Did you optimize keywords instead of concepts? Google’s NLP has moved on — and if your content doesn’t reflect entities and relationships, it’s fading fast.
You’re Probably Still Writing for 2013 Google
Google doesn’t rank keywords anymore — it ranks meanings. And if your content isn’t semantically rich, entity-aware, and contextually connected, it doesn’t matter how many backlinks you beg for.
Wait… What the Hell Is Semantic SEO?
- In traditional SEO people use the exact keyword 12 times and hope Google gets the message.
- In semantic SEO you need to cover the topic using the right terms, concepts, and relationships.
Semantic SEO is about writing for machines that understand language.
It’s how you future-proof your content against Google’s AI-powered ranking systems.
And yes, this includes:
- Google’s NLP models (like BERT, MUM, and friends)
- Knowledge Graphs
- Entity salience
- Contextual embeddings
Keyword Matching Is Dead. Long Live Entity Matching.
Let’s say you write about “coffee.” Old-school SEO says, stuff in keywords like “best coffee beans,” “coffee for energy,” and “arabica coffee beans online.”
Semantic SEO says: Google’s looking for entities like:
- Coffee (product + beverage)
- Caffeine (chemical substance)
- Energy metabolism (health concept)
- Arabica (plant species)
- Brewing methods (process: French press, cold brew, etc.)
Did you know If you’re missing related terms and connected ideas, Google assumes you’re not an authority.
How Google Actually Understands Your Page (That No One Talks About)
Here’s what’s going on behind the curtain:
- Google uses natural language processing to extract entities and relationships.
- It builds a graph of how well your content matches known topic structures.
- It scores your content based on topical depth, semantic clarity, and entity coverage.
That means
- Using related terms matters.
- Linking to authoritative sources matters.
- Your internal links, headings, and markup all influence how well your topic gets interpreted.
Think of Google as a 9th-grade English teacher who’s reading your essay with a rubric in hand.
Okay, so what do I actually do?
1. Use Topic Maps, Not Just Keyword Lists
- Tools: Thruuu, AlsoAsked, or InLinks
- Find questions, subtopics, and related entities — then build around them.
2. Structure Your Content Like a Knowledge Graph
- Add clear headings.
- Create sections that answer different aspects of the query.
- Think Wikipedia-style coverage, not clickbait.
3. Include Named Entities (Proper Nouns, Brands, Concepts)
- Instead of “email tool,” say “ConvertKit” or “Mailchimp.”
- This helps Google anchor your content to its internal graph.
4. Use Schema Markup — Seriously
- Add FAQPage, Article, or Product schema.
- Not for rich snippets only — it’s about reinforcing meaning.
5. Build Internal Links That Follow Semantic Logic
- Link from “email marketing tips” → “best cold email templates”
- Create topic clusters, not random blogrolls.
The Real Reason Your Rankings Are Flatlining
You might be writing more content. You might be building more links.
You might be checking every box on the old checklist.
But if you’re not thinking in concepts, entities, and relationships, Google has already moved on — and your content is slowly getting buried under more contextually rich pages.
No comments:
Post a Comment