So this is the final myth we’re going to dispel before moving on to something…besides SEO (I get so tired of hearing that word, don’t you?). And this is one that people who *think* they know search engine optimization often make the mistake of believing — and even perpetuating.

Myth #8: I’ve got to repeat my keyword as many times as possible in my content.

You’ve seen these guys, right? It’s so obvious that they’ve got their SEO hats on that you’re tempted to comment, “Hey buddy, how’s that working for you?” They’ve got their keywords all over the place — in their titles, their meta tags, their permalinks, their links…and most blatantly, about a zillion times in their content. Half the time, the article isn’t even helpful. Just keyword-y.

Sometimes these guys pass through with flying colors. Google seems to ignore their screaming attempts at swerving the system in their direction. But guess what? Most of the time, they get banned.

Use your keywords…the good ole honest Abe way

That is to say…use them wisely. Keyword density is not about saying your keywords as many times as you possibly can while also forming complete sentences. It’s about getting a good ratio of keyword to article length. There’s really no magic formula for this, no matter what people may tell you. But trial and error has shown the following to be a good measure of thumb:

1. Use your keyword(s) in your title. We’ve already covered how title tags are crucial, so I won’t repeat. But yes, use them here.
2. Use it once in the first sentence. That way Google knows you’re continuing the theme in your content — it’s not just the name of the page.
3. Use it one to two other times in the first paragraph, but no more. A strong start seems to do well with the search engines, but don’t overdo it.
4. In the rest of the article, a sprinkle will do you. Here’s where a lot of people go wrong. They continue using their keyword two or three times in every paragraph. Don’t do it. Your article will have spam written all over it.
5. Finally, use it in the last sentence or near the end of the article. You know…just to remind them that you’re covering the topic thoroughly.

Could it be any more practical than that? Sure, there are other search engine optimization strategies, but I’m not about to write for six months on the topic. You will be forever and beyond where your competition dreams of being if you pay attention to these…and I’ll be so proud.

Don’t forget, guys

• Myth #1: Link-clicking
• Myth #2: Link exchanges
• Myth #3: Jam-packed meta tags
• Myth #4: Keyword equality
• Myth #5: Google Adwords
• Myth #6: Internal links
• Myth #7: No-follow tags
• Myth #8: Keyword density