What is SEO Semantic Markup and Why Should I Care?

As more businesses rely on digital marketing to connect with the general public, it is more important than ever to understand search engine optimization and how to use it to your advantage. In this article, we will discuss the meaning of SEO and the latest practice that will help your business gain visibility online.

What is SEO?

SEO is the acronym for Search Engine Optimization. This is the practice of engineering your website or blog with specific keywords that are relevant to the content. These keywords, operate as tracking signals, which allow search engine sites like Google, Yahoo! or Bing to index them and retrieve them as relevant content in search results.

When SEO first started it was easy, just put a few keywords in the page description and your website was sure to gain traffic; but in recent years, the need to streamline content as well as weed out spammers spurred the creation of Semantic SEO.

Semantic SEO uses artificial intelligence to return search results that best match the intent of a user’s inquiry. For example, if you ask Google “What are the best remedies for the flu?” Google will look for websites that not only contain specific keywords but it will also retrieve sites that have content about home remedies or natural cures for the flu as well as for a cold or allergies.

The goal of Semantic SEO is to “clear the clutter” of search engine results, for the sake of providing web users with a more efficient experience.

How Does Semantic SEO Effect Your Webpage?

By using SEO Semantic markup, you add context to your website description. A more informative description will not only guide more visitors to your page but it will increase search engine visibility and make your SEO strategy more effective.

In order to make it work for you, your website should include schema markup. While this term may seem like Greek to you, it is perfect English to the search engine algorithms such as RankBrain. Schema markup is code (HTML, for instance), and a form of microdata that gives meaning to the content on your website. In Layman’s terms, it tells Google exactly what your site is about and puts it in context of a related search.

Schema goes beyond mere keywords and adds an in-depth description known as a rich snippet. For example, if you’re an author who writes Science Fiction, you can denote this information inside of the code and search engines will hone in on that whenever someone searches for science fiction authors. That alone is a major reason why Semantic SEO markup should be part of your digital marketing strategy.

One way to discover keywords for your website is to use Google Search Console. It’s a free tool that analyzes your website and gives you data on which pages are getting search engine traffic. If you host a blog on your site, Google Search Console will show you which articles generate hits and it will give you information in regards to what keywords drive the most visitors to your webpage.

Ranking well in search engines doesn’t have to be a stressful process. With the right knowledge and tools, you can gain organic visibility for your site and build an online presence that pays for itself. 

Do you use semantic markup on your website?  Let me know in the comments below.

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