One Keyword per Page

Image from WikipediaSearch Engine Herald ran an article by Noel titled "SEO Basic - One Keyword per Page" which stuck in my mind for a bit, so I posted the following comment:

What do you mean by ‘optimizing’ when you say one keyword per page?
The LSI process tracks the use of associated terms to interpret the subject of a page. If you define ‘optimization’ as terms within the 2%-15% keyword density (some people target 5%-12%), then the goal of optimization would be to get as many of the commonly associated terms into that range - not just one keyword.
Whichever range is used, getting just one keyword (or phrase) into that range dictates some very short pages. Google once looked at only the first 250-500 words of content in order to build up their index quickly, that’s true. That was a few years ago.

The result was many SEO people writing a lot of short pages that resembled intrusive advertising as opposed to truly relevant information.

But Google has changed its perspective recently to favor pages with around 1000-1200 words, which arguably allows for more pertinent information.
Many business websites find it difficult to find 500 words about a category or product, much less 1000, which reflects Google’s long-standing policy to return SERPs which favor information as opposed to sales pitches.

The article is on SEO basics. My comments took the subject matter a little further. I just didn't think this short article was being very clear, that's all.
I'd just finished a keyword density analysis on a homepage. There was one word on the page that was within the indicated range. I'd rewritten the page to have 17 words and phrases within the 2-15% range. All but one of the terms clearly pertinent to the topic and the goals of the homepage.

Homepages can be difficult for SEO.
A company may provide a number of services and products that need to be presented along with a brief introduction to convey the attitude and quality of the business.
The Value Proposition of the business is often expressed in a slogan that is not commonly associated with the type of business.
The wider the distribution of services and products, the more the keyword density will be diluted. This is the challenge of SEO and web design.

It's much easier to get the right mix of keyword density for a page on a category of services and/or products; or for a particular service or product. Although finding 250+ words to say about some products can be difficult too.

LSI can actually make writing relevant pages easier, too.
A little research can reveal a number of associated terms on most topics, which means the text can flow more easily and include greater detail without losing relevancy. In fact, using the right combination of terms can make the page more human-readable and more relevant.
Complexity isn't always a negative. Humans are complex. I suppose it could be said the complexity of content has to match as closely as possible the complexity of the target audience.

The complexity offered by LSI and longer pages poses the challenge of writing content that is still scannable. Web users still scan the page. Very few read more than about 55 words or so.
Visitors can be induced to read more of the content by good presentation and interactive content, but that has its limits. A great deal depends on assumptions about the type of traffic the site will draw, and the marketing goals.

Australia
Is it fair to tell a DYI web designer to try to target only one keyword or key phrase per page?
Part of the answer depends on the locale. The article referenced above was written for the US market, where competition is fierce. Content designers in the US market have to contend with a more balanced apportioning of the search engine market.
In Australia, Google with LSI still controls 80% of the search traffic. That's really the basics in this market.
Australian web designers must write for the cutting edge technology, or seek traffic elsewhere. Most Australian sites are designed to be marketed within Australia and New Zealand.; if not regionally within Australia.

SEO/SEM in Australia is a special issue for so many reasons. Join me was we explore. It will be a fascinating and informative journey.

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