The Internet has been a vital part of our lives for nearly three decades, changing our lives in ways we could never have imagined. It provides us with access to all sorts of information and enables us to communicate, shop, or work from anywhere on the planet.

However, as the Internet has grown, so too have the problems associated with it. With the sheer amount of data available online, finding what we’re looking for has become more challenging.

Some experts are discussing the advent of the Semantic Web and the changes it brings. But what exactly is the Semantic Web, and how has it transformed the online landscape in recent years? Join me in this article to learn about the Semantic Web, how it has positively impacted businesses in Melbourne, and how it can help you.

By the way, if you need help with your marketing campaign, especially with managing semantics in SEO search, we are the SEO Company in Melbourne that can help.

Semantic Search: We No Longer Search Like Before

The way we conduct searches has evolved. We have progressed from performing short and generic searches to asking search engines more conversationally, as if speaking to another person. 

It is a natural development in how we seek information since the medium through which we conduct searches has also undergone a significant transformation. 

We primarily searched using desktop computers in the past, but today, it is common to seek answers to anything on smartphones, tablets, or wearables. We also often do it by asking Siri, Cortana, or any personal assistant or smart speaker. The fact is that they usually refrain from carrying out these searches by writing.

Nowadays, we seek answers and solutions using search engines, just as we would ask a coworker, friend, or family member for help, meaning that our search queries are becoming more semantic.

The Semantic Web

Semantics is a field of study focusing on understanding the meaning of words and expressions in language. In the context of the internet, semantics is about making information more accessible to users by providing the web with a clear meaning that machines can interpret.

While the concept of semantics has existed since the early days of the Internet, it wasn’t necessary at first because little content was distributed over just a few sites. However, as the Internet grew and became more complex, developing systems to organize and interpret information became increasingly important.

However, as the content grew, a way to classify it and make it available to users became necessary. For this reason, directories and search engines were born first. They solved the problem very well until relatively recently.

In today’s world, we are bombarded with an overwhelming amount of information, commonly called ‘intoxication’, which makes it difficult for us to process the information that is relevant to us and creates severe problems in finding helpful content. 

Therefore, we need to enhance the user experience to keep the Internet useful. This involves building websites that are more easily readable by search engines and applications.

How Searches Have Evolved

Content saturation is not the sole reason behind the changes in search engine results. One crucial factor contributing to this is the shift in search trends. Our way of searching for and accessing information has transformed significantly over the past decade. Any search engine marketing professional in Melbourne is fully aware of this change. To better understand why this shift is necessary, let’s delve into how our search behavior has evolved.

From Keywords to Complex Phrases

One significant change in how we search for information is using more complex questions and phrases. In the past, we relied heavily on specific terms identified with keywords, such as “cheap hotel in Melbourne.”

However, such search terms are rare these days. Instead, we use phrases like “What is the best restaurant in Melbourne?” or “What will the weather be like tomorrow?” This change in trend is attributed to the increasing use of mobile devices for searches, which encourages us to be more specific with our queries. Additionally, the advent of voice searches has made our language more natural when searching.

The downside to this type of query is that they don’t always match keywords exactly, making them more difficult for search engines to process. As a result, ambiguities may arise in the search results.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Google has been researching and developing artificial intelligence technology for several years so that its algorithms can interpret phrases and return more optimal results. There are two main protagonists: Hummingbird and Rank Brain. I’m going to introduce them to you.

How Does All this Affect SEO?

You likely have already realized the extent of the changes in the digital landscape. You might be wondering how these changes will affect your website’s SEO and what steps you can take to ensure that your website appears in the top search results. Should you consider seeking the assistance of an SEO agency in Melbourne?

It’s important to understand that Google no longer just tries to understand the user’s search query. Instead, it tries to interpret the user’s intention behind the query to provide even more relevant results.

The current search engine algorithm is Hummingbird, which has been further improved by implementing Rank Brain’s artificial intelligence. Now, it can learn from our searches, making it more efficient. However, relying solely on keywords for ranking is no longer enough due to the large amount of content available on the internet. As a result, it is crucial to take additional steps to inform search engines about the content of your website from a semantic perspective. 

Using synonyms and related words to your topic can help search engines identify your content with that specific topic. This is especially important as many other SEO companies in Melbourne may be dealing with a similar topic and trying to rank for the same keyword as you.

It’s important to remember that other factors besides keywords will become increasingly important in search engine optimization (SEO). For instance, factors like location and user preferences are already considered, especially on mobile devices, but they will become even more significant in determining search rankings.

It’s clear that changes are happening and will continue to happen, impacting how we approach SEO. Although these changes won’t happen overnight, it’s essential to be prepared to take full advantage of new features.

One Last Thing

We specialize in providing top-notch marketing strategies and effective SEO implementation to help you promote your products, increase visibility, attract more visitors, expand your audience, and ensure the success of your business.

We are a leading digital marketing agency in Melbourne. Our team of highly skilled online marketing professionals is dedicated to helping your business achieve substantial growth.

Feel free to contact us; it would be our pleasure to do business with you.