In the ever-evolving world of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), the significance of semantic search has grown increasingly apparent. Search engines now focus on understanding the context and intent behind a user’s query, rather than just individual keywords. Hence, the shift in search engine algorithms has substantial implications for fashion website owners and marketers. Resulting in a necessary development of a comprehensive semantic network to aid search engines in comprehending the context of their content.

Understanding Semantic Search

Semantic search is a data searching technique that goes beyond keywords to understand the intent and contextual meaning of a user’s query. Semantic Search uses artificial intelligence to provide results based on the interconnected relationships between different words and phrases.

For instance, if a user searches for ‘summer dresses’, a semantically optimised website would not only display pages with the keyword ‘summer dresses’, but also pages related to ‘beachwear’, ‘sundresses’, ‘lightweight dresses’ and so on. Ultimately, the search engine understands that these terms are related and provides a more comprehensive set of results to the user.

The Importance of Semantic Search for Fashion Websites

Building a semantic network allows search engines to understand the context of your content. Semantic networks help your website to appear in relevant search results. Consequently, this can lead to increased traffic, higher engagement rates, and ultimately, more conversions and sales.

Zalando, the trailblazer in semantic search, continuously evolves its technology to meet consumer needs while staying at the forefront of technological advancements. In 2018, the eCommerce power house implemented a Cross-Lingual End-to-End Product Search with Deep Learning system to enhance the search experience on its e-commerce platform. This system is designed to understand user queries in multiple languages, retrieve relevant products, and present the results in a prioritised list. Unlike traditional text retrieval systems, the deep learning-based approach is less susceptible to spelling errors. In addition, it leverages underlying semantics more effectively and is more scalable across multiple languages. The system pre-computes the representation of products during the inference phase, allowing for efficient serving of search requests from users.

Moreover, semantic search can improve the user experience on your website. By providing more relevant and comprehensive content, you can better meet the needs of your users. Most importantly, keeping them engaged on your website for longer periods of time. This can lead to increased brand loyalty and repeat visits to your website.

Building a Semantic Network for Your Fashion Website

Building a semantic network for your website involves a comprehensive understanding of your content, your audience, and how search engines interpret and index information. Here are some steps to help you get started:

1. Understand Your Audience

You need to know what terms and phrases your audience uses when they search for products or information related to your website. This involves conducting thorough keyword research and understanding the search intent of your audience.

For instance, if you run a high-end fashion website, your audience might use terms like ‘designer dresses’, ‘luxury footwear’, or ‘high-fashion accessories’. Understanding these terms and how they relate to each other can help you build a more effective semantic network.

2. Create High-Quality, Relevant Content From Semantic Search

Your content should not only include relevant keywords. However, it should also be written in a way that helps search engines understand the context of your content.

For instance, if you’re writing a blog post about summer dresses, you should not only include keywords like ‘summer dresses’. You should also use related terms like ‘beachwear’, ‘sundresses’, ‘lightweight dresses’, and so on. This helps search engines understand the context of your content and can improve your visibility in search results.

3. Use Structured Data

Structured data is a way of formatting HTML that uses specific vocabulary. Structured data tells search engines exactly what each element on your page means. This can greatly enhance your semantic search efforts by helping search engines understand the context of your content.

For instance, you can use structured data to tell search engines that a certain page on your website is a product page for a ‘summer dress’. This can help search engines understand the context of your content and can improve your visibility in search results.

Conclusion

There are a myriad of ways to help search engines understand the context of your content or improve your search result visibility. Including but not limited to, understanding your audience, creating high-quality content, and using structured data. This can lead to increased traffic, higher engagement rates, and ultimately, more conversions and sales.

Remember, SEO is a long-term strategy that requires consistent effort and adaptation to the ever-changing search engine algorithms. So, start building your semantic network today and stay ahead of the competition.