Internet Live Stats points out that in 2018, around 3.5 billion searches were generated every day.
In 2017, a study published on Moz predicted that approximately 8% of searches are question-type phrases.
Based on these statistics, we can safely conclude that optimizing your website with question-shaped keywords can make a huge difference in your SEO strategy.
You can generate a lot of organic traffic and earn links to convert traffic into sales by simply collecting a few featured snippets.
In this article, we'll explain how Google returns an answer for a phrase based on a question and how to get your site ranked for featured snippets or rich results.
But first things first, let’s go back to basics to understand the algorithm that powers the search process that answers keywords in the form of a question.
The relationship between keywords and semantic search
The “ searches related to ” section or the list of related keywords under “ auto-suggestions ” are generated using semantic search technology.
There is an important relationship between semantic search and question-based keywords.
Google can identify the intent present in question keywords with the help of semantic search.
Let's learn a little more about semantic search and the Google Hummingbird update that supports it.
What is semantic search?
Semantic search is “search with meaning.”
“Semantics” is the study of words and their logic, and semantic search is, in essence, a data mining technique that understands the meaning of words and determines the intent of users before presenting search results.
Semantic search takes into account the following factors :
Natural language understanding.
User context.
Query sequence context.
Recognition of entities.
Keywords with questions - Semantic search factors
That is why Google currently uses semantic search technology w philippines telephone number hile processing philippines telephone number search queries.
When you enter any query, Google understands natural language and makes a selection of the query objects.
It then analyzes a set of documents and presents the user with the answer in a featured snippet.
This is how semantic search works.
Google Hummingbird Update
The Google Hummingbird update was released in 2013 and made Google a faster and more accurate search engine.
Hummingbird is, without a doubt, a far superior algorithm when compared to the older
ones, which were mostly keyword-focused.
With the launch of Hummingbird, Google moved from “strings” to “things.”
Today, Google can identify elements in a search query, figure out the relationship between these elements, and provide the best result or an accurate answer to the query.
I recommend you read this information about Google's first semantic patent , invented in 1999.
Welcome back!
You've reviewed your knowledge of semantics and Hummingbird.
Now, let’s dive into question keywords and featured snippets.