Natural Referencing: Understanding SEO and the Algorithms of Google, Bing, and ChatGPT
Natural Referencing: Understanding SEO and the Algorithms of Google, Bing, and ChatGPT
Kevin Coppens
November 15, 2024
.
Reading Time 10 mins
You want to know what are the new SEO trends 2022 which are essential to your SEO strategy? Here are 5 “must-haves” to perform in SEO this year. Discover our practical tips for a quick and lasting impact.
A good SEO action plan starts with a semantic analysis:
What is a good SEO keyword?
When analyzing your search engine positions, don’t focus on one keyword; try to track a set of keywords classified by theme to get a more realistic view of your visibility in the SERP (Search Engine Result Page).
In the last few years, voice search has developed strongly thanks to the growing use of mobile devices. It is now possible to query search engines just by asking a question out loud.
But what does this mean for your SEO strategy? The SEO approach remains the same, but you have to take into account not only the written queries entered on Google, but also the spoken queries. Very often, these spoken queries are longer and start with a question word: how, why, what to do,… So don’t forget to take into account these long tail queries in your SEO strategy!
Of course, it gets easier: with Semactic, your semantic analysis is automatically generated and integrated directly into the platform.
Now that you know which terms to rank for, take a closer look at your site. Does its structure reflect the most interesting themes and keywords identified in the semantic analysis? Try to adapt your site tree and classify the contents in a logical way, from the most generic to the most precise. Also consider the technical aspects of the site that could hinder the exploration or understanding of Google’s robots.
Here is a list of points to check (not exhaustive):
Don’t worry, you don’t have to aim for perfection. Some sites manage to position themselves very well despite some technical shortcomings. So don’t try to solve everything: prioritize and focus on the most critical points, according to your SEO performance.
As a reminder, the Core Web Vitals aim at measuring the loading time (LCP), the reactivity (FID) and the visual stability of the page (CLS). These 3 indicators will give you an idea of the current user experience (UX) and where you could improve it.
But do they change anything in your SEO strategy? Among our clients, we observe that a site that is not performing well in terms of speed does not prevent it from ranking well in the search engines.
However, if Core Web Vitals do not seem to negatively impact positions, they remain essential for the UX and the performance of your content in terms of conversion. Think about your users and offer them a comfortable experience! You can use the Google PageSpeed Insight tool to test the speed of your pages and receive a list of recommendations to improve it.
You have a “healthy” site from a technical and structural point of view, congratulations! Isn’t that the case? Don’t panic, nothing prevents you from working on your content in parallel. You can already significantly increase your visibility by optimizing certain key pages of the site. For each, ask yourself these questions:
Once you have answered these questions, all you have to do is optimize!
In concrete terms, this means including your main keyword as well as keywords related to the semantic universe of this word in :
…while taking into account the intention behind the request (is the person looking to compare services, to get information, to get inspiration…). AND – this is important – by keeping a natural and fluid style. Avoid repeating the same keyword everywhere in your text, it doesn’t work anymore. It may even penalize you.
For example, if you want to position yourself on an informational query, you will have more chances to perform with a “blog” type page and a rather long (explanatory) content than with a commercial page focused exclusively on your products/services.
Contrary to popular belief, these “simple” optimizations can already move you up quickly in the search results. While it takes a little patience to reap the benefits in terms of conversions, don’t overlook the positive impact of seeing your results increase week after week. It’s a real motivational boost and will inspire you to develop an effective SEO dynamic. But this is where the problem often lies when it comes to referencing.
Perhaps you have already experienced this feeling of profound injustice when you were subjected to Google’s ranking? You had put all your talent and expertise into an article. You were sure you had THE optimal content for a targeted query and then….you find yourself on page 5 of Google, in a sea of indifference.
If neither the technique nor the content of your page is the issue, you may need to look at your domain and page authority. In other words: your popularity on the web, i.e. the sites that point to your content. The famous backlinks. Even if their weight is somewhat questioned in recent years, they continue to play a significant role in search engine rankings.
What to do then?
Closely related to popularity (the previous point), E.A.T. criteria continue to gain momentum in 2022. “E-A-T” stands for “Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness”. In French: Expertise, Autorité, Fiabilité.
Expertise: You must make sure that you are recognized as an expert in your field. The author of the content must be seen as a reference. Creating or optimizing your “team” page can help.
Authority: Authority is derived from this expertise. A site will be considered of quality if its contents are up to date and of reliable source. Remember to keep your content up to date and only keep qualitative content that responds well to user requests.
Reliability: It is above all a question of inspiring confidence with elements of reassurance: information on the company, on the contributors of the site, customer reviews, quality labels, security of the site etc.
The importance of this criterion varies, of course, from one sector to another. It will be particularly key for the banking sector, insurers, security, health, etc…
To stay ahead of your competitors, remember to stand out from the crowd with high quality content. Develop your network, share your articles and position your company (and its employees) as a reference. It’s good for your visibility in Google and your business in general!
SEO is not an isolated field, different departments need to collaborate to make your SEO strategy work. Copywriters, developers, public relations departments,… and a few good tools will be indispensable to you! Now, you know the 5 essential SEO trends 2022 your SEO, and you are ready to improve the visibility of your site!
Need support to launch your SEO project? At Semactic, we create the SEO dynamics that generate impact.
*Did you understand the pun? It’s a good start!