There are multiple terms used for topical optimization in search engine marketing. These include semantic SEO and topical SEO. The general goal of topical optimization in content creation can be summarized as writing effectively on a specific concept, subject or topic as opposed to working around a predetermined keyword. This marketing concept makes the content that you create more useful to people who are interested in the pertinent topic. When topical optimization is executed well, your website will rank better for the desired keyword. This means that you can create better content because you will not be restricted by long unnatural words and phrases.
Topical optimization is not complex or technical, so you can implement this strategy with ease into your business. Remember that Google’s Hummingbird will place value on your authority as a source depending on how well you display your prowess in covering the subject matter. In simple terms, the algorithm will consider how well you have covered a topic in your niche. Therefore, if you want to rank better, then your website must be filled with content which answers most (if not all) the questions that a user might have on the topic. This comprehensive coverage is a powerful factor in ranking and is more effective in SEM compared to keywords and backlinks.
Importance of Topical Optimization
There have been extensive studies performed to identify the importance of topical optimization in search engine marketing and content creation. Data researchers have found that semantic search algorithms such as Hummingbird cannot be fooled by the insertion of keywords in website text. These systems consider multiple factors before presenting a result, including concept matching, variation of search words, intent, location and natural language queries. The conducted research has provided extensive data which proves the importance of topical optimization. Simply speaking:
- The current Google semantic algorithm prioritizes topic-based SEO in comparison to keyword-oriented content. Therefore, one must employ comprehensive coverage techniques to ensure that the needs of diverse users are met.
- A stronger backlink profile does not translate into higher ranking in web search results. Basically, a website with multiple pages, numerous relevant keywords and plenty of backlinks but shallow content can rank lower than an alternative with higher quality topic coverage. The depth of the content on the latter will be more attractive to the search engines.
- While keywords are important in SEO, you cannot rely on them alone for success. If a competitor has longer and deeper content, you will potential customers and visitors to them. This is because Google will favor topic relevance and valuable answers more than exact keyword matches.
The data which supports the significance of topical optimization in search engine marketing has been supported by numerous authorities in the industry, including Search Engine Land, Search Engine Journal and Moz. Therefore, when developing your online marketing strategy, you should choose approaches which will allow you to reap long-term rewards from Google. In essence, focus on producing high quality content with consistency and your general ranking will improve due to semantic searches.
Whilst topical optimisation should be the focus, you should note that keywords are not irrelevant; they are still important for a successful SEO campaign. When topical optimization is coupled with the right keywords, your ranking will grow in the organic search engine results and your website traffic will increase. Therefore, you should cover your subjects with depth while incorporating the most suitable keywords in the text. You can find the most suitable keywords for your business by using analyzer tools such as Google Keyword Planner for your niche. This technique will yield the best results.
