Semantic Search SEO Implications
The jury might be out on the success of Microsoft's Bing reports of modest rises in search traffic share and Google cage-rattling punditry aside, their TV spots hit the nail on the head about semantic search (see below).
Microsoft's Bing TV Advert
Bing describes itself as a 'decision engine', whilst UK semantic search start-up True Knowledge strap line is 'The Internet Answer Engine'. And for the statistically-minded, there's 'computational knowledge engine', Wolfram Alpha.
Semantic search goes beyond using an algorithm to match keywords and weigh the credibility of a page, by trying to understand what the user is looking for. No mean feat, if they can pull it off. But do they? Try for yourself with Blackdog's side-by-side comparison of Google and Bing.
This move towards semantic search may have serious implications for SEO, which largely relies on manipulation of keywords. The next Chinwag Live: Search is Dead, Long Live Search (29th Sept) delves into this subject area and the likely effects on agencies and their clients as search gets smarter. Come along and join in, there's still some early-bird tickets available.
Picture courtesy of dominiekth. Some rights reserved.
15 September 2009 by Sam Michel
Sam Michel is the founder of Chinwag and blogs here for work, and more randomly at Toodlepip. He runs Chinwag Jobs, Digital Mission and tends to focus on murky place where technology, community and marketing collide. You'll find him on twitter @toodlepip.
Sam Michel is the founder of Chinwag and blogs here for work, and more randomly at Toodlepip. He runs Chinwag Jobs, Digital Mission and tends to focus on murky place where technology, community and marketing collide. You'll find him on twitter @toodlepip.
