Semantic SEO is the practice of optimizing website content to align with search intent rather than prioritizing keywords alone. This is done by creating more in-depth content that provides context to search engines so they can provide more relevant results.

Google once relied on keywords alone to rank content in search results.

Since the introduction of Google Hummingbird in 2013, however, the search engine can read and understand content (almost) like a human, with the ability to reward pages that cover a core topic best.

To rank at the top today, you need semantic search engine optimization: an approach that gives Google and users the context they need to grasp your content fully.

In this guide, we’ll cover semantic SEO best practices, with insights from Sam Yadegar, co-founder and CEO at HawkSEM.

What is semantic SEO?

Semantic SEO is the process of optimizing web pages based on meaning and intent — incorporating related concepts and further context to help search engines deliver better results.

In other words, an article that covers one core topic should also explore closely related topics to provide a deeper understanding.

Why semantic SEO matters

Semantic SEO matters because it helps search engines understand the context of your content to better meet the searcher’s needs.

Similarly, this ensures your content provides the most value to your audience.

Here are additional benefits of semantic SEO.

  • Better rankings and higher user engagement: As search engines focus on context and meaning rather than keywords alone, a semantic SEO approach means you’re more likely to appear on the first page of Google.
  • Appearing as a featured snippet or knowledge panel: With the rise of Google’s AI Overview and generative AI, this also increases your chances of being a cited source.
  • Backlinks: Authoritative information can lead to more backlinks, which is a strong ranking factor.
  • Future-proofed content: Search engine algorithms frequently change. Adopting a semantic SEO strategy can help your website in the long term, as you’re optimizing for meaning and context rather than specific keywords.

How does semantic SEO work?

Semantic SEO works by aligning your content to the meaning behind a search term, so your page is seen as the most complete answer to a user’s query.

Let’s take the keyword “ring” as an example. This simple keyword has a lot of different meanings. It could be a piece of jewelry, the ringtone on a phone, a place where you may go and see a boxing match, or even a brand of smart doorbell.

In the past (before Hummingbird), the number one result in the search engines would likely be the page that used the term “ring” the most.

Now, Google uses a range of factors, like context, search history, and user behavior, to understand the search intent behind the query.

For example, if a searcher searched for wedding-related queries in the past, Google may surmise that they are interested in engagement or wedding rings.

Next, Google uses this intent to prioritize results that align with the searcher’s needs, using keywords along with page data. If it believes a page is most likely to answer a search query, it will rank higher in the results.

Featured snippet for the search query how to eat an artichoke

How to optimize for semantic SEO

“Being comprehensive, strategic, and adding value are critical when using semantic SEO,” says Yadegar.

Here are the semantic SEO best practices to follow:

1. Start with semantic keyword research

Don’t overlook the importance of semantic keywords in SEO. Here’s how to do semantic SEO-friendly keyword research.

Understand your target audience

Semantic SEO keywords are all about understanding your customers and the pain points they experience.

Look at emails, social media messages, and live chat logs you receive from customers to identify what’s important to them.

The “People also ask” section of Google is a valuable resource for identifying questions and queries visitors are likely to ask.
People also ask section of the Google search results

Use keyword clusters

Topic and keyword clusters are an essential part of the semantic keywords SEO process.

A keyword cluster is a set of related keywords that you target together on a single page. This helps search engines identify the purpose and aim of your page and captures a range of search queries with the same intent.

How big should a keyword cluster be? As a rule of thumb, we recommend at least five keywords.

A topic cluster is a collection of content grouped by a shared topic and related subtopics. This typically features a pillar page that talks about a main topic, with several cluster pages that cover related questions in more depth.

Everything is internally linked so that search engines understand the relationship between different pieces of content.

This approach allows you to cover a wide range of topics and ensures you answer all your visitors’ questions in as much detail as possible.

This approach also gives you topical authority, meaning search engine users are more likely to trust and value you as a source of information.

Here’s an example of how keyword clusters and topic clusters can work together:
Topic Cluster table

“Clusters are highly valuable when it comes to semantic SEO,” says Nwabufor John, SEO strategist at Tchelete.com.

“A client was selling sustainable dog toys, so I created a cluster on eco-friendly pet care, with blog posts covering ‘recycled rubber chew toys,’ ‘DIY dog treats with organic ingredients,’ and ‘eco-friendly dog park alternatives.’”

The result? “Organic traffic for ‘sustainable dog toys’ grew 30% in three months.”

2. Optimize your on-page content

Here’s how to structure and optimize your content with semantic SEO in mind:

Focus on long-form content

Long-form content (articles and pages over 1,000 words) typically performs better. This is because it’s easier to integrate relevant keywords and answer visitors’ queries in-depth naturally.

However, sometimes short-form content is a better choice for achieving your marketing goals. Once you answer the query, no need to go further or risk being fluffy.

Avoid using the same keywords

Semantic SEO prioritizes the meaning and context of words, plus, the search engines are smart enough to understand synonyms (for example, on-page SEO and on-site optimization).

This means you can focus on creating valuable and relevant content that answers users’ queries instead of keyword stuffing.

Write for humans

While semantic SEO is all about appealing to a search engine, one of the best ways to see success is by writing for humans.

Adopting a conversational, natural tone makes it easier for you to answer page visitors’ questions.

This also makes it easier to use keywords organically, rather than shoehorning them in.

Take advantage of semantic SEO tools

Tools like Surfer SEO, Clearscope, Yoast, and Rank Math are great for identifying semantically related terms to use. They also recommend the optimal keyword frequency to avoid keyword stuffing.

We particularly like Clearscope as it offers semantic grouping, meaning you can organize your keywords within your page content.

Example of semantic keywords and semantic grouping in Clearscope

Improve the readability of your page

Clear headers, bullet points, and internal links don’t just provide value to page visitors. They also help search engine crawlers understand the structure of your content, giving you a semantic SEO boost.

If you’re creating long-form content, jumplinks can help too.

3. Use structured data

Structured data, or schema markup, is a type of code you add to your page that tells the search engines what kind of content they are reading.

Say, for example, you have a web page with a recipe. You can use structured data to identify information, including:

  • The recipe title
  • A photo of the finished recipe
  • A list of ingredients
  • The instructions
  • How long the recipe takes to prepare and cook
  • How many people it serves
  • The calories

Example of structured data markup for a coffee cake

This makes it easier for search engines to serve your web pages to the right searchers.

The data for this coffee cake recipe says it serves 10 people, so Google knows that if someone searches for “coffee cake recipe for ten people,” your recipe could be an ideal match.

You can add structured data to a range of pages on your website, including articles, event listings, job postings, and reviews.

We recommend using Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to create your schema. You can then add the code generated to the relevant web page.

4. Keep up with semantic SEO trends

Semantic SEO is always evolving, and there are frequent algorithm updates to contend with.

And now with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), it’s even easier for search engines to understand the context and meaning behind pages.

While using a semantic SEO strategy makes it easier to future-proof the content on your website, it’s still important to keep up to date with what’s happening in the sector.

The best way to stay ahead? Follow some of our favorite semantic SEO experts on LinkedIn:

The history of semantic SEO: a timeline

Since Hummingbird, additional changes to the Google search algorithm have led to new advances in semantic SEO, including:

2012 – Google’s Knowledge Graph is a database of facts and information that makes it easier for Google to serve relevant and factual results to searchers.

By optimizing your content for semantic SEO and semantic keywords, you increase the chances of your page appearing in different formats. For example, a knowledge panel or featured snippet in the SERPs.

2015 – RankBrain uses machine learning (ML) to process search results and provide the most relevant results for searchers. It prioritizes the user experience and how content fulfills users’ needs.

This was the early step toward AI-driven results.

2019 – BERT, or Google’s Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers model, recognizes the connection between people, places, and things and uses this to promote the most relevant answers to user queries, even if the wording doesn’t 100% match.

This was considered a breakthrough in natural language understanding, where search became better at interpreting nuance in queries.

2021 – The MUM update introduced Multimodal AI that processes text, images, and more. This update helped Google connect related concepts and answer complex, multi-step questions.

2023 – Search Generative Experience (SGE) was Google’s introduction to embedding generative AI directly in search results. Now called AI Overview (AIO), this shifted SEO from ranking in the blue links to also being part of AI-driven summaries.

Looking ahead: AI and semantic SEO

As AI-driven results become more prominent through search engines, voice search, and generative engines like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, semantic SEO will continue to be a critical part of digital marketing and website optimization.

Content creation (and content strategy) will be more important than ever — building authoritative, structured, entity-rich content that AI and search engines can easily interpret and reuse in direct answers.

“It’s not just about keywords anymore,” says Yadegar. “Search engines are starting to really ‘get’ what people mean. So the trick will be riding that wave, making content that is in line with how AI reads context and intent.”

Checklist for semantic SEO

Need to prep your pages for semantic SEO? This easy-to-follow checklist will help ensure your website is optimized for search queries.

  • Know your target audience. This means you’re more likely to understand user intent and what your page visitors want to see
  • Start with semantic keyword research. Multiple keywords make it easier to implement your SEO strategy
  • Use topic and keyword clusters. Sort your keywords into piles and create multiple pieces of content
  • Optimize your pages. Headings, bullet points, and internal linking make it easier for both humans and search engines to understand your web content
  • Keep it conversational. Use human language and avoid stuffing your content with keywords
  • Use structured data where appropriate. This tells the search engines more about your page
  • Track your results. Tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, and Moz can help you see how your content is doing in the SERPs
  • Don’t forget traditional SEO. Semantic SEO is important, but so is high-quality, trustworthy content

The takeaway

By focusing on a wide range of keywords, structuring your web pages accordingly, and using natural, conversational language, you can reap the benefits of a semantic SEO strategy.

Still unsure how to use semantic SEO to your advantage? Our team of SEO experts is here to help, no matter what industry you’re in.

“When working on SEO and content marketing for our clients, we don’t just write articles to rank for a keyword,” says Yadegar.

“We show the search engines that we’re covering a certain topic in depth to ensure the search engines, as well as customers, see our clients as industry experts.”

Take the SEO work we did for NorthStock:

By developing an SEO strategy focused on semantics and high-quality content, we increased their conversion rate by 53%.

See how we can help with your semantic SEO strategy and drive better rankings for your website today — reach out today.

This article has been updated and was originally published in April 2024.

Kate Ingham-Smith

Kate Ingham-Smith

is a freelance writer and founder of Keep it Simple Copywriting. Kate has over 15 years of experience as a digital marketer, specializing in SEO, paid advertising, CRO, and UX.