Optimising website content for semantic search

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is essential for businesses and companies online. This focuses on ensuring that your website ranks highly in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERP), to drive more traffic to your website. However, this is an ever evolving landscape, and keeping up to date with changes in the industry is important for long term success. Semantic search is one of these changes. But what is semantic search? And what are the benefits of optimising website content for semantic search?

So what is semantic search?

Semantic search is a new and different method for search engines to process and interpret user queries, to provide high quality results that meet the search intent. This differs from traditional keyword search which acts as a matchmaker, pairing the exact search terms or phrases with results that use those same terms within the content. Instead, semantic search aims to understand the user’s inquiry, in terms of search intent, to provide the best possible results.

How does semantic search work?

To understand the search intent, and to really understand the meaning of the words and phrases entered into the search engine, semantic search makes use of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms. This elevates search results from exact match results, which may not be entirely relevant, or suit the intent of the searcher, to instead show results that align with the user intent, improving the user experience. 

How does semantic search improve the user experience?

Semantic search can be beneficial to users in a number of different ways, including: 

• Improving the relevance of search results- Semantic search algorithms prioritise results that are relevant to the intent of the search, rather than terms that are an exact match. This means that the search results will align more closely with what users are looking for.
• Improving the context- By understanding the deeper context behind search terms, semantic search can allow search engines to deliver more accurate and nuanced results, catering to the specific needs of users, at the time of the search. 
• Providing faster access to information- Semantic search can help users find answers to their queries more efficiently, which can reduce the time they have to spend sifting through irrelevant results. This can improve overall search efficiency.

The relationship between semantic search and voice search

We would be amiss not to discuss voice search when talking about semantic search. Voice search has become increasingly popular in recent years, with smart devices and virtual assistants able to search for results based on voice queries, but this is fueled by semantic search. This is because when users use voice search, they tend to use more natural language, or a conversational tone, and in order to provide the best results, search engines need to understand the context and intent behind the search term. This is exactly what semantic search algorithms can provide.

Optimising website content for semantic search

For any business looking to succeed online, exceptional website content is a must. But what should you consider when optimising your website content for semantic search, and how does this relate to the key content principles? 

What are the key content principles?

Before exploring the different ways to optimise website content for semantic search, it’s important to note how these optimisation techniques will fit with the fundamental content principles that underpin effective SEO. These are:

• Relevance- One of the most important factors for any online content is relevance. All website content needs to be relevant to the needs and interests of the target audience. This could include addressing common queries or questions, and providing valuable insights into the topic.
• Authority- Another key principle is authority. This can be established by creating authoritative content, and using and gaining citations from reputable sources. This can be essential for gaining trust and credibility with both users and search engines. 
• Clarity- All written communication on your website needs to be clear and concise so that it can be engaging for your website users, while also conveying the information effectively. As part of this, you should avoid jargon and overly complex language.
• Uniqueness- It is also essential that your content is unique. This will help set your company apart from others and helps to demonstrate that your company is a leader in your specific field. 

What are the important considerations when optimising website content for semantic search?

To get the most out of your website content, it’s no longer enough to simply create content around keywords and phrases. Instead this content needs to meet the above standards, while also being optimised for semantic search queries. This should include:

• Focusing on user intent- Rather than focusing on specific keywords or search terms, you should develop your content strategy based on the intention of your potential website visitors. Are they looking for informative content, answers to common questions, or to buy your products or book your services? Whatever the answer, for each piece of content, your company should tailor the content to meet these intentions.
• Using natural language- Semantic search algorithms favour natural language patterns over traditional keywords, and this means that your content strategy may need to be updated to use conversational terms and long tail keywords for improved results.
• Creating comprehensive content- Longer form, comprehensive content tends to perform better in semantic search. As a result, your company should aim to cover a topic in depth, addressing various aspects and subtopics related to the main theme, to provide thorough and comprehensive information that meets the needs of your website visitors.

What are the benefits of optimising website content for semantic search?

Optimising website content for semantic search can bring a number of different benefits and advantages for your company on the whole. These benefits include: 

• Improving search engine rankings- One of the biggest benefits of optimising website content for semantic search is that this can improve search engine rankings. This is because creating content for semantic search allows you to deliver improved and more informative content, which is more relevant and meets the intent of searchers. This in turn allows search engines to better understand your content, and this can improve your ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).
• Improving content relevancy- As one of the key principles of quality content, relevancy is an essential consideration. Tailoring your content for semantic search means focusing on the intent of the user’s query rather than relying solely on keywords. As a result, you can ensure that your content is fully relevant to your website users, and provides valuable, quality information. 
• Improving the user experience- Because semantic search is about providing users with meaningful and contextually relevant search results, optimising your content for semantic search can improve the user experience on your website. This is because your content will be formed to directly address the needs and queries of your website visitors, leading to an improved engagement and retention rates.
• Increasing organic traffic- By appearing in more relevant search results, websites that are optimised for semantic search can attract a larger volume of organic traffic. This traffic is often more beneficial, as it is made up of the users that are actively seeking information or solutions related to the content offered by the website.
• Long term sustainability- One key feature of semantic search is that this is continuously evolving. The algorithms of semantic search are designed to adapt to changes in user behavior, language trends, and technological advancements. As a result, optimising your website content for semantic search can help to future proof your SEO strategies and ensure long term success, even in a constantly changing digital landscape.

For more information about professional web marketing, SEO, and semantic search, get in touch with the team today, here at Pumpkin Web Design. We are Preston’s leading web design and web marketing experts, and we work with companies across the North West, from Southport to Wigan, and even Manchester. to deliver web marketing solutions that really work.