What is Semantic SEO?

Google constantly strives to effectively answer users' questions and provide them with the most relevant results. Therefore, it does not only consider the internal, external, and technical optimization of websites but also takes semantic optimization into account when ranking pages.

Semantic SEO is the process of optimizing the context and related topics of articles so that search engines can better understand the content and display results that align with users' intent. Semantic SEO is directly related to a website's content. When search engines look for relevant content, they try to understand existing materials and prioritize those they deem useful. To achieve this, they do not rely solely on the presence of keywords but also ensure that the content comprehensively answers users' queries. Our primary task here is to integrate synonyms and related expressions of keywords effectively into our content to make it meaningful.

How is Semantic SEO Done?

Semantic SEO is not only based on keywords but also considers the context of the topic, synonyms, and related expressions. Search engines no longer just rank results based on keywords; they analyze the overall meaning of the content and the user's intent. Therefore, creating more natural and valuable content is essential for both users and search engines. During semantic optimization, several aspects of the website need special attention:

Content

The concept of semantic optimization can essentially be understood as content optimization. Before starting content creation, we must put ourselves in the user's shoes, ask various questions, and structure the content as if we were answering those questions. We should determine who we are writing for and address our target audience in a language they can understand. For example, if we write an article filled with complex terminology for the keyword "What is SEO?", users may abandon reading and leave our site. We need to understand that someone asking "What is SEO?" is looking for a simple yet comprehensive explanation to grasp the basics rather than being overwhelmed with highly technical terms.

Keywords

As mentioned earlier, Google prioritizes content it deems useful and relevant, so it carefully evaluates existing materials. At this stage, we must identify the necessary keywords and incorporate them into our content to clearly explain to Google what our text is about. By "necessary keywords," we mean not only the main keyword but also its synonyms and related words or phrases. For instance, let's try to define "SEO" using four other words—digital marketing, keywords, meta title, search engines. As you can see, these four words help us understand that the topic is SEO.

When conducting keyword research for semantic optimization, we can categorize keywords into three groups: micro, macro, and related keywords. Macro keywords consist of broader concepts that include the main keyword. Micro keywords, on the other hand, are more specific and form a part of the main keyword. For example, for the keyword "What is SEO?", macro keywords should belong to a larger category—digital marketing, marketing, etc. Micro keywords, in contrast, should be more specific and directly related to the main keyword—on-page SEO, keywords, search engines, meta title, alt tags, etc. Related keywords do not include the main keyword but are conceptually associated with it. For instance, if the main keyword is "diet," a related keyword could be "exercise."

To determine the most relevant keywords, keyword research should be conducted using various tools. Besides these tools, additional methods can be used for keyword research:

• By typing part of your keyword, you can explore other suggestions and add relevant ones to your existing keyword list.

• At the bottom of the first search results page, you will see related searches, which can be useful for generating ideas while writing your article.

Choosing and using the right keywords appropriately and in the right proportions is crucial. If we turn our article into a meaningless collection of keywords, our content will become unreadable for users, and Google will consider it spam. As a result, our website will not rank highly.

Headers

Since every part of the content is considered in semantic optimization, we should also optimize headers and subheadings. Headers are structured hierarchically from H1 to H6, and their proper arrangement is essential. In addition to structuring, we must ensure that headers effectively segment the content and provide an initial overview. Proper optimization of this section helps Google understand the sequence of the article and its main topics more clearly.

For a website to have valuable content that is read with interest by its target audience, it must successfully complete the semantic optimization process. Otherwise, your website will remain in the memories of your audience and search engines as a site with irrelevant and unhelpful content.