Semantic SEO is SEO 2.0. It is search entity optimisation. E-commerce experts have already been using the changes to SEO to their advantage.
What is Semantic SEO?
To start with, we need to explore the notion of semantic SEO. When we use search on Google and such, it throws up relevant and meaningful results. There is a difference between these two things. People are looking for results which are meaningful, not just relevant.
Let's say you are looking for a printer online. You type 'HP printers' into the search bar and get a number of results. Some will be relevant but the ones that you are more drawn to will be meaningful.
You may very well click on the Amazon result. This is because the prices are clearly mentioned in the meta description, acting as a beacon. Other results may just talk about their printers and printing supplies, or boast that they have special deals without getting into the specifics.
If we click through, the top results pages have clearly delineated the HP printers but there are other offerings too. Everything is laid out in an easy to understand fashion and the sidebar is intuitive and helpful. Printers are listed by price and category and by brand as I specifically searched for HP. The further down the SERP we go, the less easy to use the sites become. In some cases, HP printers don't even appear at all on the landing page – a poor user experience all round. On good landing pages, HP printers are shown next to pricier bands, with a couple of others thrown in to compare features.
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So what does that mean for us and our idea of semantic SEO? Basically – semantic SEO is when Google takes your original query and extrapolates from it to give meaningful results which may not be entirely what you searched for but deliver a better user experience regardless. If you only want a specific brand then it could be a little annoying but many people when searching for an item aren't 100% set on the one they want yet. It helps to inform consumers of their options.
From an e-commerce perspective, what marketers need to know is that keyword and content is becoming less important. What really matters is the user experience. If you know what you're selling, what peripherals and accessories people need, and how to cross sell effectively, then you'll go far up the SERPs. The Google algorithm does obviously take into account the keywords you are using, but it also needs to be sure that you are providing the best experience for the people it is delivering to your site.
You don't want a page stuffed with only one brand of printer, or washcloth, or lip salve. People don't already know what they want most of the time, and if you display a number of product lines, you are trusting that your visitor may actually want something else, or something more. For example, they may realise that they need printer ink, or paper, or a desk.
Semantic SEO can help increase revenue by trusting in smart customers. Think about how Amazon and eBay do so well. They aren't just selling single items, they're showing you what other customers bought with their products, they're up-selling, cross-selling and making further buying opportunities easy for the customer to find. If your site only shows one product on a page, then customers will only buy one product.
E-Commerce Semantic SEO Tips
To get started, here are our tips for semantic SEO.
The key takeaway is that when it comes to SEO, you need to understand your customer and anticipate what their needs are. This will help you to go a long way when it comes to achieving e-commerce success. Cross-selling and up-selling aren't just good for your revenue streams, they are also good for your SEO scores because Google wants to send people to a place where they can find everything that they want. Make sure that you are letting the search engine giant know that your store is the place to go.
Author: Gyles SewardMarketing professional with experience across both on and offline communications in all market sectors. Director at Elementary Digital, a digital agency in London and Leeds. ... View full profile ›
Source: Understanding Semantic SEO
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