WHAT IS SEMANTIC SEARCH?
Updated: Aug 29, 2019
In a nutshell, it’s an online data searching technique.
The word ‘semantics’ is the study of meaning and relationships between words. So, when someone is searching for something online, semantic search is a data searching technique that aims to not only find keywords, but to work out the intent and idea of the words a person is using for their search.
So, by acknowledging semantics (what the words mean) search engines can show results that are much more closely associated with the context of the search query.
For all your online web content, blogs and advertising material think about topics, not just keywords.
Semantic search has made topics, not just the keywords, extremely important. Search engines work hard to deliver the most valuable and relevant results to users, so the content must be more informative and thorough than ever before.
The benefits of semantic search are huge because it has resulted in delivering highly targeted, useful content for the user.
As you develop content ideas for your SEO keywords, think about why a user would search for that phrase.
For example:
Educational keywords: The user is wanting to learn something, so they use “know” keywords to look for information and receive answers to their questions.
Navigational keywords: The user is wanting to find a specific site or item, so they use “go” keywords to find the website for a brand/product/service that is familiar.
Transactional keywords: The user is wanting to make a purchase, so they use “do” keywords to locate where they can make their transaction.
Add further strength to your copy by adding in Latent Semantic Indexing keywords (LSI), which are phrases that are closely related to your target keyword. They clarify the meaning of your content and help search engines better understand what your content is about and how it can assist the user.
Semantic search has made a search more intuitive, which helps users find results that closely match what they are looking for.