With tomorrow’s customers driving today’s search engine results, semantics play a key role in the way search engine algorithms operate. In a nut shell, the LSI (latent semantic indexing) formula links a user’s intent with the search terms they enter and uses this information to rank pertinent web pages.
Latent Semantic Indexing allows online advertisers to take a closer look at people’s internet search patterns. Because Google itself uses this technology to browse through huge data chunks in order to connect user search terms with search results, marketers can use it to more easily select keywords for their specific niche.
LSI is closely related to Google’s Hummingbird algorithm. Internet advertisers who need SEO-optimized material may wonder whether keyword research is still necessary with this algorithm in place, and the short answer is yes.
Although the Hummingbird algorithm impacted Google’s methodology for computing search queries, keyword research is still absolutely essential for online marketers. The best strategy is to more closely study your search queries to see if the terms match the user intent of a SEO customer’s targeted audience.
How to Research Keywords With LSI
Natural SEO best practices shouldn’t stray too much from standard keyword planning in favor of more context-based strategies. In truth, modern SEO really needs to combine both of these systems in order to produce the most reliable strategy.
1. User Intent
Researching keywords with only a word list and their search frequencies isn’t in-depth enough to create well-targeted LSI material. Online advertisers must realize that keywords are only a general indicator of people’s online browsing habits and needs, which is why considering a user’s intent or persona is invaluable when performing a targeted keyword analysis.
To determine a user’s persona, it’s imperative to understand their specific desires and objectives. This helps to pinpoint what terms users are interested in when making queries. The two simplest personas to study are researchers and prospective buyers.
To understand the difference between these personas, consider these examples of internet users searching for info on SEO:
- Researchers are usually more interested in SEO tools, tips/tutorials/statistics/guides, and the companies that make them.
- Potential buyers are more likely to be searching for a specific brand of SEO agency, SEO costs or prices, or SEO consulting.
With both of these personas in mind, it’s possible to create an index of keywords and tag them based on a user’s intent.
2. LSI Search Term Matches
Performing LSI keyword analysis is highly comparable to conventional keyword research. A marketer will still have to figure out how hard it’s going to be to rank positively for a specific keyword, the amount of organic value it has, and how pertinent it is to a customer’s company.
An example is a ‘professional SEO agency‘ who wants to rank well for the key phrase “SEO agency”. Terms that might show up during the preliminary keyword research like “best SEO agency”, “top SEO agencies”, and “SEO company near me” function as basic LSI matches. They’re related to the main keyword and add context to it, enabling users to incorporate them into their content to rank higher.
3. Subject Matches
When creating a list of keywords, it’s important to look at how a keyword lines up with the subject matter of targeted content. In short, the targeted search terms need to be synchronized with the web page material.
A smart way to harmonize targeted keywords with content subjects is to cross-check a user’s persona to determine where they’re at in the search funnel. This makes it much easier to establish what type of content is needed to boost customers up to a higher level.
So for marketers who have an active web page about search engine optimization services, it might be a good idea to add certain terms like “SEO firm” or “natural SEO strategy” to the content. These keywords are aligned with both the site’s and the target audience’s intent.
Keyword Research Tools and Apps
When trying to determine LSI keywords, there are a few helpful tools available to web marketers, which are listed below:
Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner offers marketers a projected level of keyword traffic, in addition to exact and similar keywords for a specific niche market. Although it’s best suited for a Google AdWords campaign, this tool assists advertisers in looking up the ideal search terms to include in online SEO content and anchor text for link building services.
Google Search Results
Briefly researching terms on Google’s search engine is the easiest way to find LSI terms that are related to a main keyword. Users just need to enter their main keyword to retrieve bolded keywords that show up as similar search results. Google also provides extra search relevant results which can be found towards the bottom of the search engine results page.
LSI Graph & Keyword Generator
LSI Graph is a cost-free program for creating keywords that are connected or share a similar meaning with your main keywords. It provides a more convenient method to locate and list LSI keywords than a simple Google lookup. All the program requires is a single main keyword in order to bring up more than 49 LSI search terms.
When it comes to performing in-depth keyword research for LSI search terms, the most valuable tip is to keep everything in order. It’s best to look for search terms that will blend in with a SEO customer’s web page, while taking care to not simply cram a page full of keywords without offering any valuable new info, as doing so can result in Google penalties against the website. The idea is to make smart use of search term relevance to formulate a keyword strategy that will pay off by bringing in more web traffic.