Since 2010, lots of changes can be seen with SEO. During the time, it was more important to earn backlinks. Several keywords were cramped together within an article. However, focus has shifted now to behavior, intent and context. Reasons behind these changes are semantics. Over time, understanding regarding search engine has developed. Therefore, methods of optimization have been altered too. Days of content that uses reverse engineering strategy to get high rank has passed. Identifying the keywords and using it within the content is not enough anymore.
Meaning behind these keywords should be understood now. Rich information should be provided while contextualizing keywords. User intent must be understood too.
Most of these above things are essential for semantic search. Through natural language processing and machine learning, it is important to learn about the consumer and context in better manner.
Semantic Search
In case of semantic search, attempts are taken to generate an accurate SERP result. Searcher query, intent and context are understood before creating content.
Why is it important?
• People usually speak and search for a thing in a different manner.
• Search queries may be ambiguous in nature
• Relationship between the words must be understood.
Lots of money is spent by Google in order to get the patent associated with this. Semantic search is applicable when something is searched by a person and reply is obtained from Google in the form of websites and options.
Semantic search tries to understand everything in natural language. Two questions may be posed in connection with each other. Prior to 2013, search engine may not able to understand if a question is posed with the term ‘it’ as it may be connected to another question. However, things have changed now as search engine understand a context and give results differently.
Differences between diverse entities are understood such as places, things and people. Interpreting the searcher’s intent and other factors such as search history, location and global search history, better experience is offered to the user.
How Semantic Search Impacts SEO?
Turning the Voice Search On
Increase in the amount of voice search may be one of the most important reasons behind evolving semantic search. Using voice command over mobile phone is a common place thing now-a-days.
Voice search optimization is pretty different from traditional SEO. In case of voice search, content is pretty much conversational.
What to do
Clear and precise content must be created to answer queries on the top of page. Specific details must be given in the latter half of the article. Structured data may help the search engine to understand the content perfectly.
Give more importance to topics.
Content should not be created while thinking about the keywords only. Instead, you should give importance to the broader topics. Everything should be covered in-depth. Original, comprehensive and high quality articles must be created always.
What to do
Instead of short pages with separate topics, guide can be created to offer more comprehensive resource.