Keyword density as a ranking factor is outdated. Google's algorithms now use semantic understanding, context, and natural language processing to interpret content, making rigid density percentages irrelevant and potentially harmful if they lead to keyword stuffing. Instead of counting keyword occurrences, prioritize strategic placement. Your primary keyword should appear in the title tag, H1 heading, first 100 words of body content, and URL when practical. Beyond that, use it naturally where it fits the topic. For a 1,500-word article, that might mean 8-12 mentions total. For a 500-word page, maybe 3-5. The length and topic dictate frequency, not an arbitrary percentage. What matters more than raw density is topical relevance and semantic variations. Use related terms and synonyms that support your main keyword. If you're targeting "Ottawa web design," you'd naturally mention "website development," "responsive design," "user experience," and similar concepts. Google recognizes these connections and rewards comprehensive topical coverage over repetitive exact-match usage. Watch for warning signs of over-optimization. If you're forcing keywords into sentences where they feel awkward, or if you notice the same phrase appearing in consecutive sentences, you've gone too far. Read your content aloud. If it sounds robotic or repetitive to a human, it's a problem for both users and search engines. At Ottawa SEO, we write for user intent first, then verify keyword placement in critical locations during editing. We've seen pages rank in position 1-3 with keyword density under 1%, and we've seen pages with 4% density stuck on page two because the content was thin or forced. The correlation between density and rankings is weak to nonexistent in 2025. Focus on answering the searcher's question thoroughly, using your keyword where it naturally reinforces the topic. That approach consistently outperforms mechanical density targets across the 500+ domains we manage.