This factor counts the b elements on a page whose entire cleaned text is exactly one of your keyword variations. It returns a whole number; a higher count relates to position within a measured result set but never guarantees a ranking.
| Factor ID | RG-KWD-092 |
|---|---|
| Family | Keyword Usage & Density |
| Measurement | Whole-element variation match count |
| Measured zone | Cleaned b contents |
What it measures
RankGear counts every b element whose entire cleaned text equals one keyword variation. The match is whole-element: the bolded text must be the variation, not merely contain it. A page that bolds a standalone variation once contributes one to the count; a page that never bolds a bare variation scores zero on this factor.
How RankGear measures it
RankGear extracts and cleans the bounded contents of each b element, then applies a case-insensitive variation expression anchored at the start and end of that cleaned text. Because the expression is anchored at both ends, only a b element whose full content matches a variation is counted — any additional characters break the match.
What RankGear looks for
<b>keyword variation</b> → counted (whole element = variation)
<b>keyword variation and more</b> → not counted (extra text prevents a match)
<span style="font-weight:bold">keyword variation</span> → not counted (CSS bolding is not measured)| If the count is… | How to read it |
|---|---|
| Zero | No b element on the page is a standalone keyword variation. This is normal and often correct — do not add bold tags just to raise the number. |
| One or a few | A small number of variations are bolded on their own. Confirm each bold genuinely earns visual attention rather than existing to hold a keyword. |
| Many | Numerous bare variations are bolded. Review for keyword-container patterns, which read as manipulation to both users and search engines. |
How to optimize it
Bold a standalone variation only when that exact text genuinely deserves visual attention — a defined term, a key answer, a label a reader scans for. Treat this factor as an observation of what the page already does, not a target to inflate. Adding bold tags around bare variations to move the count is the keyword-container pattern this factor is designed to surface, and it helps no one.
Important considerations
- Additional text inside the
belement prevents a match — the whole cleaned content must equal the variation, because the expression is anchored at both ends. - CSS bolding (for example
font-weight:boldon aspanorstrongstyled element) is not measured; only literalbelements are inspected. - Variation strings retain regex behavior, so special characters in a variation are interpreted as pattern syntax rather than literal characters.
- Do not use bold tags as keyword containers — bolding exists to guide the reader’s eye, not to store keywords.
- This is a correlation-based prioritization signal. It relates to position within a measured result set; it does not make a page rank and guarantees nothing.
Related factors
Part of the Factors reference · how RankGear measures · glossary.