Boost Your Ranking with Semantic Keyword Research

Doing the standard keyword research may still work, but with the current changes in the search engine environment, it is imperative to further advance the process of conducting the research to a higher level called semantic keyword research. This is important because search engine bots are now using more algorithm parameters to rank websites in their bid to get rid of web spam.

Consequently, bloggers must also be updated with such changes, and one aspect of the change is keyword research that requires a unique approach that is more efficient in not just targeting the main keyword phrases but in capturing other related keywords as well. Therefore, this can tremendously expand the extent of the campaign to get web traffic to a wider audience.

What is Semantic Keyword Research?

This is an advance form of research that involves using not just the keyword tool of Google but also the other features of Google Search. In this case, you will be using more terms in your campaign aside from your main target phrase.

By definition, semantic is an interpretation of a particular word or its meaning. Some words have different interpretations depending on the perspectives from where they are defined. In the search engine world, semantic refers to the other keywords that are widely searched and associated by the users to your main keyword phrase.

For instance, if your main phrase is ‘dog training’ some of the related searches that Google will show you are puppy training, the dog whisperer, dog training tricks, dog potty training, and dog leash training among others. These are the most popular terms that search engine users also use to relate with ‘dog training.’

In a nutshell, people will define a phrase in different manners, and semantic research is a way of capturing those keywords most people are using when referring to the same phrase.

Why Semantic Research is Important?

Better User Experience

One of the methods that search engine crawlers are using to rank web pages is the latent semantic indexing or LSI. This method has a mathematical approach in ranking blogs by identifying the patterns on the relations of concepts and terms with similar meanings.

So if a net surfer uses the term ‘ dog training’ the results will show not just sites with this exact phrase as their main keywords but also those blogs targeting  related terms like ‘how to train a dog’, ‘puppy training’, and so on.

By doing this, people will have a better user experience when using the search engine because they shall enjoy much wider options thereby giving them better chances of finding the information they are looking for.

Higher CTR

Another remarkable advantage of doing this method of search is higher click-through-rate (CTR). Since you are capturing various segments that are using different keywords with similar meaning to your target phrase, you will potentially generate more leads.

In this case, people who are using the keyword ‘how to train your dog’ will most likely to check your site on dog training, as well, since they are closely related. It is for this reasons that you should include the semantic keywords in your blog posts in order to also optimize your web pages for the other related terms.

Added Ranking Points

Search engine bots will give your blog additional ranking points if they find the semantic keywords in the pages. Having several related terms in your contents will also imply that your posts have high relevance to the readers.

How to Conduct the Research for Semantic Keywords

Semantic keyword research requires in-depth knowledge about the subject matter and awareness of the available resources and tools that you can use to further improve the efficiency of your research.

Step One – Collect the Core Keywords

As a first step, get a list of core keywords, which you shall refer to as Level 1 keywords. These are, basically, the main variations to your target phrase. Use the ‘Related Searches’ feature of Google to find these terms. This is located at the left side bar of Google’s result pages.

Once you click on it, the interface of the result page will automatically change to include related ads, related people (if applicable), and more importantly the top ten related search terms located either at the top or at the bottom of the page. Collect these terms and include them in the list. These words are relatively helpful in search engine optimization.

Step Two – Make a List of Related Terms

The next step is to list down the most common terms that are related to your target phrase aside from the ones that the Google tool gave you. The list shall be named as your Level 2 keywords.

This is challenging because there is no tool to use but just your wit and logic. However, this is not as difficult as you may think; the process is easier with proper guidance.

The Level 1 phrases are meant to capture people to visit your blog. For the next set, these will be the keywords that your visitors will normally use to find the information that they want in your pages. In the case of ‘dog training’, your level 2 phrases may include the following terms: how to train your dog, dog care, how to bath your dog, dog health, and so on.

Therefore, these are the terms that people will use once the Level 1 keywords are met. Similarly, it is suggested to also include the level 2 keywords in some of your pages.

Step Three – Create a List of Buying Terms

The last set will consist of buying terms. These are also called as call-to-action phrases. The level 2 phrases are meant to address the needs of the visitors as they browse through the pages. In the next level, which is Level 3, your task is to list down the terms that will normally pop up in the minds of your viewers once they have all the information that they want.

You already gave your visitors what they want through your blog posts, so what’s next? Apparently, this is your chance to go for the kill by offering them solutions through your services or product offers. Therefore, these will be your call-to-action terms.

Using the same example above, the possible phrases for inclusion in your Level 3 keywords are as follows: where to find a dog expert, dog trainer, dog training manual, dog training course, and so on.

Once you are done with the three steps and you have already a collection of semantic keywords from Level 1 up to Level 3, your research is complete and it is time to move on to the next stage, which is the article creation based on the results of your research.

By carefully observing the above techniques on conducting semantic keyword research, finding the phrases to target and for inclusion in your campaign is not only easier but more efficient as well. But more importantly, your page rank will increase once the search engine bots crawl and find some of the related terms in your posts and pages that meet the LSI criteria. Incidentally, the page rank will not only be enhanced by this method, your click-through-rates and conversion rates will also substantially improve.