How Many SEO Keywords Should I Use Per Page?
Updated · Aug 06, 2025
Table of Contents
Introduction
How Many SEO keywords Should I Use Per Page?: Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is another imperative method that drives traffic to a specific website. SEO essentially involves words—picking the right keywords and using them accordingly. But then, how many SEO keywords should be used per page? Does more mean best? Or is there an actual number? If underused, keywords might deprive your page of traffic; if overused, keywords will become a curse, being subject to heavy penalties by search engines.
In this article, we review the best keyword count per page using real statistics, expert advice, and industry research from the year 2024. Whether you are just beginning to learn or are already a seasoned marketer, this guide will enable you to optimise every single page on your website for better ranking and increased organic traffic.
Editor’s Choice
- An ideal number of keywords per page varies with content length: 1 primary keyword and 3 to 15 secondary keywords, depending on word count.
- For short content (300-500 words), 1 primary keyword and 3 to 5 secondary keywords are used; for longer content (1500-2000 words), it is best to have 1 primary keyword and 12 to 15 secondary keywords.
- Remember to keep your keyword density between 1% and 2%; anything more might risk keyword stuffing, which will affect natural readability.
- A single page can rank for several dozen or even a few hundred keywords when the page content has a rich context and fits user intent.
- Google Search Console, Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and Ubersuggest serve as good tools to discover, analyse, and optimise keywords.
- Avoid keyword stuffing, cannibalisation, and dilution.
What Are SEO Keywords?
- The SEO keywords are the words and phrases that search engine users key in. These are the terms for which one wants their website pages to rank in search results.
- There are different keyword types:
- Primary Keywords: The main topic of your page (e.g., “best hiking boots”).
- Secondary Keywords: Related keywords that reinforce the main topic (e.g.,”waterproof hiking boots”, “boots for rocky terrain”).
Optimal Number of Keywords As Per Content Length
- Using one primary keyword together with three to five secondary keywords is advised for shorter content from 300 to 500 words, like quick blog posts and product descriptions.
- This helps keep the content focused while offering the search engines some context as to the topic.
- From 500 to 1000 words, which falls in the range most articles usually have, it is advisable to focus on one primary keyword and increase the number of secondary keywords to about 5-10, so injection of more related terms is possible and thus more possibilities of hitting several searches.
| Content Length | Primary Keywords | Secondary Keywords | Notes on Usage |
| 300-500 words (Short) | 1 | 3-5 | Ideal for short blog posts or product descriptions. |
| 500-1000 words (Medium) | 1 | 5-10 | Suitable for standard blog articles. |
| 1000-1500 words (Long) | 1 | 10-12 | Good for in-depth guides or tutorials. |
| 1500-2000 words (Very Long) | 1 | 12-15 | Best for comprehensive articles and detailed reports. |
(Source: redstaglabs.com)
- When the content reaches about 1000 to 1500 words and beyond, rolling into thorough guides, or more step-by-step tutorials, the use of a single main keyword for all is still appropriate, but the secondary ones can be raised to 10-12.
- This gives quite a comfortable amount of room to utilise related terms naturally, without overusing them.
- The longer content, such as in-depth reports or comprehensive articles that range from 1500 to 2000 words, would still want to focus on just one main keyword, but with now 12-15 secondary keywords to consider.
- The longer the content gets, the greater the number of natural spots there are to insert related keywords, which thus helps visibility without working against readability.
How Many Keywords Can A Page Rank For?
- One frequent question SEO experts ask is: “How many keywords can a single page rank for?” To find the real answer, we must take a closer look at how Google’s ranking system operates.
- Before, when SEO was just gearing up, search engines essentially worked on exact keyword matching. The more times a particular keyword occurs on a webpage, the better its chances of ranking high in the search results. But much has changed since then.
- Mainly because of the Hummingbird update from Google, 2013, the transformation set in the way search algorithms began to perceive search queries and keywords.
- No longer were words the focal points of matching; intent and context behind searches were what Google focused on. Pages with deeper content and informative value thus gained favour with the semantic search.
- In other words, content that answers related questions and gives value goes better in ranking for many keywords rather than just repeating keywords.
(Reference: seomator.com)
Tools To Find The Right Keywords
Below are some keyword research tools that we like and use regularly, having developed an affinity for them.
Google Search Console (Free)
- Google Search Console is an excellent piece of software that you should get into the habit of using.
- It gives you direct information about which search terms bring people to your site right now.
- An optimisation opportunity can be easy and accurate to spot by indicating that a potential keyword has never even been considered for optimisation.
Best for:
- Keeping track of keyword performance
- Finding quick-win opportunities
- Comprehending how your site is being seen in Google search results
Google Ads Keyword Planner (Free)
- Originally built as a tool to help advertisers, Keyword Planner can also be useful for organic SEO work. You simply enter a word or phrase, and it can tell you how often that word gets searched, along with related terms and how competitive they are—really good data for building keyword lists.
Best for:
- Coming up with ideas for keywords
- Seeing the volume of searches
- Finding dozens of related or long-tail keyword alternatives
Ahrefs (Paid)
- A big-name-heavy SEO suite, Ahrefs gives great analysis of keyword difficulty, search volume, and competitor strategies with backlink profilers and much more.
- Best suited for teams who do advanced campaigns, Ahrefs helps you build content designed to defeat competitors.
Best for:
- Advanced keyword research
- Competitive SEO analysis
- Finding high-value, low-competition keywords
Ubersuggest (Freemium)
- In the world of SEO, beginners and solopreneurs need something easy to use.
- Ubersuggest juxtaposes keyword suggestions with a simple SEO audit and traffic analysis, serving as a beginner’s toolbox for anyone ready to dip into SEO without being burdened by any learning curve or budget.
Best for:
- Brainstorming keyword ideas
- Getting a snapshot of traffic potential
- Freelancers, bloggers, and small business owners
Avoiding Most Common Keyword Mistakes
Using keywords effectively is good SEO; equally so is avoiding the most common mistakes that can come from them and diminish your rank or user experience. The following are some to watch out for and the legitimate ones to embrace.
Keyword Stuffing
- Keyword stuffing means overloading content for search engine rankings.
- This sounds helpful, but it forces the content to sound repetitive and unnatural and hurts the user experience.
- Sites are penalised by Google and other search engines for keyword stuffing, which leads to lower visibility.
Example:
Incorrect:
- Our bakery offers the best cupcakes. Come to our bakery and have some delicious cupcakes. Our bakery also sells other bakery items.
Correct:
- Our bakery offers the best cupcakes. Visit us for a delicious variety of baked goods.
Keyword Cannibalization
- Keyword cannibalisation is when two or more pages from your site compete for the same keyword.
- This puts the pages in competition against each other in search results, therefore making each one weaker in ranking.
- This affects your SEO strategy instead of enhancing it, splitting your effort among various keywords and lessening your chances of making it onto the first page.
Example:
- Incorrect: Two blog posts, each optimised with the keyword “top hiking boots,” containing similar content.
- Right: One post targeting “top hiking boots” and the other “best hiking boots for beginners,” each providing separate, distinct relevant content.
Keyword Dilution
- Keyword dilution occurs when a page tries to rank for too many unrelated or loosely related keywords.
- This means your content would be broad and unfocused, lessening the chances of ranking for any particular term.
- It’s best to have a primary keyword to focus on, along with secondary ones that closely relate to it.
Example:
- Incorrect: A single page trying to rank for “best kitchen appliances,” “affordable kitchen gadgets,” “kitchen remodelling tips,” and “cooking recipes.”
- Correct: Separate websites, each one focusing on the best kitchen appliances, and another one concentrating on affordable kitchen gadgets, with transparent and pertinent content for each topic.
Conclusion
There is no universal rule regarding how many SEO keywords should be used on a page. But we are all aware that, in 2024, it’s best to select one primary keyword supported by two to five secondary keywords and use them naturally across a page of at least 1,000 to 1,500 words. Avoid stuffing keywords into your content, or rather, focus on worthwhile content that genuinely matches your keywords with what people intend to search for.
An efficient keyword strategy, when done well, improves your rankings, increases your traffic, and provides good ROI. Thus, it would be worth every bit of choosing the keywords.
FAQ.
Generally speaking, they do better in search results 1,000 to 2,000, as they tend to provide a more intense and comprehensive level of information.
For some topics, yes, 500 words might be enough, particularly for simple content such as product descriptions and straightforward blog posts. But longer content will rank better due to it offering more depth and value, usually above 1,000 words.
A 1 to 2% keyword density is a very general rule. That means your primary keyword is supposed to appear in the article about 10 to 20 times in a 1,000-word article, given the context and readability factors.
There is no hard-and-fast rule apart from the fact that keyword stuffing should be utterly avoided. Rather, keep your eye on one main keyword with a handful of relevant side-keywords for content focus and simplicity.
One primary keyword, plus about 3 to 5 secondary ones, would be the ideal number in order to strike a good balance between specificity and content depth without overburdening the page.
No, every page should target a unique set of keywords. Using the same keywords on multiple pages can lead to keyword cannibalisation, and that is when your pages will compete against one another in search rankings.
Maitrayee Dey has a background in Electrical Engineering and has worked in various technical roles before transitioning to writing. Specializing in technology and Artificial Intelligence, she has served as an Academic Research Analyst and Freelance Writer, particularly focusing on education and healthcare in Australia. Maitrayee's lifelong passions for writing and painting led her to pursue a full-time writing career. She is also the creator of a cooking YouTube channel, where she shares her culinary adventures. At Smartphone Thoughts, Maitrayee brings her expertise in technology to provide in-depth smartphone reviews and app-related statistics, making complex topics easy to understand for all readers.
