Five Different Ways in which You can use Semantic Search to Your Benefits

You can Utilize the Potential of Semantic Search in Five Different Ways

As you know, semantic search offers a more meaningful search results by evaluating and understanding the search phrase and finding the most relevant results in a website, database or any other data repository. Among the popular search engines, Google considers semantic search seriously as it is evident from Google’s roll out of search features such as Knowledge Graph and the Hummingbird algorithm update. This forces SEO industry to turn back to the ultimate question: What does the user want? Even though semantic search is a simple concept, one that has been lost in a vortex of advice, assumption and some overly used techniques. For the SEO industry, semantic search gives a chance to go back to basics and provide information instead of forcing it. Here are five different ways in which you can use semantic search to your benefits.

First You need to Think like a User

If your aim is to optimize for the user, then you need to first think like the user. In the world of semantic search, keywords only don’t work and you need to think even beyond the long tail keywords also. For instance, if you just type ‘events’ in Google search, you can see that semantics for a generic term like ‘events’ already highlights a wealth of information that a search engine such as Google has matched to the keyword.

Assume that you are building up your semantic relevance of your online movie ticket booking service and SEO done on your site should be harnessed towards information surrounding that service, not only to gain a ranking benefit, but to provide answers relevant to your expertise. This could mean that you are providing relevant information about your ticket booking service, the management of your business and latest developments in the industry. If your website only focuses on keywords, opportunities will be missed and more importantly, if your site cannot answer a question about your ticket booking service, you are failing your customers.

Localized Search Efforts

You cannot make a considerable local search presence if you are not using Google Local. If you have set it up, then you have to do it immediately as it allows you to develop a presence within search engine result pages (SERPs) when users try to discover your brand. As Google, Yahoo and Bing advance, you and expect to see further developments through local search that allow you to develop your branding in relation to localized searches. Combining this with good SEO will provide you the ability to put your brand in front of target audience who are searching for information about your products/services in a particular area, placing you in a better position now and in the future.

Careful with Your Markup

For providing richer search results, search engines rely on structured data markup. Webmaster guidelines of various search engines provide details on how to effectively optimize your content. When it comes to data markup, there are important rules to follow, as schemas can help to develop how users see your search results within Google or Yahoo. Important aspects such as product reviews, profile information, events and organization details can all be marked up with a schema. It is therefore made sense to follow schema markup and develop your website to associate with the webmaster guidelines.

You cannot Ignore Social Presence

Brands rely on social media as it can strengthen relationship with their target customers. Also, social signals are now playing a significant part in search engine algorithms and they are being set up for an even greater role. If you haven’t started yet, then you must and make sure you are consistently interacting by offering information and answers. Establishing your social media presence clears a path towards success as the targeted traffic is diverted to your site and start reaping SEO benefits.

Prepare for the Future

If you ask any expert in the SEO industry he/she will tell you that global online marketing industry is constantly in a state of flux, and search engines are aiming semantic search as their future vision. SO, you need to plan on how your website can answer questions and provide users with information that doesn’t just read like terms and conditions. Choose the services, topics and niches that apply to your website and start optimizing your site and your content in a way that will benefit the users. You need to know that users will never stop searching using specific questions, but Google and Yahoo are actively encouraging them to ask a question or solve a problem. So you need to get your services or products out there by meeting user requirements.

According to many SEO experts, search engines are evolving beyond keywords as user queries are not keyword focused and SEO industry need to come up with new ideas keeping user intent as the top priority.