In the early days of search engines, it was enough to simply throw in a few well-placed keywords and find yourself at the top of Google’s result page.

However, while that was good for website owners, it was less good for web users. There were plenty of low-quality websites receiving visits from people who were looking for something better or something else entirely.

To combat this problem, Google got to work creating systems that would ensure high-quality websites ended up on the screens of their users. Today, Google uses semantic analysis to guide web users to the most appropriate website based on their search terms.

In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at semantic SEO, including what it is, why you need it, the many benefits, and how to get started.

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What Is Semantic SEO?

Semantic SEO is the response to semantic search algorithms.

Semantic search processes focus on topics and meanings rather than simply keywords. This allows the algorithm to point two users to the same website even if they used different words in their search because Google knows that they’re looking for the same thing. It’s another example of Google’s ongoing advancement; this is technology that can interpret the user’s language almost as a human would.

The algorithm can scan a website and see if the user’s search engine query is answered on the page, even if the user didn’t use the specific words that appear within the text on the page. Google will feel confident pointing the user to that page because they know that they’ll find the content they’re looking for there.

Semantic SEO is the website owner’s response to semantic search results. It’s the act of making your website not only SEO-friendly but Semantic SEO-friendly. It’s the next level of website optimisation, essentially.

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The Benefits of Investing In Semantic SEO

So we’ve established what semantic search algorithms are. The question is: is it something that you need to bother with? We think the answer to that question is a resounding yes, because of the many benefits that semantic SEO can bring, which we’ll outline below.

Google Rankings

Google is looking for sites that are semantic search friendly, and it’s always a good idea to give Google what they’re looking for. Websites that invest in semantic SEO will enjoy higher SEO ratings, which in turn can lead to increased numbers of visitors and more sales. It’s a way to put yourself ahead of your competition.

Develop Authority

Scoring highly in the eyes of a semantic search algorithm doesn’t just happen. It takes effort. Once you’ve gone through the process of making your site semantic SEO-friendly, you should have a website filled with quality, in-depth content. And that’s not only good for Google. It’s also good for your brand. A company that can demonstrate its authority (as you’ll be doing through your content) is more likely to be successful than one with low-quality content.

Help Your Users

Google creates its algorithms based on what users want. If you can make Google happy, then you’ll probably be making your users happy, too. Web users want to have the highest-quality content as quickly as possible. If you’ve optimised your site in line with semantics, then they’ll be happy once they land on your site. A happy visitor is much more likely to become a customer than an unhappy visitor.

New and Engaging Marketing

We’re not going to pretend that every aspect of marketing is fun. But we think semantic SEO really does have the power to be an enjoyable experience. That’s because, to do it, you’ll need to dive deep into one particular topic, which can be a lot of fun compared with just skimming the surface of a topic.

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How To Start Your Semantic SEO Journey

Creating a semantic SEO-friendly website isn’t as easy as the process of SEO in the olden days when a few keywords would do. It’s about taking a holistic approach to your entire website and putting together content that users will enjoy.

You can focus less on keywords and more on creating quality content, and this is a good thing: it’s a way for you to showcase your expertise with the end-user in mind, rather than a basic search algorithm that’s just looking for words. Because, for all intents and purposes, the semantic SEO algorithm interprets words and meanings just as a human would.

Some useful starting points include:

Research Keywords

You can research keywords to find what type of content users are looking for. The actual words themselves aren’t overly important; the main thing is that you create content that is thematically in line with those keywords. Google Keyword Planner can help you to find relevant keywords.

Dive Into SERP

Looking at SERP (search engine results page) can help you to build content ideas, too. You can look at the results that appear on the page, as well as suggestions such as ‘people also ask’ and the suggested related search terms.

Creating Content

There are two ways to create semantic content. If the topic is big enough, then you can put together ‘the complete guide to [topic].’ With that, you’ll focus on the main topic and touch upon some thematically related points, too. You could also create topic clusters. This is a series of pages all thematically linked that are connected through internal linking.

The Technical Aspect

Your content will be 90% of your semantic SEO work. But two technical elements are important, too: structured data and alt text. Structured data will give Google and users more information about your page (this is where ‘snippets’ come from), while alt text provides information for the visually impaired and more context about your site.

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Conclusion

Semantic search results are here to stay. Google has spent years developing these algorithms for a reason: they know that it’s the future of search results. So it’s worthwhile making the jump up to semantic SEO if you haven’t already. If you do, you’ll receive benefits in both the present and the future.

If you’re searching for some marketing help, then be sure to get in touch. Our talented and experienced team has the expertise you need to shoot up the search results page.