LSI keyword: How to find them using tools and how they benefit in SEO?

Don’t know what LSI means? But you have heard that it plays a key role in SEO and you want to find LSI keywords for your blogs?

No worries! You have come to the right place.

Here we are going to enlighten you on what LSIs are and why they should be a part of your website content. Also, we will be talking about the best ways that can help you find LSI keywords for your blogs.

What are LSI Keywords?

The term ‘LSI’ stands for Latent Semantic Indexing. Yes, it’s quite a mouthful, but it isn’t something very complex. Simply put, it means words that are similar to each other or in many cases; it indicates words that are synonymous to each other.

Gone are the days when exact words needed to be typed in for Google to generate a satisfactory search result. Today, search engines have evolved to a tremendous level. They are now in a position to recognize similar words and understand the intent or meaning behind a user’s search query.

Even when the searched words are typed in their short form, have you noticed that Google still doesn’t fail to generate a relevant search result? How does it happen? Let us assure you it isn’t any magic! It’s Google’s LSI algorithm in work.

The journey of finding LSI Keywords

Semantically related keywords are said to be LSI keywords, and the process used by Google to generate results that are semantically related to the keywords present in the search query is said to be Latent Semantic Indexing.

In simple terms, it means to unravel the hidden relationship present between words to have a better grasp of the available information.

It is the same method by which Google is also able to distinguish between homonyms (same words having different meanings).

To see Latent Semantic Indexing in action, go to Google and type in any search terms such as ‘Right Picture Size.’ When the SERP is generated, you will see various search results highlighting synonyms of the word ‘Picture’ like ‘images’ and ‘photos.’

Further, since you are not just talking about pictures but also indicating to know about size, Google puts two and two together to understand that you must be talking about Photoshop (ps).

The use of LSI words in your content helps Google understand it better. As Google understands it better, so is your chance gets better to rank higher. In some cases, Google even considers finding LSI words to be a mark of having rich content.

A deeper understanding of Latent Semantic Indexing

LSI helps search engines like Google to draw a semantic relationship between the search query and the websites as well as understand the semantic relationship between two websites. This, in turn, helps in the generation of more accurate search results.

When website and blog content contains related words, synonyms, and entities that fall in the same compound as that of the main keywords used by searchers, the website has a higher chance of getting favorable rankings in the SERPs.

The Role of LSI Keywords in SEO

Before understanding the role of LSI in SEO, it has to be surely seen how the role and use of keywords have changed over time.

Years back, Google just focused on the keywords used in the content to understand the topic and concept of the content. This is the reason the keywords were used a higher number of times in the content.

But years after, the method of Google scanning the content has changed. It does scan the keywords in the content to understand the topic, but there are also other ways that it recognizes the topic of the content.

This is the reason now using the keywords many times in content is claimed as the stuffing of the keywords.

It has also been noticed that keyword stuffing can lead to negative impacts, also such as the negative ranking of the content or page.

Though it is not proven yet, a number of experts have also claimed that Google may, at times, even penalize for the keyword stuffing in the content now.

So, what are the ways Google recognizes the topic of the concept of the content now apart from the keywords?

It is with the help of LSI.

Google will scan through the content body, the title, the Meta description, and other places to know the keywords used. But it will keep on scanning to find some related words also in the content. This can be explained with the help of an example.

If the content or the page is regarding cakes, you will put up keywords such as cakes, chocolate cakes, this cake, and that cake.

Google will have a check through these keywords and will understand that the page is about cakes. But it will still scan the pages to get some other related words such as baking, cream, and others that are important terms used to create the content of cakes.

If these terms are not found by Google in the content, even when the content is flooded with keywords such as cakes; it will not understand the topic and the concept. Hence, Google will not rank it well in the search engine, or even at times will not rank at all.

So, the right use of Latent Semantic Keywords in content helps the content to rank better in SERPs.

For SEO purpose, different places in a content where you can use LSI keywords are-

Places where LSI Keywords can be used in a Content

• URL Address
• Title of the Page
• H1 and H2 Tags
• Image ALT Text
• Meta Tags
• First Paragraph
• Last Paragraph

Benefits of LSI

When the exact role of LSI is understood in SEO, it is also important to check out the benefits of LSI.

Since the introduction of this term and concept in SEO, the experts have found it to be highly beneficial in a number of ways. Here are some of the important benefits that LSI has been providing to SEO.

1) Improved Ranking

One of the most important benefits of the LSI is, of course, to improve the ranking of the content or the page in the search engine.

It has been explained earlier above about how exactly the LSI works and how search engines scan for LSI to understand the topic and concept of the content or the page.

Hence, LSI is one of the prime reasons how search engines recognize the topic of the page. Hence, they also help the page, or the content gets ranked well in the search engine.

It has been noticed a number of times that even when the content is stuffed with keywords, the page does not rank well or rank at all in the search engine. This is only because of the lack of LSI keywords in the content of the page.

2) Safeguards you from Penalties

Today keyword stuffing is considered as a black hat technique of SEO. Hence, it is sure that you will not get many results out of it, and even if you get certain results initially, your ranking can get reduced down after some time. There are a number of reasons for it.

If you are stuffing keywords in the content, there are a number of times the search engine does not understand the main topic or the concept of the page due to lack of LSI keywords. Hence, it will consider that particular page as spam and will remove it from the search list.

It takes time and investment in creating content and putting it up on the search engine. If after such investment the content is removed from list marking it as spam, it is, of course, a loss.

Also, at times, there are a few penalties that you may have to face due to the lack of LSI keywords and having keyword stuffing done in the content.

3) Empowers you to Grab Attention

Not just the search engine, readers also first scan the content before reading it properly. This is because they try to find out which site or which page has the most important topics discussed or from where they can gain the best information.

If LSI keywords are there in the content, it makes the content looks more natural, and hence, the impact on the readers is much higher.

The readers scan through the content, and when they find that there are such LSI keywords mentioned in the content, they tend to get attracted to the content due to the natural flow of the information.

Hence, you will surely have more audiences and high traffic on such a site.

4) Enough number of Relevant Keywords

There are a number of people who search for keywords and get disturbed when they do not get a proper list of such keywords to be used in the content.

When you have the primary keyword in hand, you can always make use of the LSI keywords, and you do not have to search for some other secondary or relevant keywords any more for the content.

If you have a page of content about cakes, if you are making use of the natural words such as baking, oven, fresh cream, and similar stuff, there will be no need of making use of any other secondary words in the content.

Hence, it can be said that the use of keywords will become much easier in this case.

Hence, it is seen and understood that there are a number of benefits of the LSI keywords that makes it extremely an important part of SEO as of now.

They are also quite easy, and hence if you understand the using of the LSI once, you can surely master the trick of ranking well in the search engines.

How to Find LSI keywords?

Now that you have been enlightened about LSI keywords, it is now time to find them and use them in your content. One great way to start finding them is by using various effective keyword research tools.

1) Use Google Search

Inarguably if you are trying to rank on Google, Google search is one of the best options to look for LSI keywords.

You can start your endeavor by typing in the seed keyword, and Google search will automatically present you some of the most searched for queries with LSI keywords. This is one of the simplest methods to find some good LSI keywords.

2) Use Google Suggests

After utilizing the Google search, you can also come to Google suggests that it is present at the bottom of the Google search result pages.

This area is a gold mine for some good related keywords. You can run a search for any keyword or phrases on Google, and Google will provide you the related keywords or search queries to your search query at the bottom of the SERP.

3) Competitor Content Research

The third great option for coming up with effective LSI keywords is by conducting a thorough competitor content research.

Say you are trying to write a blog post on ‘SEO guidelines,’ you should then open up the top ranking site for the ‘SEO guidelines’ search query.

After visiting a couple of these top-ranking sites and scanning through their content, you will not only know what to further add to your content but will also come up with some great ideas for LSI keywords.

You can also make use of the Table of Contents on the site and the Smart TOC chrome extension to have a look at all the articles related to SEO.

Some of the tools to find LSI keywords are given below:

Best tools to find LSI Keywords for your Blogs

#1 UberSuggest

UberSuggest is a similar tool like the Google Auto Suggest. By typing in keywords here, you can quickly get the suggested similar keywords of all the major search platforms such as Yahoo, YouTube, Google, Amazon, Wikipedia, etc.

#2 LSI Graph

This one is another amazing tool that can make it easy for you to find some good LSI words.

Here you can insert your seed keywords or use some relevant phrases, and the tool will generate a list of related words and phrases for your query.

#3 Semantic Link Search

The tool Semantic Link Search is specifically designed to obtain keywords that are semantically related to each other. How does it work? You just have to enter a word in the search bar in the tool, and it will produce a list of words that are semantically related.

When you do get the semantic word list, naturally use the LSI words in your content. This will help Google understand that a certain blog post or page is specifically dedicated to a particular topic.

#4 Google Search Console

To get to know the keywords that are bringing in the traffic, you will need to use the Google Search Console.

Google Search Console can also help you in identifying the words that are driving in the traffic to your website but have not been targeted. Make a list and note down such keywords.

You should also run a search for popular blog posts on the topic you are thinking to write on. Again note down the main keywords and the similar keywords that these top-ranking blog posts have.

Then compare it with your list and also add them to the list so that you arrive at a bunch of really good performing LSI words.

#5 Similar word

A similar word is a tool that is similar to the Semantic Link Search. It also works in the same way.

You just have to type in the main keyword, and the tool will generate a list of similar and related words. Just be sure to cross-check all the words generated here before using them in your content.

#6 SEMrush

SEMrush is a complete keyword research tool.

It will not only generate a list of keywords that are semantically related, but it will also tell you the CPC, the volume, and the other required data for you to implement a good keyword strategy in your content.

#7 Ultimate Keyword hunter

This tool lives up to its name. This is open to only the Windows user. The Ultimate Keyword hunter website sends you the installation file in your email id. You just have to install it and type in your seed keywords.

After entering the seed keyword, click on ‘Parse.’ It will produce a list of semantic keywords that has been repeatedly used by websites that have secured a top 10 ranking on Google.

This is a great way to learn about the semantic words that most people are searching for, and it also lets you know the top keywords your competitors are using.

You can also take this one step further and search the list of keywords produced by the tool on keyword planner to obtain their search volumes.

#8 Easy WP SEO

Easy WP SEO is a WordPress plugin. This plugin has a plethora of features. It lets you create your content around your primary and secondary keywords. Besides providing you a list of LSI keywords, this plugin also offers you the Copyscape support.

To get the LSI keywords from this plugin, you will be required to enter Bing API key in the settings.

Benefits of finding the right LSI keywords for your blogs

Using LSI keywords achieves four major tasks:

#1 Increases PPC effectiveness

Do not limit your PPC ads to just the main keywords. You can use a combination of main keywords and related keywords to capture the whole picture of both user and ad intent.

Moreover, using LSI keywords can be more cost-effective and may even bring in more traffic than the single main keywords when all the traffic brought by them are counted together.

#2 Rejuvenates a dead content

Every website or blog has some pages that aren’t receiving good ranking from Google anymore. A good way to bring back these old pages to life is by throwing in some LSI words here and there.

#3 Provides effective anchor texts for backlinks

Do not go overboard in using main keywords in your anchor texts for backlinks.

By doing this, you may fall into the practice of keyword stuffing. If you are using anchor texts, try using LSI words, since recently, Google is showing preference to them over repeated use of main keywords.

#4 Image SEO optimization

You probably know that a proper image name, description, and alt tags are important.

However, mindlessly using the main keywords to describe images is not a good SEO technique. Rather it may hurt your rankings. Consider using LSI words for proper image SEO optimization.

Final Thoughts

So, now on the concluding note, we hope you would have understood how important it is to find the right LSI keywords for your blogs.

It will help you increase your chances of getting better rankings in Search Engines Results.