How Many Keywords Should a Website Target? A Scope Plan

How Many Keywords Should a Website Target? A Scope Plan

Introduction: Managing scope so your SEO doesn’t sprawl

I once managed a content spreadsheet with over 500 “must-target” keywords for a single client project. It was a color-coded nightmare. I couldn’t explain to the business owner which specific page was supposed to rank for what term, and we ended up with dozens of thin, conflicting pages that went nowhere.

It is easy to fall into the trap of wanting to target everything. You see a high search volume number in a tool, and you feel the fear of missing out if you don’t create a page for it. But in my experience, the sites that win today aren’t the ones with the most pages; they are the ones with the clearest intent.

If you are struggling with scope creep, this article is your sanity check. I’m going to break down exactly how many keywords should a website target—both on a single page and across your entire site—based on realistic benchmarks for 2026. We’ll cover why keyword density is a guideline (not a law) and give you a framework to plan your content without drowning in spreadsheets.

Quick answer: how many keywords should a website target (and how many per page)?

If you only have time to skim, here is the rule of thumb I use for most US-based business sites:

• Per Page: Focus on 1 primary keyword and 2–4 secondary keywords. That’s it.
• Sitewide (Niche Site): Target 5–15 core topics (primary keywords).
• Sitewide (Growing Business): Target 30–50 core topics as you expand authority.
• Sitewide (Large/E-commerce): Scale to 100+ keywords, but only if you have the inventory or editorial capacity to support distinct pages.

Crucial Context: While you only target a few keywords per page, a well-optimized page will often rank for hundreds of related queries naturally. This is due to semantic SEO—Google understands that if you cover “best CRM software” well, you are also answering queries about “customer relationship management tools” and “sales software ratings” without you needing to stuff those phrases in.

In short: Target narrowly, rank broadly. If this feels low, that’s normal—most sites win by focus, not volume.

What I mean by “target” (vs. “rank for”)

I think of “targeting” like aiming an arrow. You aim at the bullseye (your primary keyword). However, because your content is comprehensive, you end up hitting the surrounding rings too.

When I say you should “target” one keyword, I mean you optimize your Title Tag, H1, and URL for that specific term. But when you look at your Search Console data later, you will see that page ranking for 400–900 additional keywords [Industry Observation]. These are semantic variations—long-tail queries you didn’t explicitly chase but earned because your content was helpful.

The modern baseline: one primary keyword per page (plus 2–4 supporting terms)

Why do we stick to one primary keyword per page? Clarity. When you try to make one page rank for “plumbing services,” “best drain cleaner,” and “how to fix a leak,” you confuse the algorithm (and the user) about the page’s actual purpose. Is it a service page? A product review? A DIY guide?

Here is the workflow I use to turn a keyword list into a clear plan without overthinking it:

1. Choose the Page’s Job: Is this page trying to sell something (transactional) or explain something (informational)?
2. Pick One Primary Keyword: This is the term with the best balance of search volume and intent match.
3. Select 2–4 Secondary Keywords: These are variations or subtopics. If my primary is “bookkeeping services,” my secondaries might be “small business bookkeeping,” “monthly bookkeeper cost,” and “outsourced accounting.”
4. Confirm the SERP: Google the primary keyword. If the results are all blog posts, do not try to rank a product page there.
5. Draft the Outline: Ensure your headers naturally cover those secondary keywords.

If you are managing this process at scale, using an AI article generator can help you stick to this structure consistently. The key is ensuring the tool is briefed to follow this “1 primary + 3 supporting” logic rather than just generating generic fluff.

Primary vs. secondary vs. long-tail keywords (quick definitions)

Let’s make sure we are speaking the same language. I’ll use a local coffee shop as an example.

• Primary Keyword: The main topic. Example: “best coffee in Seattle”
• Secondary Keywords: Close variations or sub-points supporting the main topic. Example: “Seattle coffee shops,” “top rated espresso bars Seattle.”
• Long-tail Keywords: Specific, lower-volume queries often 3+ words long. Example: “quiet coffee shops in Seattle for studying.”

Mini checklist: choosing a primary keyword that won’t backfire

Before I commit to a primary keyword, I run it through this quick mental filter:

1. Intent Match: Does the user want to buy, learn, or go somewhere?
2. Difficulty Check: If the top 10 results are Amazon, Wikipedia, and Forbes, and I’m a new site, I skip it.
3. Uniqueness: Do I already have a page targeting this? (If yes, update that one; don’t make a new one).
4. Can I win? Can I realistically write something better than what is currently ranking?

How many keywords should one page target? Benchmarks by page type

Not all pages are created equal. A homepage has a very different job than a deep-dive technical guide. If you are new to this, the table below prevents overthinking. It outlines generally accepted ranges for how many keywords per page based on content type.

Page Type	Primary Keyword	Secondary Keywords	Total Mentions (Est.)
Homepage	1 (Brand or Broad Service)	3–5 (Core Services)	Varied/Natural
Product/Service Page (~500 words)	1	2–3	5–8 mentions
Blog Post (~1,000 words)	1	3–5	10–15 mentions
Pillar / Ultimate Guide (~2,500+ words)	1	6–10+	25–40+ mentions

Note: Your homepage is special. Don’t try to rank it for every single service you offer. Optimize it for your brand name and your broadest category (e.g., “Digital Marketing Agency in Austin”), then let specific service pages handle the rest.

Example keyword set: service page vs. blog post

Here is how I would handle the same topic for an IT support company, depending on the page intent:

Transactional Page (Service Page):
Primary: “Managed IT Services Chicago”
Secondary: “IT support pricing,” “outsourced IT support,” “Chicago business IT.”
Goal: Get them to book a consultation.

Informational Page (Blog Post):
Primary: “How much does managed IT cost?”
Secondary: “average IT support rates,” “per user vs per device pricing,” “hidden IT costs.”
Goal: Educate them and link to the Service Page.

Keyword density in 2026: what to do instead of counting words

If you are still aiming for an exact “2.5% keyword density,” you are playing an old game. Modern algorithms look for semantic meaning, not just string matching. That said, I know people like benchmarks for sanity checks.

In general, a primary keyword density of 1% to 2% is safe. For a 1,000-word article, that means the exact phrase appears maybe 10 to 20 times. But here is the real test I use as an editor: Read it out loud.

If I see the phrase “best running shoes for flat feet” jammed into every H2 and every other sentence start, I know it is going to read badly. It sounds robotic. Google hates that, and users hate it more. Instead, place your keywords where they matter most:

• The Title Tag (Critical)
• The H1 Header (Critical)
• First 100 Words (Important for context)
• URL Slug (Keep it short)
• Alt Text (Only if the image is actually relevant)

Practical density ranges by content length (quick reference)

• Short Content (300 words): Mention primary keyword 2–3 times.
• Standard Blog (1,000 words): Mention primary keyword 10–15 times.
• Long-form (2,000+ words): Mention primary keyword 20–30 times (spread out naturally).

At the website level: how many keywords should a website target?

This is the question that paralyzes people. “My competitor ranks for 10,000 keywords—do I need 10,000 pages?”

No. You need a scope that matches your resources. If you are a solo founder or a small marketing team, you cannot maintain 500 pages of high-quality content. It is better to have 20 incredible pages than 200 mediocre ones.

Here is a tiered framework I use to plan sitewide keyword targets based on site maturity:

Site Stage	Page Count Target	Core Keyword Strategy
Brochure / Startup	5–10 Pages	Focus strictly on bottom-of-funnel service/product terms. (e.g., “Emergency Plumber Dallas”). Ignore the blog for now.
Niche Authority	10–30 Pages	Target 5–15 core topics. Add detailed service pages and 5–10 high-value blog posts answering common sales questions.
Growing Content Site	30–200 Pages	Expand to “Topic Clusters.” Pick 3–5 broad categories and write 10+ supporting articles for each.
Large / E-commerce	200+ Pages	Target hundreds of keywords via programmatic product pages or extensive learning centers.

If you need help visualizing this or generating the initial drafts for a “Niche Authority” site, a dedicated SEO content generator can help you populate those 10–30 pages quickly. Just remember: every new page is a page you have to keep accurate.

A simple keyword map template (what I track on day one)

I keep my keyword maps boring and usable. Here are the only columns you really need in Google Sheets:

• URL (Proposed): /blog/how-to-fix-sink
• Primary Keyword: how to fix a leaky sink
• Intent: Informational (How-to)
• Status: Planned / Draft / Live
• Last Updated: [Date]

How I avoid keyword cannibalization while scaling pages

Cannibalization happens when you have two pages fighting for the same spot. The symptoms are frustrating: your rankings swap back and forth, or both pages get stuck on page 2.

I once saw a client with three different blog posts: “Best SEO Tips,” “Top SEO Strategies,” and “SEO Advice for 2024.” They were all targeting the same intent. Google didn’t know which one to rank, so it ranked none of them well. The fix? I consolidated them into one “Ultimate SEO Strategy Guide” and 301 redirected the others. To avoid this, check your keyword map before you write. If the intent is the same, update an existing page instead of creating a new one.

How pages rank for hundreds of keywords: semantic SEO + low-volume long-tail strategy

This is where the magic happens. You don’t need to create a page for every single long-tail variation. By using a Topic Cluster strategy, you can rank for thousands of low-volume keywords with a manageable number of pages.

Research suggests that a high-authority page can rank for 400–900 additional terms. These are often “long-tail” queries—keywords with low search volume (maybe 10–50 searches a month). But do not ignore them. In my experience, these low-volume searches convert the best because the intent is so specific.

If you are looking to scale this approach—creating clusters of content that capture these long-tail opportunities—a bulk article generator can assist in building out the supporting content efficiently, provided you maintain editorial oversight.

Checklist: building a topic cluster (pillar + supporting pages)

Here is how I build a cluster that targets one broad term and dozens of long-tail terms:

1. Pick a Pillar Page: This targets the broad, high-volume term (e.g., “Email Marketing”).
2. Identify Subtopics: Look at “People Also Ask” for specific questions (e.g., “best time to send emails,” “email subject line tips”).
3. Create Supporting Pages: Write individual articles for each subtopic. Target one specific long-tail keyword for each.
4. Link Internally: Link every supporting page back to the Pillar Page, and have the Pillar Page link out to them.
5. Publish Order: I actually prefer to publish the supporting pages first, so when the Pillar goes live, it immediately has links to point to.

Common mistakes when targeting too many keywords (and the fixes)

I have made plenty of mistakes in my career. Here are a few “don’ts” that will save you time:

• Mistake: Stuffing keywords into every header.
  The Fix: Write headers for humans. Use the keyword in the H1 and maybe one H2, but use variations for the rest.
• Mistake: Creating a new page for every slight variation.
  The Fix: If the answer is the same, the page should be the same. Consolidate “buy blue widgets” and “blue widgets for sale” into one page.
• Mistake: Ignoring internal links.
  The Fix: Don’t leave pages as orphans. Every page should be reachable from another page. Contextual links help Google understand which keywords are relevant.
• Mistake: Chasing volume over intent.
  The Fix: Start with keywords that drive leads, not just traffic. A keyword with 50 searches that brings in 5 clients is worth more than a generic term with 5,000 views and zero sales.

Fast self-audit: 10-minute check before you publish

Before you hit publish, run through this list. It doesn’t require paid tools, just your eyes:

• Is the primary keyword in the Title Tag and H1?
• Does the content actually answer the user’s intent immediately?
• Did I mention 2–3 secondary keywords naturally in the body?
• Are there internal links to other relevant pages on my site?
• Crucial: If I were a customer, would I trust this page?

FAQs + recap: what I recommend you do next

How many keywords should I target on one page?
One primary keyword and 2–4 secondary keywords. Let semantic relevance handle the rest.

What is the ideal keyword density?
Aim for 1–2% naturally, but prioritize readability. If it sounds forced when read aloud, delete some keywords.

How many keywords should my website target overall?
Start small. A niche site works well with 15–30 core pages. Expand only when you have the resources to maintain quality.

Are low-volume keywords worth targeting?
Absolutely. They often have lower competition and higher conversion rates. They are the foundation of a strong topic cluster.

Your action plan for this week

If I were starting today, here is exactly what I would do:

1. Create a simple keyword map for your next 5 pages.
2. Choose one “Cluster” to focus on (1 pillar + 3 supporting posts).
3. Draft the content focusing on clear intent, not just keyword counts.
4. Publish and wait 30 days, then check Search Console to see what unexpected keywords you are ranking for.

SEO isn’t about targeting the entire dictionary. It’s about being the best answer for the specific questions your customers are asking. Start there, and the volume will follow.