Search engines have come a long way and are continuing to evolve. Jomer Gregorio of Business2Community put it best when he recently wrote, “The search engine as we know it is radically changing. From a technical point of view, it is evolving from merely a ‘search’ engine into what can rather be called an ‘answer’ engine. This change is already happening right before our eyes and is slowly but surely being integrated into algorithms – practically changing how search will be done in the future. As a business owner or digital marketer, one must have a clear understanding of what constitutes semantic search and how it will affect the way SEO will operate in the near future. First and foremost would be an understanding of the definitions beginning with the basic workings of a traditional search engine.”

The move toward semantic search may sound new, but it represents a transition that has been discussed in the industry for many years. As search engines continue to evolve, they are also becoming smarter and shifting the focus toward a more human-inspired level of understanding. Techniques that worked in the past in terms of keyword optimization can quickly result in penalties today.

What Is Semantic Search?

Semantic search refers to strategies that work to improve accuracy for users of search engines. The basic goal behind semantic search is to better understand the user’s intent behind the words that were entered in the search query. This is in direct contrast to the way in which search engines worked in the past, by simply processing strings of search terms. When implemented properly, semantic search makes it possible for users to find the best site that offers the most relevant and accurate information for their inquiry or question. The ultimate goal of semantic search is to make that possible even if the most relevant content does not actually contain the words entered in the search query.

Putting Semantic SEO Techniques to Work

What do you need to know to implement a marketing strategy based on semantic SEO? Consider the following guidelines:

1. Keywords

Keywords matter, but content should not be focused around them. In the past, entire pages of content were developed around all-important keywords. Today, that practice no longer works with the new direction of search engines. While content should still contain keywords, it is important to dig a little deeper and ensure that your content delivers real value. Use keywords naturally and conversationally and avoid keyword stuffing. Do make sure that you use targeted keywords in your title tags, H1 and H2 headers, and alt tags to make it easier for search engines to locate your content.

2. Shareable Content

It is also important to understand the value of shareable content. Google has denied the use of social signals in terms of ranking import, but there is still a strong connection between higher levels of social activity and higher rankings. The simple fact of the matter is that high value content will naturally have a higher share value. In turn, the more your content is shared, the more search engines will recognize your site as being a subject matter expert, or a type of go-to site for users. As a result, your rankings increase.

3. Diversified Content

Take advantage of the opportunity to diversify the content on your site. One of the results of the massive amount of search engine evolution we have seen in the past few years is the need to think outside the box. Rather than focusing on appearing on the first page of search engine results once, consider how you can multiply that. The solution is diversification. In order to do that, you need to make sure you supply an answer for every question that a potential user might have. Consider the following options:

• Localized page about brick-and-mortar business
• Videos
• Images
• Retail page for online orders
• Industry news
• Blog posts
• Podcasts

With this type of diversification, you gain a tremendous advantage because you are offering potential customers multiple avenues into your site. At its most basic form, this type of diversification allows you to expand the proverbial marketing funnel and direct potential leads from a vast number of areas.

 4. Label Your Content with Semantic Markup

Among the goals of search engine evolution is the ability to provide users with a view of what they will see in results pages. In order to accomplish that, semantic markup code is being used to tell search engine crawlers precisely what they are looking at. Among the most commonly used markup codes is Schema.org. Ultimately, the more information you can provide, the easier it is for search engines such as Google to index your content and ensure it appears in search results.

Ultimately, you should keep in mind that search engine evolution is targeting a drive toward a more humanistic level of comprehension. No more writing for bots and spiders. Provide value first, then focus on the new optimization.