Author: Andrea Lehr / Source: hubspot.com I’ll admit that when I first heard a colleague mention “latent semantic indexing,” my immediate
I’ll admit that when I first heard a colleague mention “latent semantic indexing,” my immediate response was simply, “What?”
Luckily, although it sounds like something that requires a degree in computer science, it’s actually a concept you’re probably familiar with — particularly if you have some basic knowledge of keywords and their close relationship with search engine optimization (SEO).
In this post, we’ll be using an infographic by HigherVisbility to discuss latent semantic indexing (LSI) in three parts. More specifically, we’ll define LSI and how the process can potentially benefit your overall SEO strategy, take a closer look at ways to find LSI-driven keywords, and outline how to add these keywords into your content.
Let’s dive right in, shall we?
What Is Latent Semantic Indexing, and How Will It Boost Your Overall SEO Strategy?
To understand LSI, you want to start by taking a closer look at search engines and how they operate. At the very basic level, sites like Google use complex algorithms to understand two things:
- Your content and its context
- A user’s search intent and its relationship to specific keywords
In other words, LSI helps search engines identify related keywords and process synonyms to deliver more accurate search results.
Consider the word “aviator.” Pages that include this word could be anything from an e-commerce site selling the popular Ray Ban sunglasses to a fan page dedicated to Leonardo DiCaprio’s turn as Howard Hughes in the 2004 biopic, “The Aviator.”
Search engines use LSI keywords to help add context to pages that contain the word “aviator” in order to provide better search results. If the site is dedicated to the latter, for instance, it would include LSI keywords like, “Leonardo DiCaprio,” “drama,” and “movie.”
Benefits of LSI-Driven Keyword Research
Search engines are always on the hunt for the most relevant and in-depth content for a given query. When you think about how big the internet is, it’s not easy for a site like Google to determine what a page’s content is all about. This is why it rewards sites that include relevant LSI keywords with higher rankings and more traffic.
Benefits extend beyond those directly related to SEO, though. Additional and more accurate categorization helps users, publishers, and marketers alike. Publishers, for instance, can increase engagement because LSI-driven content is more targeted and ensures that it’s landing in front of the right audience. Users entering queries also benefit because they can easily (and more quickly) find the content that answers their questions.
5 Ways to Find LSI Keywords
Now that you’re an expert on LSI and why it’s important, let’s walk through the different ways you can find additional keywords you’ll want to include in future content and blog posts.
1) A Simple Google Search
One of the easiest ways to find LSI keywords is Google itself. When you enter a term in the search query field, it automatically shows the keywords related to the particular query.
Let’s use…
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