The keyword proximity describes the proximity or distance of two or more keywords within a text. If there is no other expression between two terms, the proximity is very high.
Background
If you want more than one word in a search engine, the results displayed will vary, depending on the order of the terms you entered. Websites that rank higher for a particular combination of terms can be much lower for a single term. This aspect can be counteracted if keyword proximity is taken into account because search engines take it into account.
Process
In keyword optimization, at the same time the focus, density and prominence of keywords must take into account the proximity of the keywords to each other. Keyword proximity (additionally) enables long-tail optimization. The best way to bring terms closer together is by eliminating words like "and," "anyway," or "besides." The decline of such words, reduce the distance between keywords and these important terms are closer to each other. Regardless of expletives, terms can be specifically placed in the text consecutively, rather than being scattered throughout the paragraph. The proximity of keywords can be deliberately paid attention in the formulation of the content.
Another aspect in this context is the sequence of keywords. Search engines will return different results for "one, two" and "two, one," for example. Using keyword proximity must be well thought out, any change in the order of the words has to make sense.
Relevance for SEO
With the proximity of keywords a website can be better positioned with various combinations of keywords. By reducing expletives, better keyword proximity can be achieved and can result in better page rankings for different combinations of words. However, excessive attention to the proximity of keywords poses the risk that the text is already not nice to read. Keyword chaining degrades the text flow and thus the quality of the content and its value to the user. As with many SEO measures, the rule of thumb is not to overdo the use of a measure and pay attention to potential visitors and customers.
