{"id":776,"date":"2018-11-28T09:40:04","date_gmt":"2018-11-28T09:40:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rankmovers.com\/?p=776"},"modified":"2024-02-23T09:28:39","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T09:28:39","slug":"7-tips-for-optimizing-your-content-for-natural-language-processing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rankmovers.com\/7-tips-for-optimizing-your-content-for-natural-language-processing\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Optimize Your SEO Content for Google\u2019s Natural Language Processing API"},"content":{"rendered":"
We\u2019ve heard time and time again that Google has increasingly moved away from keyword-based search algorithms. Instead, algorithms have focused more on trying to produce results that adequately answers a person\u2019s question. The main instrument in this mission has always been the search engine\u2019s natural language processing system.<\/p>\n
Below we detail everything SEO professionals need to know about optimizing your content for Natural Language Processing systems.<\/p>\n
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Natural language processing (NLP) refers to how computer understand, interact with and respond to natural language. The term natural language itself is a psychological term used to refer to any language used by humans to communicate with each other \u2013 this distinguishes it from coding.<\/p>\n
Natural language processing is a huge part of the computer science\/artificial intelligence field. Closer to home, it\u2019s a fundamental part of a search engine. When we interact with Google (or any search engine for that matter), we use natural language to type (or even verbally state) our query, regardless of whether you are using keywords or full sentences. The search engine\u2019s natural language processing functions is what allows it to respond to queries accurately. (Read on below to find a relevant natural language search examples.)<\/p>\n
During the 90s, the internet became more accessible to people around the world, and several search engines came into prominence, such as AskJeeves and MSN Search, among others. Many of these early search engines used keyword-based algorithms to determine page rankings. This is why keyword stuffing<\/a> became so popular with early copywriters.<\/p>\n When Google launched in 1998, they set themselves apart from the pack by using a new algorithm called PageRank to determine rankings. The algorithm used the number of backlinks to determine ranks and not solely keywords. Human-generated links to a specific page became a vital part of determining a page\u2019s importance.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the years since, various adaptations have been made to Google\u2019s algorithm turning it more into an NLP-based search engine. (It is actually estimated that there are over 250 indicators of quality content in the algorithm.) In 2013, Google introduced the Hummingbird algorithm which made significant changes to the search engine\u2019s natural language processing feature. No longer did writers and internet users have to be as strict with keyword inclusion as they once were.<\/p>\n In the last five years, even more changes have been made to this system to make it better understand search queries and be less reliant on keywords. In April 2018, Google even released a tool called \u201cTalk to Books\u201d that allowed people to search queries in a cordoned off part of the search engine, and brought up relevant answers that did not have any relevant keywords in them.<\/p>\n Well, as already previously stated, search engines respond to a user\u2019s query based on what it understands the question to be. As many search engines have moved far beyond the idea of keyword matching, keyword stuffing is no longer a requirement for ranking well.<\/p>\n Instead, webmasters\/copywriters should now be focusing on creating quality that answers questions in the best way possible.<\/p>\n Google\u2019s natural language processing system is a huge factor to take into account when structuring your content. With the algorithm\u2019s strong focus on quality, rather than keyword quantity, there is a definite way every webmaster should be structuring their content.<\/p>\nWhy is Natural Language Processing Important in SEO?<\/h2>\n
7 Tips for Optimizing Your Content for Natural Language Processing<\/h2>\n
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NLP and SEO Conclusion<\/h2>\n