Best PracticesMarTech

What is semantic search, and how does it affect SEO?

Understanding Semantic Search

What is semantic search, and how does it affect SEO? Semantic search seeks to improve search accuracy by considering not just the words in a query, but also the context and intention behind them. Traditional search engines worked best when you matched the exact keywords used in the document. Semantic search takes it further by using your past search history, the context of your current search, and some pretty sophisticated language algorithms to figure out what you’re really after.

In 2013, Google launched its Hummingbird algorithm, which was a significant step toward semantic search. The change it brought about should not be underestimated. Hummingbird took Google quite a long way in terms of aligning the search engine with the underlying intents of its users. Not too coincidentally, it came at a time when a number of mobile devices and services started to thrive. People act and think quite differently when they are using a mobile device compared with a desktop.

How Semantic Search Works

Semantic search algorithms evaluate several features of user input, which include:

Contextual information

Original: User intent refers to the purpose of the user when they enter a query into a search engine. It’s an indication of what the user is really looking for and can often be deduced from the words they use in their query.

Revised: The purpose of the user when entering a query into a search engine is indicated by user intent. It serves as a window into what the user is really after. This can often be figured out by paying close attention to the specific terms being used in the query.

The history of searches

Please give me something to work with.

This approach allows search engines to understand complicated questions better. For example, when a user enters “best Italian restaurants in New York,” the search engine gets that the user is really looking for something to eat, not just a bunch of web pages with those words on them.

In this context, “best” is understood as meaning “best for the user right now.” And the engine attempts to answer the question in a way that is useful to the user in their immediate situation.

Data indicate that the use of natural language for searches has grown significantly. A Google report stated that voice search accounted for 27% of the global online population in 2020. As an increasing number of users utilize voice search, it is paramount to comprehend the connection between the type of query posed and the context in which it is given.

What is Semantic Search, and How Does It Affect SEO?

What is semantic search, and how does it affect SEO? At its most basic level, it shifts the focus of SEO content strategy from keyword density to something more akin to—dare I say it?—topic modeling, with an emphasis on understanding the relationship between a searcher’s intent and the actual content being served up in response to that intent.

Query responses that are comprehensive and concise get the best results from search engines. Businesses can do this too if they construct their content in the same way search engines prefer. They can build better websites by providing better answers. For instance, if they want to rank for “how to train a puppy,” they shouldn’t just throw up some half-baked ideas and an image of a cute dog. Instead, they should offer a step-by-step guide with clear directions, appropriate headings, and enough related terms to prove that they understand not just the topic but also the kind of person who’s looking for this information.

The Importance of Structured Data

Semantic search owes much to structured data. It allows web content providers to give clear signals to search engines about what their web content is. Markup languages like Schema.org can enhance the interpretation of your content by search engines, which can, in turn, boost your content’s prominence in search results.

A website that contains recipes can use structured data to give clear, detailed information about the recipes it features, including the variables that many users ask about. These variables might include:

cooking times
ingredient lists
nutritional info
seasonal availability

When these recipes are returned in a search engine results page, they can show something called a rich snippet, which is a way of returning detailed and visually interesting information to the user.

Preparing for the Future: Changes in User Behavior

Evolving user preferences demand that our strategies also evolve. An increase in voice search and AI assistants continues to transform search behavior. For SEO, though, this evolution emphasizes a much more profound shift toward—or perhaps better stated, a coming home to—semantic understanding.

In addition, the role of natural language processing will become increasingly important. Search engines’ capacity to understand and process human language will improve. The clear implication for SEO is straightforward. As search engines get better at understanding natural language, businesses will have to get better at using it. And by “it,” I mean context and meaning rather than just keywords. Businesses should focus on:

Producing material that completely tackles user inquiries
Make use of long-tail keywords that are natural and conversational.

Here is the text rephrased with synonyms while maintaining the original structure:

Utilizing equivalent words and associated terms throughout the content

Conclusion: Embracing Semantic Search

To summarize, grasping “What is semantic search, and how does it impact SEO?” is vital for any company wanting to boost its visibility online. Putting semantic search into practice means moving from an age-old model that emphasizes keywords to a far more sophisticated one that still gets a page on the search engine results but does so through a model that prioritizes user intent and context.

Transitioning to a period where AI profoundly affects how we look for and take in information, businesses must adapt. They can do this by concentrating on semantically searching. If they do, they’ll—hopefully, for them—improve their rankings, push more traffic into their funnels, and (again, hopefully) achieve better engagement with users. AI is powerful and can do some cool stuff, but the future of SEO has to be about more than just feeding your rankings machine with fodder that’ll keep it chugging along.