What are Semantic Keywords?
Semantic keywords are words or phrases conceptually related to a given keyword or topic. They are keywords that search engines associate with your primary keyword, based on their understanding of the context and meaning.
E.g If a short piece of content includes phrases around Italian cuisine, dough, cheese and tomato sauce, it is likely the content is related to pizza.
Why are Semantic Keywords Important for SEO?
– Improved Search Engine Rankings: Search engines value content that is informative, relevant, and well-structured. By incorporating semantic keywords, you’re signalling to search engines that your content is comprehensive and addresses various considerations of your topic.
– Enhanced User Experience: Semantic keywords help create a more engaging and informative user experience (UX). When your content is rich in related terms, it’s easier for users to find the information they’re looking for. This can lead to longer page times, lower bounce rates, and increased conversions.
– Competitive Advantage: By incorporating semantic keywords into your SEO strategy, you can differentiate yourself from competitors and potentially outrank them in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Considerations with Semantic Keywords
– Keyword Stuffing / Forcing Semantic Keywords: Avoid overusing or forcing semantic keywords in your content. Excessive repetition can harm your search engine rankings and create a poor user experience. Google is advanced enough to recognise whether you are trying to manipulate the algorithm by trying to squeeze as many keywords as possible within a given text.
– Irrelevant Keywords: It’s recommended to focus on using semantic keywords that are genuinely related to your primary target keyword. Using irrelevant keywords can confuse search engines, confuse people who land on your page and can negatively impact your rankings.
– Neglecting Primary Keyword: While semantic keywords are important, don’t totally neglect your primary target keyword. Ensure it’s used naturally throughout your content and matches the intent of the user.
– Ignoring User Intent: Always consider the user’s intent when using semantic keywords. Use them to provide valuable information and address any queries they may have.
Recommendations for Using Semantic Keywords
– Always Conduct Relevant Keyword Research: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or AHrefs to identify relevant semantic keywords. Look for terms that have a decent number of searches a month but aren’t overly competitive.
– Competitor Analysis: Compare the content of your competitors to yours, and see what semantic keywords they’re using which you are not. This can provide valuable insights into effective keyword strategies.
– Create Shareable Content: Focus on creating informative and engaging content that addresses your target audience’s needs. Try and angle your content in a way that promotes shareability across the Internet and social media platforms.
– Optimise Meta Data: Ensure that your semantic keywords are included in your title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and image alt text. This can lead to higher click-through rates and match the intent of your users.
By effectively using semantic keywords, you can improve your search engine rankings, enhance the user experience, and drive more traffic to your website. Remember to focus on quality content and avoid keyword stuffing to achieve your desired results.
My Experience with Semantic Keywords at Pod
One key example I’d like to mention relates to the keyphrase “nitrile gloves”. Rather than relying solely on the primary keyword, I incorporated related terms like “disposable gloves,” “powder-free gloves,” and “medical-grade gloves” which allowed me to naturally cover a wider range of search queries.
By also including phrases such as “chemical-resistant” and “puncture-resistant” I ensured the content addressed different concerns and intents that readers may have, whether it be for healthcare, industrial, or food-safe scenarios.
Using these semantically related terms not only improved the Google ranking for this page but also provided valuable, informative content for readers. This consequently led to more nitrile gloves being purchased from the client’s website and is their top-selling products.
Further Considerations
– Long-Tail Keywords: Long-tail keywords are more specific, and more lengthened phrases that often have lower search volume but can be more targeted and easier to rank for. It is recommended to see how semantic keywords can be used to identify and target long-tail keywords as this can generate business quicker than more generic key phrases.
– Local SEO: Semantic keywords can also be beneficial for local SEO. Optimising for location-based search terms and using local citations will improve Google’s understanding of your content/page. Platforms like Google My Business are also useful to promote semantic keywords to help target all types of user intent.
– Voice Search: Voice search is becoming more prevalent in today’s digital landscape, as such, it’s important to consider how semantic keywords can be used to optimise for voice-based queries. Think more of ‘What’, ‘Why’ and ‘How’ when trying to optimise for voice search.
How Can Pod Help?
We use semantic keywords to boost Google rankings by enhancing the relevance of your content. By focusing on related key terms, we help Google better understand your site’s context, improving visibility across a wider range of search queries.
Our team performs thorough keyword research to align content with user intent, driving more organic traffic and improving site authority. Contact us today to help with your Google rankings.
