Semantic SEO is all about improving the way search engines understand the meaning of content.
Whereas traditional SEO focuses primarily on specific keywords and technical optimizations, semantic SEO goes a step further by analyzing the meaning and context of words, phrases and entire content.
This allows search results to align much better with what a user really means.
We’re happy to explain how semantic SEO works and why you should apply it to your website as well.
Semantic SEO is becoming increasingly important
Today, Google uses semantic search.
This means that it analyzes the meaning of the search query on the one hand and the content on the website on the other to provide the best search results.
In this way, search engines no longer focus only on exact keywords, but also on synonyms, context and the relationship between different entities.
Entities include people, places, things or ideas relevant to a particular topic.
This development ensures that websites with valuable, well-structured content can achieve higher rankings in search results.
But how does this work?
Google and other search engines do this using two systems:
- Natural language processing (NLP): a form of artificial intelligence that allows computers to better understand human language
- Knowledge Graph: an information database that maps relationships between entities (such as people, places and things)
Semantic search
Traditional search is also called lexical search.
To make the difference a little clearer, we have created an illustration.
Lexical search is just matching keywords with exact words or phrases.
Semantic search works completely differently, where the search engine understands the intent and meaning behind a complete sentence and displays relevant results.
Source: Semrush
Writing in a user-friendly and natural way
Semantic SEO, then, is writing content that is understandable to both users and search engines.
This means that you want to write texts in a way that feels natural and is not force-filled with keywords.
So search engines are getting better at recognizing the value of content that is semantically related to a particular topic, without over-optimization.
By focusing on readability, clarity and relevance, you can ensure that your content better matches users’ search intent.
Get started with semantic SEO with these 7 tips
Getting started with semantic SEO yourself?
We’d like to give you some tips on how best to go about it.
1. Conduct keyword research
Including keywords in your content is still important for search engine optimization.
However, it does not have the same huge impact as it did a few years ago.
A keyword research is still the starting point of your search.
Look for similar searches and similar keywords your target audience uses.
Based on these keywords, create content that matches them.
2. Satisfy the search intent of your keyword
Search intent is important for semantic SEO.
Understanding what a user is really looking for when they enter a keyword.
By writing the text on your page with the right search intent, you increase your page’s chances of ranking high in organic search results and serving users better.
You can easily see your keyword intent in tools like Semrush.
They use 4 intentions:
- Informational: the user wants to find information.
- Navigational: the user wants to find a specific Web site or Web page.
- Commercial: the user wants to research a brand, product or service.
- Transactional: the user wants to take action (e.g., buy something).
You could also possibly look at Google’s well-known See, Think, Do, Care model.
This model helps marketers tailor content to different stages of the customer journey:
- See: this is the stage when potential customers are not yet aware of an immediate need, but are interacting with your brand or product through broad, informative content.
- Think: In this phase, users actively think about their needs and begin to do research.
Content that helps them compare options or get more information is important here.
- Do: Users in this phase are ready to take action, such as making a purchase.
This is where you want to offer content aimed at conversion, such as product pages and call-to-actions.
- Care: this phase focuses on retaining existing customers and continuing to support them with valuable content, such as after-sales service and customer support.
Consider long-tail keywords as well.
Long-tail keywords often have a clearer intent because they are more specific.
For example, “best winter coat for cold” indicates commercial intent.
Complex searches such as long-tail keywords help both the search engine and you as a marketer better understand what users mean.
3. Look at your keyword’s SERP features
SERP features give you a better idea of keyword search intent.
How do you do this?
Simply Google your keyword yourself and look at the results of your online competition.
Look at the first three organic results on a search query.
Do you see mostly blogs with lots of information or more product pages that are conversion-oriented?
Do you see specific SERP features or questions that are highlighted?
Google now even understands the search intent of certain keywords and shows the best matching pages high up in Google.
SERP features such as the knowledge graph and rich snippets are important parts of how search engines display the search results page.
Below are familiar examples of SERP features you want your Web site to appear in.
Source: Semrush
4. Make good use of subheadings
On page optimizations such as using subheadings make it easier for search engines to understand the content. Use subheadings not only to make your text more readable for users, but also to highlight important topics for search engines. Good subheadings often contain keywords and aim to give search engines a better understanding of your page content. By properly structuring your content with clear subheadings, you increase the likelihood that search engines will better index and understand your page.
5. Add a FAQ to your page
Answering relevant FAQs expands the content.
People often search for specific answers to questions.
By adding a FAQ on your page, you can easily answer these questions, as well as show up in the SERP feature People Also Ask.
We have a page on our website about server side tagging, which is quite a technical story for some marketers.
With an FAQ, we try to answer as many questions about this as possible so that it is easy to understand for the user, but also for the search engine:
6. Use structured data
Structured data is also a good way to organize information that helps search engines identify different elements of your content.
With structured data, you can easily mark up information on a website so that search engines get a better sense of what’s on your page.
Really adds value, including for semantic seo!
7. Create helpful content
In the end, it all revolves around one key point: create as much valuable, helpful content as possible that is clear and really helps answer your visitors’ questions.
Optimize your website according to SEO guidelines, but also make sure your semantic optimization is well done.
Do you want to outsource your SEO work?
Want to make sure your website performs optimally in the search engines?
At 2manydots we are happy to help you with on page optimizations, improving your online findability and creating valuable content.
