Is it safe to drop a stop word from your keyword? Usually yes: deleting a stop word kept 68% of page one, against 89% for the same keyword searched twice. Deleting "in" kept 81%, deleting "with" kept 49%, and swapping a stop word for its opposite kept 26%.

Oct 1, 2026

Is deleting a stop word safe? infographic

What happens to page one when you drop or swap a stop word in a keyword, and why the word you delete matters more than any stop word list.

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<a href="https://searchinsider.io/seo-news/do-stop-words-matter"><img src="https://searchinsider.io/research/do-stop-words-matter/infographic.png" alt="Is it safe to drop a stop word from your keyword? Usually yes: deleting a stop word kept 68% of page one, against 89% for the same keyword searched twice. Deleting &quot;in&quot; kept 81%, deleting &quot;with&quot; kept 49%, and swapping a stop word for its opposite kept 26%." style="max-width:680px;width:100%;height:auto;" /></a><p>Source: <a href="https://searchinsider.io/seo-news/do-stop-words-matter">Is deleting a stop word safe? 13,376 ranking pages tested</a>, original research by Search Insider.</p>

Is it safe to drop a stop word from your keyword?

The short answer: Usually, yes. Dropping "in" kept most of page one. Dropping "with", or swapping a word for its opposite, often made a different search.

What was tested: 610 Google searches, 13,376 ranking pages, pairs like plumbers in chicago / plumbers chicago.

The evidence

Same keyword, searched twice: 89%
A stop word dropped: 68%
A stop word swapped (when / where): 26%
Drop "in": 81% (plumbers in chicago)
Drop "with": 49% (tools with free trial)

What to do

The versions differ by "a", "the" or "in": Either is fine. Pick the one that reads better.
The versions differ by "with": Search both before you decide.
You use a stop word list: Check it. To, from, when and where change the search.

Method, sample and limitations are in the full study.

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