QUESTION. Keyword Stuffing reduction while maintaining SEO optimal density?
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Optimizing a keyword for a page on MOZ is telling me with a red exclamation mark to avoid keyword stuffing but if I remove any more of the keyword i will have none left in the content but titles etc. The moz message doesn't go away no matter how many keywords are removed. I am using wordpress i have the keyword the title element, the image alt text, the meta description/title, can't take anymore out of the content nothing seems to change but I can't figure out why?
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Many thanks, we currently try to employ synonym's and themes without using the actual keyword but for rich snippets etc on google rank it's hard to avoid atleast three keywords at least 6 times on each relative page. Thanks for your insights!
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You need to bear in mind that this the figures given are a guideline only. If your pages have been constructed with the user in mind (rather than just the search engines) and the keywords present are there because they add clarity then I'd be reluctant to start stripping them out solely in an attempt to tick a box.
That said, if you have gone a bit overboard with your references to a specific keyword/phrase then it would be sensible to rework the copy to include synonyms (different words that mean the same, or very similar, thing). Current best practice is to build content around a theme, rather than a single keyword, position your core keyword prominently (but not excessively) within the page and use related phrases around it to establish your theme. This practice will pay dividends with the rise or Google's RankBrain (https://moz.com/blog/rankbrain-unleashed).
Before you rush off and rework your copy, we should first look at improving the situation your facing now, and the above can be something to consider when you are next producing content.
Can you share a breakdown of the keyword distribution with us?
Better still, share the page and we'll gladly give you some feedback.
Here's an example of mine (from a product page - the product ranks top 5 with almost no inbound links (it's a new site) in a moderately competitive niche. Moz grades this page as a A.
We found this keyword used 26 times.
Title 1, URL 1, Meta Description 1, H1 1, Body 10, IMG ALT 12
The alt tags are around one per product image - this could be trimmed back a little and we could stand to drop one of two from the body but, in truth, the page reads naturally, and isn't stuffed with keywords unnaturally. (some of the instances of the body in the copy are on labels, sub-section headings and brochures etc).I always recommend reading the page out loud as a may of gauging if it is over-filled with repetitive keywords - reading it to someone else helps (insist on honest feedback). If they start grimacing every time you use the keyword you may want to adjust the copy. In your case, if your page copy contains exactly the necessary amount of keywords (and your still keen to reduce your count) start stripping them from the Alt tags of less prominent images. If you're using WordPress (you might want to try Yoast's SEO plugin as it will assist you with monitoring this for you. However, keep in mind the Moz tool, Yoast's SEO plugin etc. are only guidelines. Don't let them get in the way of you producing great content. Create content for your potential customers, if, when you've done that, the copy also ticks these boxes then so much the better.If you haven't read this already, I'd suggest you take a look at this: https://moz.com/blog/visual-guide-to-keyword-targeting-onpage-optimizationGood luck.
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