The art of search engine optimization (SEO) is complex and ever-changing. A strong dose of discipline and ongoing perseverance are needed to keep (or get) your site well-placed in the organic search results pages. Myriad factors contribute to successful SEO; among them demonstrated credibility and original, keyword-rich, user-focused content.
SEO strategies include both on-page search engine optimization and off-page SEO. Off-page strategies embrace activities like participation on social media and online forums, collaborations and networking initiatives and inbound link building. On-page SEO centers around the assets on your website — key among them content, images, metatags and (the focus of this article) keywords.
The simple synonym (and then some)
Each page of your website should have its own unique keyword phrase. Start by crafting strong, original content based on the page keyword. Apply a disciplined editing process to hone your copy and introduce keyword synonyms and variations that improve user-friendliness and content flow. Thesaurus.com is a great resource for finding phrasing alternatives.
The next step is to get real. Consider the vernacular language used by customers to describe what you do. Forego the expert terms and replace them with the parlance of would-be clients searching for your services. Think about how you search on Google when you need information — and include similar user-focused phrasing.
Digging deeper: LSI keywords
Checked the boxes for keyword phrase synonyms and user-centric phrasing? Then you’re ready for the keyword secret: LSI keywords. LSI keywords, or latent semantic indexing keywords, are phrases or terms that are semantically related to the original keyword. The synonyms for “latent” in the definition below (untapped, undiscovered, unrealized, potential …) demonstrate the opportunity in exploring (and exploiting) latent semantic keyword phrases to use on your website.
As search algorithms have evolved in recent years toward valuing user-focused content, there has been a corresponding shift from keyword density toward latent semantic indexing. When viewed along with the main page keyword (or keyword phrase), LSI keywords help search engines to determine a page’s relevancy and quality in relation to a visitor search. That’s why they are so important to achieving strong placements in search results.
Identifying your LSI keyword phrases
What are your website’s LSI keywords? Ironically, the easiest way to develop them is through a Google search. Type your keyword phrase into Google’s search box and note the following:
1. The listings in the People also ask section
2. Results in the drop-down menus for each result of the People also ask content
3. The phrases at the bottom of the page under the heading “Related searches”
That’s it. Put the keyword secret to work by revisiting page content to sprinkle in the LSI keywords you’ve identified.
If you’re pining for more, there are keyword research tools and keyword plugins available to identify synonyms and LSI related phrases. To find them, simply search on the phrase keyword research tools and you’ll meet with endless pages of results. Unless you’re that unusual business owner who has all the off-page and on-page SEO bases covered, however, we recommend keeping your keyword research simple and focusing your energy on creation of well-crafted, unique and impactful content that’s keyword-optimized.
Want more about SEO? Peruse our other search engine optimization blog articles.
Wow – so much to learn! Thanks for sharing this, Nancy.
It’s true, there is always more to learn and Google keeps us busy with tweaks to their search algorithm. Their focus has steadily shifted to value the importance of user-focused content, so keywords of all kinds are vitally important.