<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/LSI-Keyword-Phrases.jpg" alt="LSI Keyword Phrases" width="275" height="183" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9470" />While there once was a time when you tried to throw in as many keywords into your website’s content as possible to make it higher in search rankings, it’s no longer appropriate. In fact, that is now referred to as keyword stuffing and it makes company’s content look awkward and unnatural. Search engines may even flag your site and penalize you for this practice. 

Your readers won’t enjoy reading it and it will be obvious that you stuffed it with the same keywords over and over again. Think of it this way; Google wants to reward their content providers by ranking them higher when they follow the rules, which includes avoiding keyword stuffing. 

Instead, it’s time to start utilizing the practice of Latent Semantic Index keywords or LSI keywords. This practice is a better way to target your readers and stay on track with search engines. Here is a look at why using LSI keywords will rank your content faster. 

<h2>What are LSI keywords?</h2>

LSI keywords, sometimes called long-tail keywords, are latent semantic indexing which involves identifying plurals and synonyms to your main keywords. When you find similar words for your primary keywords, it will allow you to still use keywords while keeping your piece sounding natural. 

Search engines will be able to find an analogy between your LSI keywords and your main keywords while being able to maintain the natural relevance. The LSI keywords will help search engines determine what your content is about. 

For example, if you are writing about “Smith’s Birthday Cakes,” you wouldn’t want to be associated with other shops like “Frank’s Baked Goods.” You would want to terms in your content to relate to it such as “bakery,” “candles,” or “vanilla frosting.” Being more specific with keywords can guide search engines without saying the phrase “Smith’s Birthday Cakes” over and over again. Your piece will flow naturally without over-stuffing your keyword. 

<h2>Why use LSI keywords?</h2>

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/LSI-Keywords.png" alt="LSI Keywords" width="290" height="174" class="alignright size-full wp-image-9472" />People are seeing the benefits of LSI keywords because it’s improving rankings, avoiding search engine penalties, increasing readers’ interest, and you can use as many LSI keyphrases as you wish. Search engines will check for LSI keywords when they index the content of a site, so if they are using this determine your content’s quality, having variations of LSI keywords will increase your chances of ranking high. 

It won’t be marked as spam due to keyword stuffing since you aren’t repeating the main keywords multiple times in your piece. The various keywords that rephrase the main keyword will keep readers more interested while making it easier to skim through in a hurry, and you can use as many LSI keyphrases as you want to keep your content unique and relevant to the industry. 

<h2>Choosing the best LSI keywords</h2>

It’s important to try a few tools to choose the best LSI keyphrases to relate to your main keyword. First, try Google search for suggestions and results. Go to google.com and write your primary keywords in the search bar but don’t hit “enter.” You’ll see additional queries automatically that could make the perfect LSI keywords. When you search for “the best cake,” Google may give you suggestions such as “best cakes ever” or “best cake recipes.” 

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/LSI-Keywords-for-Ranking.jpg" alt="LSI Keywords for Ranking" width="323" height="156" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9471" />Then, check the bottom of the search results page where it says “searches related to the best cake” and you’ll have other suggestions to choose from.  You could also try Google Keyword planner which will give you a list of LSI keywords to use in your piece. It will show you how high or low the competition is and the average cost per click. 

Lastly, you could go with a paid tool for your LSI keyword needs. Tools like Long-Tail Pro and Market Sumari are great resources for LSI keyphrases that go with your keyword. Check out LSI plugins like SEOPressor for $30-$50. 

Utilize the LSI keywords to rank your content faster because it doesn’t violate search engine’s violations, it makes your piece more interesting to read, and makes your piece more memorable to the reader. This is a great way to improve your ranking and avoid the old days of keyword stuffing. Your content will be valuable to both search engines and people. 