Too many keywords may lead search engines to believe you are spamming and disregard your site altogether. You should focus on quality rather than quantity.
First Focus
There are many things to consider when selecting which keywords and key phrases you want to use for your web site. First of all, you want to use those that you think people will enter into a search box when looking for information that is contained on your web pages. In many cases, it is better to use key phrases made up of two or three words rather than a string of single keywords. For instance, if your site is about boat racing, use the phrase ''boat racing'' rather than the two individual words ''boat'' and ''racing''. Not only does this make your choice more relevant to your content, but it can help you out later if you decide you want to consider purchasing paid advertising from a source such as Google AdWords. There is much less competition for multiple-word phrases than individual words so this could save you a lot of money in your advertising budget.
Beware of Spamming
Be careful that search engines do not view you as a spammer. You want to make sure that you choose enough keywords and key phrases to get a good placement in search engine results but not so many that your site is banned from the index or its ranking is reduced. Try to stick to under 200 characters total and avoid repeating words. To put this concept into perspective, imagine if you saw a billboard on the side of the road that said, ''Boat racing, boat racing, racing, boat, racing boat, boat racing''. While this is certain to make the term ''boat racing'' stick in your head, it does not give you any more information than a sign that simply reads ''boat racing''. Search engines are smart and realize this, and they have started ''punishing'' web pages that employ this type of tactic.
While the task of choosing the right keywords and key phrases may seem daunting, the best way is really the old-fashioned way. Develop web pages on your site with good content and then select simple and straightforward words and phrases that describe that content. The web sites in this article can help with this, but your best tool is going to be common sense. Slick gimmicks might get you a quick rush of hits over a short period, but they may also hurt you in the long run if the ever-evolving search engines find a way to counter them. Your best bet is to stick with the honest, clear-cut method and watch your traffic grow steadily over time.
