Why I Have Been Shouting About Semantic Search
Let’s be honest, you can feel as though you’ve finally figured out the SEO game and then suddenly another concept pops up to get your head around. Firstly, it’s best to get with the grips with the basics and you may be surprised to see that what follows isn’t as complex as you expected it to be.
What is it All About?
Fundamentally, semantic search refers to the study of words and their meanings. In its marketing sense, semantics specialises in looking for the specific intent of searchers by studying the contextual meaning of the words which they use to search. Through this, it can help you to focus your content efforts to improve search accuracy to your site and thus increase your audience.
Why is Google Semantics Worth My Time?
Google has really embraced semantic techniques and unsurprisingly it has significantly improved the everyday search results. Google semantic as much as the semantic web in general, is blending the online and offline world and making itself a part of everything you do online from looking for a job to making a purchase. With the vast volumes of content online, Google Semantic plays a crucial role in separating the relevant from the extraneous.
To better understand the needs of users, Google is using detailed systems to determine quality by studying the semantic relationships between search keywords, related on-page terms and host of performance factors including time on site and conversion. It’s this bigger picture that makes it much more reliable and comprehensive than a traditional keyword search model.
By definition, in order to be easily found by your target audience, what you now need to focus on is quality and relevance rather than simply being searchable.
How Do I Get Started?
The first step is understanding the principals of searching semantically. Then, crucially, you can apply it to your advantage. Much of what is involved in benefiting from the techniques comes down to up-to-date marketing sense. Your content is far more likely to be found by your desired users if it’s focused, high quality and identifies user intent.
Classifying user intent is not always a straightforward task but featuring non-brand content can be a great way of targeting what provides value to your audience in a focused yet moderate manner. Additionally, identifying the keyword rankings for which you want to aim helps you to apply a strategy which will make you more attractive than your competitors in search engine results.
It’s being increasingly stressed that keyword stuffing should be avoided as there really are more effective options. In today’s SEO environment, content is the key to utilising semantic search and although this still gives keywords power, it’s diluted. In terms of keywords, it’s long tail keywords that hold the most merit in enhancing your content. Finally, always double check that data markup is correct and visible on your web pages.
Essentially, keeping up to date with the SEO user experience helps both you and your users to get the most out of semantic search. By embracing these strategies to create a more valuable experience for your audience, your results in search engine rankings can only get better.