When it comes to SEO keywords & phrases, there are always people out there that know just enough to be dangerous.

You know the ones – they have a subscription to Moz/SEMrush, read Search Engine Journal, & know enough buzzwords to impress the management team, but not quite enough to really know how to do the job themselves.

They probably have Yoast or All In One SEO installed on their WordPress website, and can quote the rules to a green smiley face or green tick quicker than you can say “I’ve been doing SEO since before Google existed.”

So when it comes to keywords, they know all the stats:

👉 Use your keyword in your title
👉 And your H1 headers
👉 And your H2s and H3s
👉 Make sure your keyword is used in every section of your website
👉 Your keywords should be x% of your text
👉 Use keywords in alt tags on images

🛑 But that’s how we end up with website pages like this:

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And it may work. They may get good front page Google listings. But it won’t sell their services. Or yours.

💩 Because it reads like shit.

There’s an easier way to make sure Google, etc understands what your website is about, while keeping your website visitors (who will actually READ your content) in mind.

Semantic keywords.

No, this isn’t another one of those “stuff your content with synonyms” articles that make your writing sound like you’ve swallowed a thesaurus.

Every time I see another SEO “expert” advising people to just find different ways to say the same thing, I want to bang my head against my desk. That’s not what semantic keywords are about, and if you’re doing that, you’re wasting your time (and probably annoying both Google and your readers).

I’ve been in SEO for over 30 years, and I’ve watched how search engines have evolved from basic keyword matching to actually understanding context and meaning. The days of just repeating the same phrase in slightly different ways are long gone.

So let’s bin all that synonym-stuffing bollocks and talk about what semantic keywords really are, how they actually work in 2025, and how to use them without making your content sound like it was written by a robot having an existential crisis.

What are semantic keywords (in normal human language)?

Semantic keywords are words and phrases that are related to your main topic. They help search engines understand what you’re actually talking about, rather than just matching exact phrases (because it’s not 1998 any more).

For example, if you’re writing about “B2B marketing strategy”, semantic keywords might include:

lead generation
sales funnel
customer acquisition
marketing automation
business development

If you’re writing about “copywriting”, semantic keywords might include:

brand messaging
content strategy
tone of voice
audience engagement
conversion copy
content creation
storytelling
marketing communications
brand personality
persuasive writing

Writing about “web design”? Semantic keywords might include:

user experience (UX)
website development
responsive design
user interface (UI)
site navigation
mobile optimisation
page layout
website architecture
visual hierarchy
site performance

See how they’re all connected? They’re not just synonyms – they’re concepts that help build a complete picture of the topic.

Why should you care about semantics?

Because Google’s not stupid. It understands context, and it wants to see that you actually know what you’re talking about.

Here’s why semantic keywords matter:

Better rankings

When you cover topics properly, with all the related concepts, Google sees you as more authoritative. I’ve seen pages jump from page 4 to page 1 just by expanding their semantic coverage.

Natural writing

Stop trying to repeat the same phrase 47 times. Using semantic keywords lets you write like a normal person while still staying relevant for search engines.

Proper topic coverage

When you think about semantic keywords, you naturally end up covering your topic more thoroughly. It’s a win-win for both SEO and your readers.

Common mistakes that’ll make you look a bit silly

1. Treating semantic keywords like synonyms

Just bunging in words that mean the same thing isn’t semantic SEO. “Digital marketing”, “online marketing”, and “internet marketing” aren’t semantic keywords – they’re just variations of the same thing.

2. Forcing awkward phrases

Don’t just stuff your content with every related term you can think of. “Our B2B marketing strategy consultancy provides lead generation solutions with marketing automation for business development and sales funnel optimisation.” Yeah, ‘cos THAT’S going to bring in the clients!

3. Ignoring user intent

Some related terms might be semantically relevant but completely wrong for your content’s purpose. If you’re writing about “how to create a marketing strategy”, terms about “marketing strategy jobs” aren’t helpful, even though they’re related.

How to find actually useful semantic keywords

Use Google (but not how you think)

Type your main topic and look at the “People also ask” boxes
Check out the “Related searches” at the bottom
Look at the bold terms in the search results
Review the “Searches related to” section

Look at real conversations

Check industry forums
Read LinkedIn comments on related posts
Review your customer service emails
Monitor industry Twitter, Bluesky, and Threads chats

Use your brain

Think about:

What questions do clients actually ask you?
What problems are they trying to solve?
What related topics do you end up discussing in meetings?
What background knowledge do people need?

Use an SEO Tool

SEMrush’s topic research tool shows you related topics and questions
SE Ranking’s keyword suggestions give you semantically related terms
Both tools show you which semantic terms your competitors are ranking for
Look at the ‘also ranks for’ sections to find related topics you might have missed

Making semantic keywords work without sounding like a dick

Structure your content properly

Create clear sections that naturally incorporate related concepts. Don’t just throw in random terms.

Write for humans first

Focus on explaining things clearly. The semantic relationships will happen naturally when you write properly about a topic.

Build topic clusters

Create content that covers related aspects of your main topic. Link them together logically. Read this by Alice Rowan: Beginners Guide To Topic Clusters.

Stop overthinking it

Semantic keywords aren’t about gaming the system – they’re about covering your topic properly and thoroughly. Write like a knowledgeable human being, because you are one, right?

Stop obsessing over exact match phrases and start thinking about how to explain your topic properly. Your readers (and Google) will thank you for it (I know, I say that a lot – there’s probably a good reason…).

Remember: If you have to force a keyword in, you’re doing it wrong.

This blog post was written to support the SEO for (not just) Copywriters weekly email series. If you came to it via other means, please feel free to sign up for the next intake!