How Semantic Search Benefits SEO

The traditional approach to search engine optimization (SEO) was to base web content on the exact search terms or keywords users often type on the search engine’s inquiry bar. The Page matching those search terms would rank the highest. Things have changed, though.

Consumers have begun to increasingly expect search engines to ‘understand’ natural language—in other words, perceive the intent behind the words they type in the search box. In order to keep up with such expectations, search engine algorithms have stepped in and forged a drastic evolution which would significantly impact the way marketers, consumers, tech developers and content creators alike interact with the web.

Google has changed its algorithm to focus on the so-called ‘understanding phase’ of the searches, which allowed the search engine to pay more attention to the context in which a query is performed, rather than simply look at keywords and match them up to the letter.

So why is this important for marketers to focus on, then? The search engine’s ability to extract meaning from a search term can enable marketers to understand the consumer’s possible intent. For businesses to reap all the benefits that semantic search offers, it all comes down to these: how they can collect, sort and utilize information through their online marketers, and get to connect at the right time and drive a potential transaction forward and into their playing field.