What are LSI Keywords? Let me explain their myth and ‘on-going legend’.

The concept of “LSI keywords” has been a popular topic in SEO circles for decades, but it’s a myth. When I hear SEO professionals or business owners say this phrase it makes my skin crawl. It’s important to understand that the term itself is misleading. Here’s a breakdown of the misconception:

  • LSI and Modern Search Engines: Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) was a technology developed in the 1980s by researchers at Bell Labs – not a writing methodology. It is not something Google currently uses in its search engine (and you cannot find it neither in their patents). While Google does employ semantic analysis to grasp the meaning and context of webpages, it’s a broader concept encompassing various natural language processing methods.
  • Focus on Semantic Richness: While the term “LSI keywords” is inaccurate, incorporating semantically related keywords into your content is still crucial for SEO. This helps search engines understand the relevance of your page to specific searches. But the content has to be ‘relevant’, ‘authoritative’, include real life experience and basically be helpful (cough – helpful content update and EEAT).
  • Identifying Relevant Keywords: Tools like Google’s autocomplete and “related searches” are excellent resources for discovering semantically related keywords to include in your content, alongside Answer the Public.
  • Prioritise User Experience: Google updates like Fred and the “Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines” emphasise user experience and content that is genuinely relevant and informative.

Ditch Ye Olde LSI Keyword Myth as a Takeaway

Ditch the outdated notion of “LSI keywords.”

Instead, concentrate on creating high-quality content that is semantically rich and provides value to users. This will naturally improve your search engine rankings without resorting to outdated SEO tactics, which will likely have your content filed under ‘spam’.

A. Leaton
Latest posts by A. Leaton (see all)

Published by A. Leaton

Over 12 years’ experience in diverse digital marketing settings within international start-up and corporate environments. Proven ability to deliver conversion and traffic uplift results through hands-on execution of multilingual and international SEO, email, content, social media, PPC, broadsheet PR, web-development, email marketing, and CRM strategies and campaigns.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *