When you are looking for something on a search engine, you immediately get the top results based on what you have typed in. What you type into a search box becomes a keyword. The top results you receive are very closely related to the keyword – they are the most relevant to your search. These top results are at the top because of something called Latent Semantics Indexing (or LSI keywords) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

SEO and LSI keyword use

Once upon a time, to be in the top searches, people would use keywords many times in their articles. This is called “keyword stuffing.” The articles would be boring to read and not really give any information that the reader can use which makes a lot of people upset.

Search engines began penalizing those websites that did this and they still do today. The whole point of SEO is to make sure that the keyword for the article is used enough times to be relevant but not too much to be annoying. LSI does another important job that you may not have thought about. If you look up articles on stalactites for example (those pointy things that hang off the roof of a cave), you might get articles featuring stalagmites (the pointy things on the floor of caves) as well.

Latent Semantics Indexing reviews documents and associates words that are commonly used together and gives you links that feature both of these things. Even if the keyword itself is not found, you will get the links to websites and articles that are as close to the keyword as possible.

If you look up how to use tools, for example, you will get articles on how to use a hammer, how to use a drill, how to use a spanner, screwdriver, mallet, saw and so on. This is because all of these things are tools. They may also appear in a search where someone is looking for a hardware store or wants to know how to fix a car or cut a tree or make furniture. The individual tools in this case become the LSI keywords.

Keyword research

There is a lot of software that can help you find an LSI keyword. Google Keyword Planner is one example of a free LSI software program that you can use. Long Tail Pro is another software program for this purpose but you have to pay for that one. Free LSI keyword software has the advantage that you can use it without spending money. This does include free trials of paid software that you can choose to upgrade at any time.

The problem with some of the free software versions is that they give you fewer options than the paid versions will. The paid software wants you to get value for your money so will work to make sure you enjoy your software. You will be able to use it easily for one thing to find those LSI keywords you need. Your keyword searches may be saved for later use and you have access to support at all times in case your software does not work properly.

Using keyword research tool

Before you begin, it is important to identify what you want to include in your article. This could help you determine what keywords could help you be at the top of the search engine lists. A program like Keyword Genetics identifies some other keywords that are related to the keyword you have decided on. Using these other keywords in your articles will mean that your page comes up in more searches.

If the articles pass the LSI test and the SEO tests, they will not be penalized by the search engines. Typically, keywords should be anywhere between 2 and 4 percent of the article and the rest should be informative and helpful. Your software should help you know if you have met these requirements before you post your topic.

Quality content

There are very many things to consider when putting up an article on the internet. In the end, the quality you give to your readers is what will earn you that top spot on the search engine. If you do not deliver enough quality and simply stuff your articles with keywords, you will not get a very happy audience. Make sure your information is relevant and helpful.

If you are a new user of LSI keyword tool, you may want to use the free versions first to, at least, learn the basics; how to use it. If you decide to buy the software, you will have access to helpful customer care. Either way, you get to deliver quality articles and your page, blog and/or website gets to be in the top of search engine lists.