What is semantic search and why is it important?

In this article, we try to explore the concept of semantic search and its impact on SEO and why is it important? This concept has been introduced and assisted by search engines since 2013.

In the past, befriending Google was as simple as a basic mathematical equation. Companies have entered the keywords, combined them with useful data that the search engines have to index, and presto, their site has been a success. However, as the Internet becomes more and more ubiquitous in our daily lives and customers expect more from their online experience, search engines are becoming more intelligent.

Machine learning algorithms and the rise of semantic search have made Google more and more human, to the point where it begins to understand things like sentiment and context.

Today’s brands need more than the right combination of short and long-term keywords to thrive. You must understand exactly what your audience is looking for and discover how you can convince the search engines(semantic search engine) that you have the answers to your customers’ questions.

What is Semantic Search?

It may be better to open this concept for you instead of copying the wording here, for example. Not too long ago, Google only displayed search results based on your keywords.

Previously, if you searched for the word Portishead on Google, the search result was a mix of bandwidth information with this name and a small town in Somerset. Today with the use of new technologies and the help of semantic search over the semantic search engine, if you search for the word you will have a different result. The search results will probably be purely Portishead. Because your search history is very intertwined with music and has nothing to do with a city by that name.

This is an example of a semantic search. Very simply, semantic search means making the most of each person’s search history to provide the best and most accurate search results.

However, the semantic search goes beyond this definition. Semantic search can collect all the variables related to the user and uses this information to type the search term and display the most relevant results. Google uses each person’s account information when searching to identify what the user intends to do and to show them the correct information.

For example, a user searches for the phrase “pizza restaurant”. Anything including the user’s location, search time, search history, and user device can affect the search. Google as a semantic search engine has also used other account information to search for the phrase at the same time to show the best and most relevant results to the user.

More examples of semantic search

Suppose a user intends to travel from the United States to the United Kingdom. This user is seeking a country of departure (ESTA) passport before traveling to various websites. After filling out the online form, she now wants to know how long it will take to complete the process. By typing two words, How Long Google cleverly illustrates how long the ESTA process takes.

If at the same time the hypothetical user opens the Chrome browser anonymously and type How Long, the suggested queries will be different and will be displayed based on the most popular searches. In this example, Google based on previous searches of the user and the websites it has visited has determined that this is a possible question for that user. As you can see, semantic search has a great impact on the search process.

The same user may also find suggestions from Google about buying flight tickets to Heathrow, which is his destination in the UK.

As we can see, Google will include your search history in your future searches and include your search results in new searches.

How does semantic search work?

In 2013, Google introduced the Hummingbird algorithm to show that it is changing its attitude towards the concept of search, and is now trying to identify and distinguish the user from the search. As mentioned earlier that year, this algorithm has been one of Google’s biggest fundamental changes since 2009 and results in more accurate answers to questions. Instead of looking at the words in the search, the concept of the phrase is taken care of.

Different meanings can be taken from a word, and the type and timing of it can affect the meaning of words. Even with the end of the query typing, there may be some ambiguity about the user’s original intention of the search. So there is a long way to go before the exact search results are presented.

Google is currently working on its search data to further its knowledge of the subject. This is known as the knowledge graph.

Knowledge Graph

The knowledge graph is a system of gathering and organizing information about individuals, places, and organizations. This information comes from a variety of sources, including Wikipedia resources (resources that internet users provide, such as Wikipedia).

When the Knowledge Graph was introduced in 2012, it displayed basic, basic information about the word being searched for, for example, about a singer, including his nationality, albums and music style. Today, this graph is much more comprehensive and includes more complex information.

For example, after searching for the phrase Best Albums of 2015, we get the following, including the slider at the top of the page that lists the best albums of 2015.

Why is Google so important about providing information resources?

The answer to this question is in the company’s policy.

[jv_quote style = "default" width = "0"] Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it available to the public. [/ jv_quote]

It is well understood that the purpose of these activities is to improve the Internet, make it more effective and user-friendly. This is what makes people like me write about it. Of course, there are people in your community who are critical of these ideas and believe that the more Google understands their users and the faster they can display the content they want, the more time they spend on Google. So Google is more likely to have users click on the ads displayed on the search results page.

You can help Google with content creation by using the content understanding process to help Google complete its search results and add to its knowledge. But keep in mind that anything you do to increase your content’s appeal will ultimately lead to more and more users using the search engine. The more Google can respond to users’ queries using your information, the fewer users will come to your site.

Conclusion:

It is better to improve and make sense of your SEO, so optimize for Google semantic search. In appearance, the semantic search seems to be a nightmare for marketers.

Thanks to the semantic search engine, it’s not enough to simply stuff your keyword blogs when you want to connect to your audience. Instead, you need to understand what your customers are looking for and how you can help them get the answers they need.

However, the truth is that semantic search is not so bad.

Search engines such as Google exist to help us navigate the Internet. Today, consumers have access to a comprehensive network of human knowledge, covering billions of pages on millions of websites. Without solutions like Google, it would be impossible to find the information we needed. Semantic search simply ensures that these search engines can provide the best possible contextual responses to our queries.

For marketers, it also means that you can connect to the right audience to help you grow your business. When you understand your target audience and semantic search, you can ensure that your content appears in front of the people most likely to enjoy your blogs, follow your social media channels, buy your products, and even become ambassadors. of your brand. It’s the difference between fishing in a pond and throwing a net in the ocean.

Semantic search has changed the world of SEO forever. Companies that do not adopt the new algorithms may not only be penalized by Google but may also lose the chance to connect to their target audience.