In the past, SEO professionals talked a lot about LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords. These are words and phrases that are related to your primary keyword. For example, if your main keyword is “hiking gear,” your LSI keywords might include “hiking backpacks,” “hiking boots,” and “ice axe.”
The idea was that if you used these related keywords in your content, it would help search engines understand your topic better and give you a higher ranking. But here’s the thing: LSI is an old technology, and a search engine doesn’t even use it anymore.
Does Google Use LSI Keywords?
The short answer is no. A Google employee confirmed this back in 2019, but the myth has lingered. LSI keywords came from a very old natural language processing technique. Today, search engines have much more advanced tools to understand the relationship between words and concepts. They don’t need a list of related keywords to figure out what your content is about.
Do LSI Keywords Have Any Value?
Even though a search engine doesn’t use LSI keywords, the concept isn’t without its value. It gives us three important lessons:
Rule #1: Write for People, Not for Search Engines
LSI keywords are a natural part of writing good content. If you are writing an article about “candid photography tips,” you will naturally mention other related words and concepts, like “camera settings” or “the type of shots you can take.” The key is to write for a person who is looking for information, not for a search engine.
Rule #2: Focus on Topics
A search engine’s goal is to provide users with great resources. They want to find comprehensive, in-depth content that answers all of a user’s questions. This is why you should focus on writing about topics, not just keywords. Instead of trying to rank for one specific keyword, you should create content that covers a whole topic. This not only makes your content more valuable to users but also helps a search engine see that you are an authority on the topic. Our platform can help you with this. Clickrank keyword insights tool can help you find topics and related keywords that are relevant to your business.
Rule #3: Apply Common Sense
The final lesson is to apply common sense. You should never force keywords into your content. If a keyword doesn’t make sense in your article, you should remove it. A well-researched text will naturally contain semantically-related keywords that help visitors find the information they need. If you believe a question should be included, but a keyword tool shows zero search volume, include it anyway.
Conclusion
SEO today is about writing for people, not for bots. By focusing on creating high-quality, comprehensive resources for searchers, you won’t need to rely on old-school SEO hacks. You’ll have content that a search engine will want to rank.
What are LSI keywords?
Does a search engine use LSI keywords?
No, a search engine does not use LSI keywords. It has more advanced tools to understand the relationship between words and concepts.
How do I find related keywords for my content?
How do I ensure my content is high-quality?
You can ensure your content is high-quality by focusing on writing for people, not for search engines. The goal is to create a comprehensive resource that answers all of a user's questions. Our free AI Rewording Tool can help you ensure that your content is always fresh and readable.
