Keyword Prominence As A Google Ranking Factor: What You Need To Know - Search Engine Journal

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Keyword prominence is an SEO best practice that involves using a page’s target keyword early in order to send a strong signal to Google about what the page should rank for.

It’s a concept comparable to the journalistic standard of never burying the lede. To “bury the lede” means to hide the main focus of a story underneath information that’s less relevant to the reader.

That’s considered a mistake in journalism because it sends a confusing message about what the most important details are in a given story.

Burying the lede in a piece of web content, with the “lede” being the target keyword, is considered a bad practice in SEO because it sends confusing signals regarding what the page is about.

That’s the consensus within the SEO industry at least. But is it an unsupported theory or has Google confirmed keyword prominence is a ranking factor?

Here’s more about the claim related to keyword prominence, followed by the evidence to back it up.

The Claim: Keyword Prominence Is A Ranking Factor

Where a keyword appears on a page is said to play a role in search rankings.

SEO professionals advise using a page’s target keyword early in order to benefit from a ranking signal known as keyword prominence.

Keyword prominence correlates positively with higher...

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