Topical Optimization

Optimize for Topics Instead of SEO Keywords

Traditionally, SEO has focused on optimizing pages for a single keyword or phrase in order to help that page appear higher in the search engine results. Beginning with the release of Google’s Hummingbird algorithm, the most forward-thinking members search engine marketing industry now believe that semantic search, or “real language” queries are now the way forward.

With Topical Optimization, the goal is to write effectively about a topic, concept, or subject rather than trying to work around just one keyword. This will help make your content more effective in reaching more people, mostly due to increased traffic from “long tail” searches about that topic – the more natural questions searchers ask the search engine. When done effectively, the page will likely rank well for those coveted high volume keywords, too. This relatively new approach to search engine optimization is not suited for the cheap fly-by-night SEO outfits, or those who believe optimization is just a numbers game. Topical SEO is, however, a solid content marketing strategy. Optimizing for concepts, topics and groups of keywords related to a concept can also help you write better content that is exactly what your audience wants.
Google is all about giving people what they are looking for; therefore, topical optimization is good SEO.

At Ker Communications, we know that topical SEO and content marketing is much more effective than old school keyword focused methods. We have been optimizing thematically for the past few years (since 2010!) and it has not failed us or our clients yet.

Below are some articles that are related to Topical Optimization, going back as far as 2012.