Keyword proximity is the distance between the words of a search phrase within a text, counted as the number of words that separate them. In SEO it works as a rule of thumb for writing copy. Google does not document it as a ranking factor.
What does keyword proximity mean?
Take the phrase “dentist Boston implant”. The text “dentist in Boston” has one word between the first two terms. A sentence that places “dentist” and “Boston” ten words apart has a larger distance. Two related measures are keyword density (how often a phrase appears) and keyword prominence (where it appears, for example in the title or a heading).
Several SEO sites state that a smaller distance signals higher relevance. The pages checked for this entry cite no Google source for it, and a search of Google Search Central found no statement that proximity is a ranking factor. It is best treated as a writing heuristic.
Example
Title A: “Women’s running shoes: test and comparison”. Title B: “Running shoes: test, tips and a guide for women”. Version A keeps the phrase together. Both versions are clear to a reader.
Common mistakes
Pressing phrases together at any cost can slide into keyword stuffing. Google’s spam policies define it as filling a page with keywords in an attempt to manipulate rankings, including repeating words so often that the text sounds unnatural.
Sources
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