What Are LSI Keywords and Do They Matter for SEO?

LSI, or Latent Semantic Indexing, is a technology used in natural language processing to analyze the relationships between words and phrases semantically related by topic.

For example, when talking about food, words like recipe, kitchen, boiling, frying, rice, cheese, etc., are semantically related terms.

In natural language (the languages we speak as human beings), the semantic relationships between words help us to differentiate the correct sense of a word with multiple meanings.

For example, if, when reading about ‘fall,’ you start noticing words like weather, summer, trees, brown leaves, etc., then you can tell that the ‘fall’ being referred to is different from the ordinary sense of something dropping down. LSI includes synonyms but also other words that are related by context.

Why does this matter for SEO? Read on to find out.

LSI Keywords and SEO

First, it’s important to clarify the myths associated with this topic. LSI is not a new concept, having existed since the 1980s.

But apparently, despite their continual attempts to get one over search engines, SEO professionals have now turned LSI into a fad, claiming that it is a ranking factor. Is that true?

To be clear, according to Google, there is nothing like LSI keywords, and it is not a ranking factor. And this is, in fact, true.

So why do people keep talking about LSI keywords? You have to recognize that it is because computers are not so smart. Even with the promise of artificial intelligence (and it is an incredible promise), computers still have a lot of catching up to do if they want to reason as humans.

Among the unique capabilities of human beings is that, through our knowledge of real-world experiences, we can immediately tell the relationships between words and expressions.

Computers don’t have this instinctive capacity. However, once fed enough data (these days, we have big data), the system can identify patterns, how certain words are used with others, and what relationships exist between them.

The computer still does not know the meanings of those words as humans do. Still, the ability to establish patterns through complex mathematical formulas is known as Latent Semantic Indexing.

Does Google Use LSI Technology?

Of course, if you have been following developments in the field, Google’s aim to introduce and refine its use of natural language processing in its ranking algorithms would be nothing new.

Updates such as Hummingbird, RankBrain, BERT, and most recently, MUM carry advancements in how Google understands human queries based on context.

So, even though Google does not use LSI, considering that this is an old technology that existed even before the creation of the internet, it uses other, far more advanced natural language processing techniques to determine the meaning of user queries.

When SEO professionals refer to LSI keywords as a ranking boost strategy, they often mean that by using related keywords and phrases in your content, you can boost your website’s rankings. Here’s what Google says about that:

… when you search for ‘dogs,’ you probably don’t want a page with the word ‘dogs’ on it hundreds of times. With that in mind, algorithms assess if a page contains other relevant content beyond the keyword ‘dogs’ – such as pictures of dogs, videos, or even a list of breeds.

While Google does not use LSI technology in particular, it has a system in place to determine how relevant a web page is to a particular query by using semantic relations to understand the overall topic of the page.

The Common Sense Case for ‘LSI Keywords’

Suppose we leave technology behind. When speaking or writing naturally as human beings, one of the signs that a person is knowledgeable about a subject is that they use related keywords and phrases when expressing themselves.

When someone starts to beat around the bush or divert from the topic of discourse, that’s a sign that the person is either distracted or does not know much about the subject.

So, to this end, using related keywords (or LSI keywords, as people love to call them) in your content is a valid sign that you are authoritative in that field. However, it also matters how these keywords feature.

You must already know that Google frowns against practices such as keyword stuffing. So, keywords must appear as naturally as possible.

Search engines have become more sophisticated now, and more emphasis is being placed on relevance and user experience, to the end that it is not enough to try to rank for search engines. You have to demonstrate that your content provides meaningful value to readers.

Identifying ‘LSI Keywords’

How do you then identify LSI keywords? Of course, you already know that these keywords are not really ‘LSI keywords,’ but we are keeping the term because that is what many people are familiar with.

In any case, identifying relevant keywords for your post is a very simple process. Once you enter your website link into the Eye10 Keyword Planner and enter your target keyword, Eye10 automatically generates a list of keywords you already rank for.

In addition, it generates two lists of keyword ideas and suggestions related to your target. More so, through its integration with the Google Keyword Planner, you also see Google’s results for your keyword targets.

In addition, you can use another tool from Eye10, the Industry Checker tool, to analyze the leaders in your niche and identify the keywords they are ranking for. Then, you can take steps to integrate those keywords into your content. Of course, as mentioned earlier, this must be done strategically and naturally.

Best Practices for ‘LSI Keywords’

Identifying semantically related keywords is not a magic bullet. There are best practices you must follow to integrate those keywords into your content, and here are a few:

• Focus on writing high-quality, informative content for human readers rather than obsessing over what search engines want.
• Besides your main content, use keywords naturally in your headlines and subheadings, and relevant header tags. Use the Eye10 On-Page SEO tool to ensure that this has been done.

• Have a solid content strategy. Don’t just sprinkle keywords over pieces of content in a haphazard manner. Have a clear plan for the usage of target keywords.

Conclusion

We have been able to prove that there is nothing like LSI keywords. And that it’s not a Google ranking factor. However, if you refer to the use of semantically-related words and phrases in your SEO content by LSI keywords, then they exist, and you should aim to use them strategically.

Incorporating these keywords into your content strategy requires that you have access to real-time insights about your website information about SEO. Eye10 SEO tools enable you to do that, and if you sign up for a trial now for only $3, you get full access to the entire range of SEO tools from Eye10.