally and use this tool to catch accidental over-use, not to hit a target.
Is keyword density a Google ranking factor?
Keyword density is not a ranking factor. Google's John Mueller confirmed this directly in 2021, and modern guidance from Ahrefs, Semrush and Search Engine Journal agrees there is no ideal percentage.
What is keyword stuffing?
Keyword stuffing is filling a page with a keyword unnaturally to manipulate rankings, which Google's spam policy treats as a violation that can lower or remove a page from results.
How is keyword density calculated?
Keyword density is the number of times a keyword appears divided by the total word count, multiplied by 100. Multi-word phrases are weighted by their length so longer phrases are counted fairly.
Why does this tool focus on placement instead of a percentage?
Placement is the actionable signal. A keyword in the title, first heading and opening communicates the topic far more effectively than a higher percentage spread through the body.
Should I remove a keyword if density is high?
A high density is best resolved by replacing repeated exact matches with natural synonyms and variants rather than deleting the topic, since varied language reads naturally and avoids the stuffing pattern.
Is this keyword density checker free?
Our Keyword Density Checker is free, with no sign-up and no limits. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is sent to a server.