We experience LSI keywords and their functions every single day. In fact, they are what makes things 10 times easier when surfing the web. With a tool like this, we’re able to find exactly what we’re looking for in less than a second. What is this magic function, you may ask? Well, the technical name is Latent Semantic Indexing, which is a complicated way of describing conceptually related terms that are used by search engines to fully understand the content that makes up a webpage.
LSI keywords make things easier in narrowing down your results by taking keywords and searching the web for them. For example, if you’re trying to find more information about a car, some keywords would be engine, road, automobile, vehicle, tires, etc. This is how search engines can help you find exactly what you’re searching for – by looking for a whole bunch of words that relate to your topic.
Almost like it has a brain of its own, search engines like Google scan a page to know what the main focus of it is. For example, if you published a blog about cellphone use, Google would search your page for those exact words plus additional keywords that are closely related to the topic of cellphone use. From there, it is able to conclude that your blog is about cellphone use, making it simpler to find if someone wanted to know more about, you guessed it, cellphone use.
Interesting, right? Well, here are eight facts about LSI keywords that will give you a better understanding of how to use this concept to excel in digital marketing.
1.LSI Keywords are NOT Synonyms
It is important to know that although keywords can be synonyms, not all synonyms are considered LSI keywords. Latent Semantic Indexing is defined as words or phrases that are closely related to the topic, not just words that are synonymous with it. Using synonyms in your posts may help with your on-page SEO, but you have to remember that synonyms aren’t exactly all LSI words.
For example, if we look at the word ‘walking’, a term like promenading is a sure synonym for it. Even though it’s alright to use that word in your article or blog, it wouldn’t be considered a keyword. Words like ‘shoes’, ‘exercise’, ‘cardio’, and ‘5K’ would be better suited for your search.
In order to understand the difference between the two, you should do a Google search. Then, you’ll be able to see related words rather than just synonyms. All of the suggested search words are more likely to represent LSI keywords since they are so closely linked to your topic. Semantics is an important part of generating these keywords as well. Finding semantically similar words can also help with including more keywords in your work. But simply relying on words that are synonymous to your topic may not be as click-heavy as you would suspect.
2.How to Use LSI Keywords Throughout Your Article
There are a few methods to uncover LSI terms that you can use in your content. Thankfully, you won’t have to go on much of a scavenger hunt to find these methods. If you’ve ever fallen victim to Google Autocomplete, you are sure to find the terms that you are looking for.
Google Autocomplete is a feature from Google that allows you to type in half of a word or phrase just to have autocomplete predict what it is to finish off the job. By using this method, you can find related words and phrases many people have searched for and climb the website rankings.
Another useful method is by using websites like Keyword Tool and UberSuggest. These are made for people who are looking to find keywords in their content. By simply typing in your desired word or phrase, thousands of results will come up showing exactly what relates best to it. The LSI keyword generators better optimize the work you’d have to do to find keywords for your content.
Similarly, you can resort to the Google related search, which will also provide many keywords that you can use. All you would need to do is type in your word and scroll to the bottom of the page to find where Google puts all related searches. Those are most likely the keywords you’re searching for.
3.Tools to Use to Generate LSI Keyword Ideas
There are specific tools that are used to generate LSI keyword ideas that are less general than Google Autocomplete. Like Keyword Tool and UberSuggest, they are specific websites that will search the internet for you, bringing up thousands of results in just seconds. An example of this is LSIGraph, a website that not only provides you with a multitude of keywords, but it also analyzes data on your word as well. You’ll be able to see how trendy each keyword is, the volume in which it’s used, the pay-per-click rate, and more.
Analytics like those can come in handy when you want to determine which keywords generate the most buzz for your content. Another, lesser specific, example of this is the Google snippet descriptions. Google not only boldens the terms that you search for, but it also boldens similar words and phrases, giving you three to four options just from putting your word in the search bar. It includes snippet synonyms that can be used as LSI keywords.
Another Google tool that may come in handy is a new feature inside Google Images that is easy to use and yields great results. You type your word in the search bar, and if you look just above all the images that pop up for your term, you will find a bunch of related words.
4.The Benefits of Using LSI Keywords
There are many benefits of using keywords that range from optimization to convenience. There are thousands of Google queries that have never been searched due to a past, faulty algorithm. Since its improvements, Google has become the ideal place to go when finding related keywords. They have the potential to boost the contextuality of your content.
For one, these keywords can improve the ranking of your website in search engines. This is because including as many keywords as possible allows the algorithm to pick up on your topic better, understanding your page and therefore boosting it up in rank.
Semantic words or phrases can also improve your content’s relevancy. If there is a surge of clicks searching for specific terms related to your content, by including those terms, you’re better able to generate more readers. You don’t want to overload your content with only keywords, so it’s important to include related terms that don’t overstuff your article or blog.
Another benefit of using LSI keywords is that more related words in your content allows more people to be able to find your content. It ensures a better and easier user experience, which improves various ranking factors like time spent on your content, bounce rate, etc.
5.Disadvantages of Using LSI Keywords
It’s important to also know the disadvantages of using LSI keywords so that you don’t fall into detrimental patterns when it comes to writing your content. The main disadvantage that can come from using keywords to improve user experience as well as the success of your content is a limited indexing method. The indexing method is used to measure the amount of change in an index, if there is any at all.
This can be counterproductive and limit your work. Examples of a limited indexing method is if it doesn’t take into account the order of words and doesn’t adapt to all conjunctions and prepositions. You won’t be able to generate as many readers as you would like if these details are not taken care of.
Another limitation is when it comes to the meaning of words. If your index considers a word to only have one meaning, it disregards the synonyms and other definitions that can be used to get to the same place. In other words, your content is less likely to be seen by those who search for words or phrases that may be closely related to your topic, just not regarded as another definition of your word. This is also the case if the index does not recognize underlying ideas and irony. Meaning of words may not match what the meaning of the text is, complicating things.
6.Relevancy
LSI keywords only became relevant recently with the rise of technology. In 2004, Latent Semantic Indexing was implemented, and the Google search algorithm improved drastically. The whole purpose of it was to allow users an easier experience by providing them with more relevant results for whatever subject they were searching for. This is basically when they began searching for a synonym for optimization. It changed Google’s former goal of utilizing exact-match keywords and shifted them towards understanding context and synonyms.
Rather than having to look at one keyword and how frequently it is used on a web page to understand what it was about, Google’s algorithm grew to be able to analyze everything that was on the web page to gain a fuller understanding. Long gone were the days in which you could only find content that specifically used one key term to determine all the results that you would see. With the new algorithm, you’re able to find related words, synonyms, and contextually similar topics to create a more advanced searching mechanism.
7.The Effects of LSI Keywords on SEO
You may be wondering just how significant this shift in 2004 was. Google once had a crawling method that is described as finding and scanning websites by ‘crawling’ from one link to another on web pages that were connected. On these pages, they would search for keywords on it that would assist them in determining its subject matter.
An example of this is if someone were to publish something titled “10 Best Ways to Fix Your Antique Furniture”. Google would then scan your page to find out if you used the term “antique furniture” in the most important spots on your website like in the title tag, body of your content, images, headings, etc. This was effective until it wasn’t.
With the LSI update, there were many SEO improvements that brought us out of the old ages. As a result, Google understands pages much better because it can scan your page for the main keyword, but it can also scan for related keywords to have a deeper understanding of the overall topic and its important specifics.
The update also allowed Google to read pages contextually. In a way, it gave search engines brains in which they are able to decipher the nuances of human communication and language. Rather than drawing conclusions based on a single word that is used frequently, search engines are better equipped to differentiate between words based on small details.
8.User Experience
The LSI keyword feature allows people to focus on user experience, which is the core component for every website, blog, article, etc. To do this, there are a few things you should consider for the best user experience possible. One of these things is not overusing LSI keywords. You may be tempted to, but too much of anything is never good. It’ll clog your page, and you’ll be penalized for it.
Instead, you can include related words that may even generate a wider audience based on the niches you end up hitting. It’s best to include as many keywords as Google and other search engines will need to immediately decipher what your page is about. You’ll be better at engaging readers as well as making more money for your website or blog. This way, the user experience isn’t ruined, but you can still generate as many readers as possible. Always remember, your content should be cohesive and easy to follow, and including a few keywords won’t hurt along the way.