Posts Tagged ‘LSI’
LSI or latent semantic indexing is probably the most complicated aspect of search engine optimization, but when you know a little about LSI it’s not a difficult concept. When you think LSI, think context.
Words That go With Other Words
Latent semantic indexing is something Google is incorporating into its indexing algorithms to try to figure out exactly what a page is about. Here is an hypothetical case: Suppose Google finds a page with the main keyword phrase “mouse movements” and needs to match it to user searches. Is the page about moving a computer mouse or is it about the movements of a rodent? There will be clues in the text. If it is about a computer mouse there will be words like computer or mouse pad, or optical, or right click, etc. If it is about a rodent there may be words like cheese, trap, maze, droppings, etc.
How can you Use LSI?
Now that you know what it is, how can you use latent semantic indexing to help your Google rankings? The best thing you can do is to make sure your writing is unambiguous. Say you are targeting “blue widgets” and you want to make sure Google knows clearly what your page is about. Think about the context in which you are using the term and make sure the wording you use stays on topic.
You could also go to Google and search for Blue Widgets and read the pages that come up with the highest rankings and see what other words they are using. However, don’t spend a lot of time trying to second guess Google. Just keep LSI in mind while you are writing and it may help you focus on your targeted keywords and the naturally related words. Remember, LSI is all about the context of your words.
Want even more search marketing tips?
