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I have some questions about keyword density in a website:
1. How important is the keyword density for a good placement in Google?
2. Does Google look for the KW density only in visible text or on the whole website (Keywords, alt tags etc)
3. I have a lot of "Order" buttons on my website (about 30). I have set up the alt tag for them to "Order widgets" (widgets = my main keyword). Could it be treated as keyword spam so i get a penalty for that? Each button is in a new line after a product description.
4. In my tables, i have a lot of cells that are 1 pix in height as main cell separators with an 1x1 pix transparent gif inside (the cells are empty and have a background color and i want to let them appear in older Netscapes properly). Is it a good idea to give them an alt tag "Widgets" to increase the keyword density? Could this be treated as spam?
(sorry for my crappy english :)
Thank you for your time ...
Peace, Philarmon
1. How important is the keyword density for a good placement in Google?
You'll get a lot of widely varying answers on this. Google has about 100 factors accounted for in its algorithm. Personally, I believe KWD is a reasonably significant factor.. but it is still only one part of the 'keyword factors' to be considered - eg, use of keywords in H# tags, keyword proximity to top of page, spread of keywords throughout page, (appropriate) use in alt tags, incoming link text, outgoing link text, etc.
Then there's the issue of exactly what keyword density is ideal. The thing to remember in that regards is 'More is not better. Closer to Google's ideal is better." Actually, that holds true with all factors.
If you look through old threads you'll see figures like 8-14% density discussed as ideal (for the then-algo), but higher densities are not damaging in themselves; I've had densities up to 40% for a two word phrase ranking No 1. I question how much added advantage the higher density gives, but on the other hand I haven't seen evidence of it being a penalty issue.
2. Does Google look for the KW density only in visible text or on the whole website (Keywords, alt tags etc)
Firstly, get used to thinking in terms of individual pages with Google - 'site' really isn't relevant as each page is evaluated individually.
Second, think in terms of "If the user can see it, Google will probably like it... if the user can't see it, Google will probably not like it." eg, meta keyword tags are essentially irrelevant to Google, so are comment tags stuffed with keywords. Alt tags, however, can be seen by the user and are relevant.
3. I have a lot of "Order" buttons on my website (about 30). I have set up the alt tag for them to "Order widgets" (widgets = my main keyword). Could it be treated as keyword spam so i get a penalty for that? Each button is in a new line after a product description.
As you have described it, this sounds fine. Again, forget 'site' and think 'page'. So presumably you have one or maybe a few of these order buttons on the page, but there is other text as well with the product descriptions, etc, correct? Fine. "Order widgets" is a perfectly fair description of the image. "Order" on its own would be adequate, but "order widgets" is hardly spammy.
4. In my tables, i have a lot of cells that are 1 pix in height as main cell separators with an 1x1 pix transparent gif inside (the cells are empty and have a background color and i want to let them appear in older Netscapes properly). Is it a good idea to give them an alt tag "Widgets" to increase the keyword density? Could this be treated as spam?
Now you're getting a bit 'edgy'. Personally, I wouldn't do this. In terms of density it would probably actually push it far higher than necessary.. and I would think a 1x1 pixel would be fairly easy to pick up on a filter. There has certainly been discussion here about this tactic in the past. Not a technique I've needed to consider though, so I can't say I paid a lot of attention.
ps... your English is pretty good :)
Man, i love this forum :)
Would slight variance be advised?
thanks
mark
Slight variance?!
Yes, only use the alt tag once per keyphrase. Make it natural. Make the image the same name if you can. Use the title tag also is using as a link image.
Don't overdo it. Maybe one keyphrase per page. Personally I like using scrambles that look natural. And target the main keyword in the phrase twice, or three times if it has a variation (e.g. "forum" might also have "forumite" or even "forumer").
I'd apply the same rule of thumb as above. If what you're doing will help the visitors who happen to see your alt text, the search engines will love it. If your alt tags all have the identical text, "blue widgets," the search engines may suspect spam.
I assume, though, that your images all somehow relate to blue widgets. Therefore, there's no harm in providing alt text that explains how they relate to blue widgets: "blue widgets," "blue widget customers," "blue widget closeup."
Think in terms of, "What will Google consider to be helpful to my visitors," instead of, "How can I get around Google," and you'll have a lot less worries about whether you're going to trigger a spam filter.
Stuff like that.
