How to Build Semantic Using Trends for Better Content SEO

At the end of the day, a marketer’s job is never done. Even the most brilliant content can be overlooked by search engines. It could be informative, easy to read, and use all the right keywords and still not make it to the top of the list.

Why? It is because even search engines understand the importance of semantics.

The term ‘semantic’ describes the essence of something, basically, the contextual meaning behind a search. Instead of just scanning for key phrases, search engines now use complex algorithms that are akin to artificial intelligence to understand a user’s intent.

Imagine for a moment that you are looking for a chocolate chip cookie recipe that does not use butter. You type in ‘no butter chocolate chip cookies’. If a simple keyword search were performed, then the search engine would identify sites that contained the words ‘butter’, ‘chocolate’, ‘chip’, and ‘cookies’. By using semantics and understanding the contextual meaning, the search engine is going to provide you with recipes for chocolate chip cookies that do not use butter. By using semantics, search engines give web visitors better results. When marketers like us understand semantics, we understand how search engines operate. And then we can use current trends and market research to provide exactly what Internet users are looking for and earn a top ranking in search engine listings.

1. Trends

The role that trends play in semantics is knowing what your customers want. The most successful business strategies are going to take the customers’ wants and needs and analyze them to find the underlying context. These semantics become critical for listings in the future, especially as voice searching becomes more popular. Think about the last time that you were looking for information on a search engine. Didn’t you ask a question? By thinking of what your customers know and then providing the best possible answer to that question, your content is going to make it to the top of the list.

So, as a marketer, how do you build a website around these trends?

• Follow these guidelines as you build semantic-friendly content for your site:

1. Choose a content theme. When you consistently produce quality content in a certain niche, your brand is going to become known as an authority on that topic. This is important for brand recognition. Even if a consumer has not used your product/service, they will recognize your brand for its authority in your chosen niche.
2. Know what your customers want. You are probably thinking that you already know how to hone in on your target customer base. When using semantics though, that is not always enough. Think of yourself in the shoes of your customer. What questions are they asking? Once you start to uncover what they want to know, you can shape your content around answering these questions. This will give you the basis for semantic-friendly content.
3. Be reliable, helpful, and relevant. These three things are given. If you want to earn the trust of the average Internet consumer, you must consistently deliver great content. Be sure that the information adds quality too—you do not want to provide the same content that a potential lead can find elsewhere.

2. Research

Something that must be considered when creating content is that the world is fast-paced. While trends catch on that allow marketers to see what their customers want, regular market research into your demographic is necessary to stay on top. The best way to conduct market research for your content is to consider who is most likely to share or comment on content on social media. You should have an idea of your demographic already, but to use semantics and follow trends, you must shape this demographic. Consider factors like your customer’s family life, socialization habits, purchasing habits, age, education level, and content preferences (for example, video vs. written content). Once you have gathered this information, you can begin thinking about what type of related information they want to know in your target niche. This is the content that you want to provide.

3. SEO Semantic Search Strategy- Providing Value

What is ‘value’? The truth is that what is valuable to one set of customers may not be valuable to another. It depends heavily on your market research and what those people want to know. To provide value to your customers, know what they value.

One of the best ways to find this out is to use a keyword searching tool to find out what your customers want to know most. Use queries with search terms related to different areas of your business and build your content around that.

For example, imagine that your company is a handyman service. While some customers want to know where to set up an appointment, others may want to try the do-it-yourself route first. It may seem that you wouldn’t want to provide DIY information. Realistically, however, by providing this information for simpler tasks, you gain the reader’s trust and increase brand awareness. This means that later when a more serious project arises, that reader is more likely to choose your handyman service than another who was not as forthcoming with information.

4. SEO Semantic Search Strategy- Answering Customer’s Questions

Though search engines have come a long way in understanding semantics, they are not quite to the level of artificial intelligence where they can decipher long sentences with complex phrasing and words. For this reason, the best strategy is to write content as if you are responding to a customer’s question. Think about the ‘how’, ‘what is’, or ‘why’ questions that your target audience may ask. Then, respond in a simple way before elaborating on the information. One of the best ways to generate traffic is to respond to questions that your competitors have not fully answered. This makes it more likely you will be listed at the top of the search results and shows authority in the field.

5.Good Well-Structured Content

Did you know that it is not only the words and pictures on your content page that is going to attract the eye of search engines and customers? A common mistake that content producers make is getting across their message but neglecting the structure that it is presented in. The problem with this is that if your content is not structured well, visitors to your site may not stick around to see if your text actually contains the information they are looking for.

The leading websites use headings and subheadings in their content to break it up into sections. By using the right keywords in your headings and accurately describing what will be discussed, you are increasing the likelihood that someone looking for information will stick around long enough to read it. This is because many Internet consumers are skimmers—they scan the page quickly to see if it is useful before ‘wasting their time’ reading the whole thing. Set up your content according to what these scanners want to see and they will stay on your page longer.

Another element that must be considered is whitespace. Basically, whitespace is all the area of your page that is not filled with writing or pictures. While you may assume that it is best to maximize the usage of space on your page, that is only true to an extent. Carefully placed whitespace breaks up large areas of text and makes the article easier on the eyes, enhancing its readability.

Conclusion

Semantics have risen to an important role in marketing, as search engines use more complex algorithms to understand the context of Internet consumers’ queries. To stay on top, it is no longer enough for marketers to use the right search terms. You must analyze the trends and regularly perform market research on your demographic. Learn what they want to know the most and then deliver on this content, consistently and regularly. By doing this, you will increase online visibility and develop your company brand.