SEO MYTH #07: “Keyword optimization is THE key to SEO.”
Until search engines are able to enter our brains and read our thoughts, we’ll always need to use written language in order to make search queries. We need to use keywords to communicate. It used to be important that you write your content with exact matches of your keyword.
But now, Google uses RankBrain, which i its machine-learning algorithm (and the third most important signal). RankBrain most likely uses a variation of Word2vec to find keyword topics that are related to one another.
RankBrain uses artificial intelligence to embed vast amounts of written language into mathematical entities, called vectors, that the computer can understand. If RankBrain sees a word or phrase it isn’t familiar with, the machine can make a guess as to what words or phrases might have a similar meaning and filter the result accordingly, making it more effective at handling never-before-seen search queries.
Today, it’s important to optimize your page for the user experience. This means that you do not have to place your keywords word-forword in the content. Instead, write the content for the user. If you use synonyms and related terms, search engines like Google will still understand what your goal is.
That being said, it’s important to realize that Google is no longer trying to match the keywords you type into its search engine to the keywords of a web page. Instead, it’s trying to understand the intent behind the keywords you type so it can match that intent to relevant, high-quality content.
The bottom line: Search engines of the future aren’t going to punish folks for under using keywords or failing to have an expertly crafted, keywordoptimized page title ... but they will continue to punish folks for overusing keywords
