If you write anything for the Internet, especially "SEO" (search
engine optimization) copywriting, and you're not using LSI,
you're behind the times -- and your competition.

Because Google and other search engines are using LSI to decide
the relevance of your words to your subject matter. This
obviously determines how much traffic you can expect from search
engine results.

If you're still using old-fashioned keyword density analysis
(KDA) to optimize your on-page factors, Google is way ahead of
you. With LSI, Google and other search engines figure out what
your page is about based on the other important words you use,
plus checks for words that commonly appear in other content
related to your site -- NOT by the percentage amount you use
your targeted keyword.

So what is Latent Semantic Indexing (also known as Latent
Semantic Analysis)?

On a technical level, it's computers using complex mathematical
models to figure out what text in documents means. This article
doesn't pretend to explain the equations that make it work.

The real question is, what does LSI mean to us web content
writers? How can or how should we be using LSI to make Google
rank us higher?

Basically, LSI can use the other words in your page to help it
figure out what your site is really about. This helps solve the
problem of synonyms (where two or more words can mean much the
same thing) and polysemy (where one word can mean more than one
thing).

Also, using LSI, Google can compare the vocabulary of your page
to the words used on all relevant websites -- and all the books
in its database. Therefore, you're compared against authority
sites and the experts who've written "real" books!

So how can you use LSI?

When you write, use your keywords in a natural way -- and also
all related and "expert" vocabulary.

If you're writing about lemon pie instead of lemon poor quality
cars, make sure you include the relevant vocabulary of pies
instead of cars.

If you're writing about Jaguar the car make sure you include the
details that will distinquish it from jaguar the big cat and
Jaguar the Mac OS X computer operating system. Don't just use
"Jaguar" in isolation.

Include relevant synonyms and other expert vocabulary.

With keyword density analysis you avoid synonyms and repeat the
targeted keyword to reach the (supposedly) optimal density
percentage.

With LSI, you include your main targeted keyword but as the top
of a pyramid of synonyms and relevant expert vocabulary. The
more you write like an expert on a given subject, the higher
you'll rank.

After all, Google wants to give its searchers the best, most
expert web sites. So write with the vocabulary of an expert even
if you aren't one.

What's the first step?

Before you write anything, do keyword research -- but not in the
usual way. Think about synonyms. Common sense and your own basic
knowledge of the subject comes first.

Then go to Google and put your main keyword into the search box
with a tilde sign (~) in front of it. The results will then
include what Google regards as synonyms to your keywords --
they'll be in boldface type.

Repeat with the synonyms you bring up.

Go to the top sites and look for the keywords in their meta tags
and look for the expert vocabulary they use in their content.

Do the same ~Google search on those keywords.

Soon you'll have a large list of terms relevant to your main
keyword. Include as many of them as possible in your sales
letter or web article.

Of course, make everything sound natural and well-written to
your reader.

See you at the top of the search engines!

About the author:
c 2006 by Richard Stooker

Stories sell. Discover how href="http://www.DramaticSalesWriting.com/">Dramatic sales
writing means more sales for you.