This factor counts the option labels on a page whose entire cleaned text is exactly a keyword variation — nothing more, nothing less. It is a count of whole-element matches inside dropdown choices, and a higher count tracks with, but does not cause, ranking within a measured result set.
| Factor ID | RG-KWD-095 |
|---|---|
| Family | Keyword Usage & Density |
| Measurement | Whole-element variation match count |
| Measured zone | Cleaned option contents |
What it measures
RankGear counts the option labels whose complete cleaned text equals a keyword variation. The match is on the whole element: the visible label the user reads inside a dropdown must be the variation in full, with no leading or trailing words wrapped around it. An option that merely contains a variation as part of a longer phrase does not count here.
How RankGear measures it
RankGear extracts and cleans the recognized option contents on the page, then checks each cleaned label against a case-insensitive, both-end-anchored expression built from the sorted keyword variations. Anchoring at both ends is what makes this a whole-element test — the label passes only when it equals a variation start to finish. Every option that satisfies the expression is tallied, and the tally is the factor value.
What RankGear looks for
<select>
<option>blue widget</option> <!-- counts: whole label = a variation -->
<option>red widget</option> <!-- counts if "red widget" is a variation -->
<option>best blue widget here</option> <!-- no match: extra text around the variation -->
</select>
// case-insensitive, anchored both ends, alternation of sorted variations
/^(blue widget|red widget|widget)$/iHow to optimize it
Use a variation-only option when it accurately names a real choice in the control. If a dropdown genuinely offers a choice whose natural label is a keyword variation, let the label be exactly that variation rather than padding it with extra words. Treat the count as an observation of how your existing form choices happen to line up with variations, not as a target to inflate — form choices exist to help users select, not to host keywords.
Important considerations
- Extra option text prevents a match. Any leading or trailing words around the variation break the whole-element test, so “Choose your blue widget” will not count even though it contains a variation.
- The
valueattribute is not measured here — only the cleaned visible label inside theoptionelement is checked. - Alternatives are unescaped in the compatibility regex, so variations are matched as-is rather than with regex metacharacters escaped.
- Form usability should determine which choices a control offers. Add, remove, or word options for the person filling out the form, not for this count.
- Correlation is not causation. This factor relates to position within a measured result set and is one prioritization signal among many; it does not make a page rank or guarantee any position.
Related factors
Part of the Factors reference · how RankGear measures · glossary.