LSI in 2022: From Semantics Collection to Page Optimization

Google relentlessly repeats that in order to rank well, you need to place high-quality and useful content on the site. Already in 2022, the presence of only key queries will not bring tangible results. The first thing to consider when optimizing is that search engine algorithms are getting smarter. When crawling a page, robots must make sure that all content matches the topic of the main request. In order to achieve the desired results, it is worth using LSI words.

What is LSI

The technical definition of LSI is Latent Semantic Indexing. Simply put, these are words and phrases that are used to clarify the topic and relevance of the initial keywords or words that set the topic. These words help search algorithms understand where and how exactly you’ve used your keyword on a page to make sure the title matches the content. It is worth paying attention to the fact that LSI are by no means synonyms, but concepts and terms that are closely related to the query. For example, for the key phrase “apple fresh”, the following LSIs would be used:

• Juice;
• Recipe;
• Benefit;
• Cooking;
• Fresh squeezed;
• Calorie content;
• Drink;
• Taste.

Collection and analysis

To search for LSI, there are a sufficient number of various services. For example, Arsenkin or LSI Graph. When parsing phrases, marker requests for the page are used.

Before searching, consider the following features:

• Use the appropriate type of queries: commercial or informational, depending on the type of page;
• It is imperative to take into account the geo-dependency of queries and specify the exact region of the search;
• For a more precise and broader search, do not limit yourself to Google or Bing. You can also search for Instagram, YouTube, and other sources relevant to your topic.

After adding content using LSI, it is recommended to set up relinking to other thematically related pages that contain useful content. Thus, you can “link” all the main pages together by setting a single theme for your site, which is highly valued by search algorithms and affects the final ranking.

Using LSI

Text description of the page

One of the main points of SEO optimization is the presence of texts with a description of the page. When forming the TOR, the copywriter is just indicated by the words collected by LSI, which must be used to dilute the main words.

Proper use of LSI in the text will bring the following results:

• will not allow spamming on pages;
• Positive effect on the positions of key queries in search results;
• Specifies the theme of the page.

Updating outdated content

Updating content with up-to-date LSI words has a very positive effect on positions, provided that the optimization is done correctly. Also, when parsing marker queries and searching for LSIs, you can create new sections and headings to update your page structure.

It should be noted that the author-specialist in the niche should be engaged in the preparation of new content. Thus, simply adding different LSIs to content is not an effective strategy.

Marketing company and contextual advertising

The use of LSI in PCC companies is an effective method to increase the CTR and the number of ad impressions. Topic words should be used along with the main keywords.

Page metadata

Using LSI in page metadata, namely <title> and <description> will help to give the content a natural look and keep the page from being spammed. The presence of a large number of key queries in a direct entry can be punished by search engines and, as a result, sanctions can be imposed on your site, the consequences of which are critical for the resource.

Image optimization

Also, you can optimize metadata for images. When scanning a page, graphic elements are also taken into account by the algorithms to determine the general theme.

LSI can be used for photos/illustrations. To do this, add them to the <alt> attribute. But! It is worth remembering that the <alt> should describe what is shown in the photo, and not use any thematic phrase.

The main mistakes when using LSI

In order to properly optimize your site, you should avoid the following mistakes when working with LSI phrases:

• When collecting LSI, you do not need to take all the phrases in a row from the proposed ones and forcibly try to include them in the text. It is necessary to carefully analyze all options and use only what is most suitable for your page;
• Using LSI is appropriate only if the page has a logical and well-developed structure, as well as a useful content component;
• For commercial pages, don’t use too many LSI words. For example, a short description is used for a product page and adding a lot of LSI does not make sense. But for large informational articles, using the widest possible coverage of thematic words will be beneficial;
• LSI are not search suggestions and synonyms. When working with words that set the topic, it is necessary to focus primarily on the fact that the tex is intended for a person. Otherwise, there is a chance that the description will look “machine” and not readable.
• It is a mistake to think that after such optimization your site will immediately get into the TOP-1 search results. There are a huge number of factors that determine the position. And even if competitors do not have such semantic content, they will remain in their positions for some time. The promotion process is very time consuming. But, if you constantly increase the amount of useful content on the site and follow all the recommendations, you will get the expected result.

To summarize

Search engine algorithms will continue to improve, so using keywords that set the topic, instead of a huge number of keywords, is an investment in the future development of your site today. Old optimization methods based on the principle of “deceiving the search robot” with the help of search queries are already ineffective. It is necessary to use non-standard and creative methods that are aimed primarily at creating useful content for the user.

Pavlo Vlasiuk

CMO

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