SEO Articles :: Latent Semantic Indexing

Latent semantic indexing has been used by Google for a while, but has recently been given more weight. So LSI is now something that must be taken into consideration when optimizing your site for search engines.

What Is LSI?

LSI is a part of Google's indexing algorithm that takes Google one step closer to becoming a human edited directory of links by simulating a human way of thinking. If we were to manually search pages on the web we would probably make our own results/conclusions based on a websites theme and not if certain words do or do not exist on a page. LSI places weight on other related words appearing in website content.

The Effects

The introduction of LSI and the increased weight it now receives in Google's algorithm has created dramatic changes in search engine results. Websites that had a great link profile for a certain keyword have seen their rankings decrease and other pages with a more diverse array of inbound links are taking their places.

LSI means that webmasters can write in a more natural manner. Instead of trying to include a certain density of keywords, content can take a more natural flow because it will no doubt include related terms naturally.

Optimizing for LSI

LSI has increased the need for white-hat SEO on your website. To take advantage of LSI, you will need to do the following:

Find related words and subjects on a webpages theme
Write content that incorporates these subjects
Mix anchor text

Writing Content for Related Words and Subjects

You will need to incorporate a range of different words in your content. No longer should you attempt to write content that focuses on one keyword and one subject but you will need to create content that is themed. This doesn't mean that SEO cannot be done, you can still optimize for a targeted keyword, however give other related words weighting as well. They do not need to be in your page title, URL or optimized they ways your keywords are, but they must be present in the content.

Mixing Anchor Text

Anchor text is the text used in the link to your site. So, when you are link-building, make sure you vary the text that links to you to include the range of related words to your theme. This will ensure you have an effective LSI link profile and you may fast climb above other webpages who are not up-to-date with search engine technology and are still building link profiles focusing on one of two words.