Semantic SEO – How to Do SEO for People Rather Than Machines
Semantic SEO…
What is this metric? Why do you need to know about it if you want to rank at the top of Google? And how do you go about doing it in practice?
I'll go into more detail about that in this blog post.
What is semantic SEO?
To understand semantic SEO, you first need to be familiar with SEO, also known as search engine optimization. If you’re not already familiar with it, read about SEO here first, and then come back to this post.
Okay, let’s briefly dive into semantics—and, in particular, semantic SEO.
In short, semantics refers to “the meaning behind language.” Without delving too deeply into the conventions of the Danish language, it’s still very important to understand the basic meaning of “semantics” before you venture into semantic SEO.
Broadly speaking, semantics examines the content behind words and the meaning of sentences. When applied to SEO, semantic SEO is essentially about writing content based on topics rather than traditional keywords.
So when you’re writing content for your website, you need to consider the context behind the words you use; you should focus on the relationship between your keywords rather than just cramming a bunch of relevant keywords into your text (as people used to do)—the “classic” approach to writing SEO content.
If you're still not quite on board with semantic SEO, I'll walk you through it with the following guide.
1. Understand the search intent
When your target audience searches on Google, they have a specific purpose for their search—also known as “search intent.” They’re looking for answers to something specific. Keeping this in mind when writing content for your site is the smartest move you can make, since matching the user’s search intent with the content on your website is the key to winning Google’s favor. In other words, it gives your website much better rankings in search results.
A user’s search intent depends heavily on where they are in the customer journey. Are they looking for information? Do they need to buy a product? Are they looking for a service or the best solution to meet their needs?
In other words: What is their search intent?
There are four types of search intent: informational searches, commercial exploration searches, transactional searches, and navigational searches. I've written a blog post about these very topics, which I recommend you read.
2. Think in terms of topics—not just keywords
I've mentioned this before, but I'll remind you again. Semantic SEO is all about thinking in terms of topics; however, don't forget your keywords!
Because the Google algorithm can understand the content of websites, your chosen keywords may not appear in all search results, even if they revolve around the same search intent. So, you should consider what your keywords are actually about before using them in your content.
Another aspect of this is that the algorithm’s understanding of your content can help you rank for keywords that you don’t actually use on your website. This is because Google believes that your topics and content are, in fact, the same as the topics and content related to the searched keyword. That’s pretty cool!
In addition, it gives you more freedom to think in terms of topics rather than keywords. This also allows you to provide more comprehensive and useful content to your visitors, which can ultimately lead to a conversion or encourage your visitors to return for more information.
3. Know Your Target Audience
You’ve certainly thought about who your target audience is when you started your business. And you need to keep those target audiences in mind when you write content for your website.
Different target audiences use different words and terms to describe topics that are relevant to them. This means you need to put yourself in your target audience’s shoes and make sure to use the same words they would use in their Google search.
Now that the algorithm has a better semantic understanding of your texts and can therefore comprehend your content, it can also assess whether you’re writing in a way that resonates with readers. Google has become adept at understanding its audience based on their “style” of searching, and as a result, it also monitors whether you’re writing your content in their “style.”
For example, if your target audience is makeup artists, it’s important to write “blush” instead of “cheek red” or “the red that adds color to your cheeks,” since that’s not a correct term in the professional makeup artist world.
In other words, you run the risk that the algorithm will determine that you’re not writing with the reader in mind—and therefore can’t deliver what the user is looking for. Ultimately, this means you won’t appear in search results that would otherwise be relevant, and you’ll miss out on traffic from your target audience.
Even worse, poor wording can have a negative effect on your bounce rate (and therefore your Google ranking) if readers become frustrated and leave your page because they perceive your content as irrelevant due to wording that doesn't align with what you actually offer.
Get help making your SEO efforts more semantic!
Would you like to dive into semantic SEO and get your website to rank—without stuffing it full of unnecessary keywords?
Please contact me or one of my colleagues at Amplify at 70 60 50 28 or info@amplify.dk for help with SEO.
Learn Even More
Whether you're a generalist or a specialist in marketing, our experts have put together a number of helpful tips for you on our blog.
