"Aim for 1–2% keyword density."

"Aim for 1–2% keyword density."

There is no target. There never was.

Density is a metric SEO tools invented to have a number to sell you. But if you want a checklist that replaces it with something real, here:

— Use the exact phrase in the title, first paragraph, and one H2. That's coverage, not density.
— Then write naturally and never count again.
— Add related terms a real expert uses — not synonyms, entities. Writing about title tags? Mention SERP, pixel width, truncation, CTR. That's the actual signal.
— Read it aloud. If you wince at the repetition, you're over the line a human cares about, and Google's language model cares about the same line.
— Delete any sentence whose only job is to fit the keyword in again.

That's the whole method. (The 1980s density formula assumes search engines count words like a freshman essay grader. They've used embeddings for years. You're optimizing for a robot that retired.)