The way people search the internet is shifting as more tech companies adopt artificial intelligence (AI), voice assistants, and other emerging digital tools. Instead of turning to Google and typing a search, people are now asking ChatGPT or digital assistants such as Siri and Alexa to find information online for them.
Instead of keywords, people increasingly search with natural language, which is known as semantic search. And semantic search requires different content efforts than traditional search engine optimization (SEO).
To stay on top of current trends and customer demands, most modern businesses will have to leverage semantic search. Optimizing your site for semantic search helps you stay visible no matter how your customers are searching online and increases your chances of success in the overcrowded market.
How Semantic Search Works
In the early days of internet searches, Google and other search engines scoured the internet to find the exact keywords in the search. Semantic search goes beyond keywords, assessing user intent and putting queries into context.
For example, if a potential customer is looking for a company like yours to do a brake job on their car, they might Google “affordable brake repair in Austin.” This query would likely bring up a blend of mechanics, auto body shops, and auto parts stores.
On the other hand, semantic search identifies the word “repair” in their query and narrows their search results. Semantic search filters out irrelevant businesses, such as auto parts stores, and only shows companies that offer repair.
Semantic search started with the Google Knowledge Graph, which is a database with over 500 billion facts about different entities and how they’re related. Before AI, this tool worked through a series of algorithms that evaluated how terms in the database related to one another. It would cross reference keywords with existing information on Wikipedia and other indexed sites included in the Knowledge Graph.
Now, semantic search uses AI and natural language processing tools to interpret a user’s intent. Natural language processing is an AI component that allows a computer to assess and understand human language. If you use an AI-powered chatbot on your website, you know that it analyzes previous customer interactions to provide better answers to the next customer. Natural language processing in search engines works the same way. Each query trains the search engine to recognize context and deliver more accurate search results.
Benefits for Businesses and Websites
Because semantic search offers users search results that are more relevant to their search intent, your business gets higher-quality traffic. Say you run a local garage in Austin. Semantic search automatically filters out those users looking to DIY their car repair. It matches you with users who want a professional to fix their car. By matching you with interested users, semantic search results direct more people to your site who are more likely to stick around and engage.
AI has also enabled “zero-click” searches. This is the term for the AI-generated results that pop up at the top of Google when someone searches the internet. It can also refer to the snippets that appear under images in the search results. You can optimize your snippets to appear in these results.
You can also strategically utilize long-tail queries without specifically targeting keywords. This refers to key phrases that are more than 3-5 words long and use natural language. Long-tail queries are key to voice searches. Think about when you’re driving around and ask your phone: “What is the nearest gas station to me?”
Optimize for Semantic Search
“So, how do I get my website to pop up in semantic searches?” you may ask. Start by adding structured data to your website to help search engines index you properly. You can do so by adding relevant schema markups to articles, events, question-answer pages, images, and more.
Your website builder should have a tool for adding schema markups to various sections of your website. If not, use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper. Enter your website information, and this tool will help you create schema markups that enhance your online visibility.
Next, create association entities to appear in the Google Knowledge Graph. Association entities are clues that search engines use to contextualize your website. For instance, when a user looks for “Amazon,” search engines know whether the user means the company or the river based on related entities in their query. You can create entities on your website through content, schema markups, and by linking phrases to other pages on your site that clarify their context.
Measuring Success in the Semantic Search Era
New search trends mean you have to measure more data to know that your SEO efforts are successful. You still want to track your keyword ranking. You also want to track organic traffic growth, engagement rates, and bounce rates. These metrics will tell you how people interact with your site.
Use your analytics tools to measure your online visibility, which tells you how well a customer can find you using keywords. You can also measure visibility by tracking clicks, impressions, and search engine ranking. Assess your ability to answer users’ questions by looking at page views, bounce rates, and engagement metrics on your FAQs page.
Track search queries to see how people are finding you online and use the information to optimize your SEO.
The Future of Search
As AI gets smarter, search engines will be able to match your website to high-intent users more easily and accurately. Optimizing your website for semantic search will also help you capture users on other apps such as Chat GPT and TikTok.
If you haven’t audited your site for semantic searches yet, get started. Contact Motoza today and let us build an SEO strategy that boosts your online visibility and connects you to more customers.
