If you’ve been researching SEO for a while, you’ve probably come across the term “LSI keywords.”
For years, SEO articles — including an older version of this very article — recommended finding LSI keywords and adding them throughout your content to help Google understand what your page was about.
Today, I would give you different advice.
LSI keywords are not something you need to optimize for.
Google has specifically stated that it does not have a concept of “LSI keywords.” The idea became popular in the SEO industry as a way of explaining how search engines understand related words and topics, but it oversimplifies how modern search actually works.
That doesn’t mean related words, context or comprehensive content don’t matter.
They absolutely do.
But instead of trying to find a list of “LSI keywords” to sprinkle throughout a page, I recommend focusing on search intent, topical relevance, entities, context and genuinely useful information.
Here’s what that means.
What Does LSI Mean?
LSI stands for Latent Semantic Indexing.
It is an information-retrieval technique developed decades ago to identify relationships between words and concepts within collections of documents.
Somewhere along the way, the SEO industry turned this into the idea of “LSI keywords.”
The theory was that Google could better understand your primary keyword if you also included semantically related words throughout your content.
For example, if your main keyword were:
roofing company
An SEO tool might suggest related terms such as:
- roof repair
- roofing contractor
- shingles
- roof inspection
- roof replacement
- roof leaks
- metal roofing
- residential roofing
Those terms certainly make sense on a roofing website.
But they’re not valuable because they’re some special category of LSI keywords.
They’re valuable because they’re naturally related to the subject.
That’s an important distinction.
Does Google Use LSI Keywords?
No — not in the way the SEO industry traditionally described them.
Google has publicly stated that it does not have a concept called LSI keywords.
So you don’t need an LSI keyword tool.
You don’t need to calculate LSI keyword density.
And you don’t need to add specific related phrases to your page simply because an SEO tool tells you they’re semantically connected to your primary keyword.
Modern search engines have become considerably more sophisticated at understanding language, context and what a page is actually about.
That’s why my approach to content today is much different than it was years ago.
Why Did LSI Keywords Become So Popular in SEO?
Because there was a real SEO concept hiding underneath the bad terminology.
Context matters.
Imagine I publish a page containing the word:
Apple
Am I talking about the fruit?
Apple Inc.?
Apple computers?
Apple stock?
An apple orchard?
The surrounding content helps clarify the subject.
If the page discusses iPhones, MacBooks, iOS and technology, its meaning becomes fairly obvious.
If it discusses orchards, varieties, harvesting and fruit trees, we’re talking about something completely different.
That’s essentially what SEOs were trying to describe when they talked about LSI keywords.
The mistake was assuming there was a specific Google SEO mechanism called LSI keywords that website owners needed to optimize for.
There isn’t.
What Should You Focus on Instead of LSI Keywords?
This is where things get much more useful for a business owner.
Rather than asking:
“Which related keywords should I add to this page?”
I prefer asking:
“Have I created the best page I reasonably can about this subject for the person searching for it?”
That changes the entire content strategy.
1. Search Intent
First, understand why someone is searching.
Someone searching:
“roof replacement cost San Diego”
probably wants very different information from someone searching:
“emergency roof leak repair near me.”
The words may relate to the same general industry, but the intent is different.
Understanding search intent helps you create the right page for the right query instead of simply trying to make one page rank for every variation imaginable.
2. Topical Relevance
If you’re creating a page about roof replacement, you naturally might discuss materials, lifespan, costs, warning signs, installation, permits and what homeowners should expect.
You’re not including these topics because they’re LSI keywords.
You’re including them because they help answer the reader’s questions about roof replacement.
That’s also part of building topical authority across a website.
The more clearly your website demonstrates genuine expertise around the subjects relevant to your business, the easier it becomes for both users and search engines to understand what your business is actually known for.
3. Entities and Context
Modern search is about more than matching individual words.
Search engines need to understand things and their relationships.
For a local business, that could include:
- your business
- your services
- the owner or providers
- your industry
- your location
- your service areas
- relevant organizations
- products or services associated with the business
This is one reason I put so much emphasis on clearly communicating who you are, what you do and where you do it throughout a business website.
For local businesses, those relationships can also reinforce geographic relevance.
4. Natural Language
Write like a knowledgeable human being.
You don’t need to force ten variations of the same keyword into an article.
If you’re genuinely knowledgeable about a subject and explain it thoroughly, many relevant terms and concepts will appear naturally.
That doesn’t mean keywords have disappeared from SEO.
It means we’re using them to understand what people want instead of trying to hit an arbitrary number of repetitions.
Here’s How I Would Optimize the Roofing Example Today
Let’s go back to our roofing company.
Years ago, an SEO might create a list like:
roofing company, roofing contractor, roof repair, roof installation, roofing services, residential roofing…
And then try to make sure those phrases appeared throughout the page.
I wouldn’t approach it that way today.
Instead, I’d ask:
What does a potential roofing customer actually need to know?
Maybe the page should explain:
What types of roofs does the company repair?
What areas does it serve?
Does it handle residential and commercial roofing?
What are the signs that a roof needs replacement?
What roofing materials does it work with?
What happens during an inspection?
Who performs the work?
How much experience does the company have?
What should someone do if their roof is leaking?
Answer those questions well and you’ll naturally use terminology associated with roofing.
More importantly, you’ll have created something useful to the potential customer.
That’s the goal.
Don’t Replace LSI Keywords With Another SEO Checklist
This is another mistake I see.
SEO changes, an old tactic disappears, and marketers immediately look for a new checklist:
“Use X number of entities.”
“Mention these 25 semantic terms.”
“Add exactly this many related keywords.”
“Write 2,000 words because the competitors did.”
That’s not how I approach SEO.
There’s nothing wrong with using keyword research and competitive analysis to discover topics you’ve overlooked.
I do it all the time.
In fact, finding the right keywords is still an important part of my SEO process. The difference is that I use keyword data to understand what people are searching for and what they actually want — not as a checklist of phrases that need to be stuffed into a page.
SEO tools provide data.
They shouldn’t write your strategy for you.
Are Keywords Still Important for SEO?
Yes.
I don’t want the takeaway from this article to be that keywords don’t matter anymore.
They do.
Keywords can tell us a tremendous amount about what people are searching for, the language customers use, the questions they have and what kind of content we may need to create.
I still perform keyword research.
I still map important keywords to pages.
I still pay attention to titles, headings, page topics and search intent.
What I don’t do is treat content like a mathematical formula where mentioning a certain combination of words automatically earns better rankings.
Modern SEO requires much more context than that.
LSI Keywords vs. Topical Authority
This is probably the biggest evolution in how I think about this subject.
Instead of trying to make one page contain every related keyword, think about whether your website demonstrates genuine depth around the subjects that matter to your business.
For example, an SEO website might have separate useful resources covering:
- keyword research
- search intent
- internal linking
- local SEO
- Google Business Profile optimization
- technical SEO
- content strategy
- AI search
Each resource serves a specific purpose.
Together, they help users explore the subject in greater depth.
That’s much closer to how I think about topical authority today.
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, I recommend reading my guide, What Is Topical Authority? A Simple Guide for Business Owners, next.
SEO Changes — And Good SEO Advice Should Change With It
There’s another reason I wanted to update this article.
SEO doesn’t stand still.
I’ve worked in this industry for more than a decade, and some of the tactics that were commonly recommended years ago aren’t tactics I would recommend to a client today.
That’s normal.
Google changes.
Search behavior changes.
Technology changes.
And now AI-powered search is changing the way people discover information and businesses again.
Being good at SEO isn’t about finding one formula and using it forever.
It’s about understanding what’s changing while continuing to focus on the fundamentals that actually matter.
This is also how I approach San Diego SEO for my own clients. I’m much more interested in building a website that clearly demonstrates what a business does, who it serves and why it deserves visibility than chasing outdated SEO tricks.
The Bottom Line: You Don’t Need LSI Keywords
If someone tells you that you need to add LSI keywords to your website to rank on Google, you can safely cross that task off your SEO checklist.
LSI keywords aren’t an SEO strategy.
Instead, focus on:
Search intent.
Topical relevance.
Context.
Clear language.
Useful information.
Genuine expertise.
Keywords still have an important role in SEO, but they should help you understand your customers and organize your website — not dictate every word you write.
SEO has evolved considerably since I first started doing this work, and that’s one of the reasons I periodically revisit older advice on my own website.
Sometimes the best SEO improvement isn’t publishing another article.
It’s making sure the information you’ve already published still deserves to be trusted.
Want to Know What’s Actually Holding Your Website Back?
I help businesses throughout San Diego improve their visibility in Google and adapt their SEO strategies as search continues to evolve.
If you’re wondering whether outdated SEO tactics, weak content, technical problems or your overall website strategy are limiting your rankings, I’ll take a look.