A recent video from Matt Cutts answered a tough question that content marketers face when trying to build SEO campaigns: Can Google recognize two interchangeable terms? Is it better to focus on both synonyms or just one? For example, a user might search ‘tropical vacation’ or ‘beach getaway’ in an attempt to find the perfect poolside pleasures away from the winter cold.
Google’s Distinguished Search Engineer Matt Cutts recommended that content marketers use both terms, as long as content doesn’t seem artificial, since Google’s synonym team works to ensure that the search giant understands that car and automobile mean the same thing. Still, too many keywords make text read phony, stilted and spammy. If the first paragraph of a text talks about ‘bars,’ followed by another that mentions ‘taverns’ with a third explaining ‘pubs,’ users will feel the text is artificial. Cutts recommended reading articles aloud to ensure that they sound natural.
Marketers strapped for time and resource can outsource content creation to experts that understand how to naturally integrate synonyms into custom content. Brafton recently reported that 51 percent of marketers struggle to produce enough content, while 49 percent need help creating engaging content. Outsourcing marketing efforts to an in-the-know third party can help a brand be recognized in searches for interchangeable terms.
