Semantic SEO and Topical Authority have emerged as cornerstones for achieving online visibility and relevance. Pioneered by experts like Koray Tuğberk GÜBÜR, these methodologies are reshaping how we approach content and search engine optimization. In this article, we’ll dissect a success case that exemplifies the potent combination of these strategies, illustrating their practical impact on a local business’s digital presence.
Who is Koray Tuğberk GÜBÜR?
Koray Tuğberk GÜBÜR is a renowned professional in the field of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). He is the CEO and Founder of Holistic SEO & Digital, a company that offers a range of services including SEO consultancy, web development, data science, web design, and strategic leadership for SEO client projects. GÜBÜR is recognized for his visionary approach to SEO, having developed innovative methodologies that align closely with search engine algorithms. His expertise is particularly notable in the areas of Topical Authority and Semantic SEO, which are instrumental in evolving content development and digital marketing strategies.
In addition to his role at Holistic SEO & Digital, GÜBÜR actively contributes to the SEO community through various means. He regularly attends webinars, conferences, and SEO-related events, demonstrating his commitment to staying at the forefront of the industry. Furthermore, he publishes SEO case studies, conducts research, and shares detailed A/B tests and their results. His work often focuses on areas such as data science, machine learning, web development, and entity-based contextual search, highlighting his diverse expertise within the SEO field
What is Semantic SEO according to Koray?
According to Koray Tuğberk GÜBÜR, Semantic SEO is an advanced approach to optimization that arises from the concepts of the Semantic Web, Semantic Search, and Semantic Search Engines. This methodology differs significantly from traditional SEO in terms of query processing and indexing methods. A key characteristic of semantic search engines is their use of “entity-lists” and “triple storages,” as opposed to the “phrase-lists” used by traditional search engines.
GÜBÜR emphasizes the necessity of organizing a website to align with “entity-oriented search.” This involves creating a parallel between the website’s semantic content network and the search engine’s knowledge base, ensuring high consistency and factuality. In Semantic SEO, there’s an emphasis on concepts like relevance attribution, dilution, and radius, which focus on when to introduce a new page or how many separate topics can be included on a single page.
The core of Semantic SEO involves performing meaning-based optimization for meaning-based search engines. This process utilizes advanced concepts such as taxonomy, ontology, onomastics, semantic role labels, named entity recognition, and parts of speech tagging. In essence, Semantic SEO is about communicating with the search engine in a more nuanced and intelligent manner. GÜBÜR explains that it’s possible to influence or even mislead a search engine’s understanding, which can subsequently affect the ranking of web pages.
The benefits of Semantic SEO are twofold. For users, it allows for a search experience that aligns with their natural semantic processing – the way humans naturally define and associate things. This aspect is particularly significant as neural network technology, which is modeled after the human brain, continues to advance with semantic models. For search engines, Semantic SEO offers the advantage of reducing operational costs and enhancing user satisfaction. It simplifies and speeds up processes like document and query clustering, as semantic search engines are more efficient at identifying and processing queries that belong to the same entity group.
“The necessity of understanding the interconnectedness of entities within content for effective Semantic SEO: Google’s ability to discern the subject, quality, and depth level of content is enhanced by the contextual links between these entities. A clear specification of each element and entity within content facilitates faster and more cost-efficient evaluation by search engines.”
GÜBÜR, Koray Tuğberk: What is Semantic SEO? How to Use Semantic SEO for Better Rankings
What is Topical Authority according to Koray?
Topical Authority, as defined by Koray Tuğberk GÜBÜR, is a methodology within semantic SEO aimed at enhancing a website’s rankings on search engine results pages. This approach involves processing connected topics and entailed search queries with accurate, unique, and expert information. GÜBÜR conceptualized this methodology for semantic content marketing on May 18, 2022.
Topical Authority encompasses several key aspects:
- It’s a factual method to improve website rankings without relying on backlinks.
- It focuses on demonstrating the expertise of a source by extensively covering related entities, attributes, and sub-topics with accurate information.
- This approach utilizes contextual vectors, layers, and domains within knowledge domains to establish authority on a topic.
- Topical Authority is deeply rooted in Semantic SEO principles.
- It involves implementing natural language understanding, processing, and algorithmic authorship following specific rules.
- This concept is informed by Google Search Patents and Research Papers.
- It serves as a means of balancing PageRank to identify more authoritative sources based on the information they provide.
- GÜBÜR has developed more than seven SEO case studies using Topical Authority, thereby inventing new SEO methods and concepts.
“Topical Authority is a Semantic SEO methodology designed to enhance a website’s ranking on search engine results pages. It involves the strategic processing of connected topics and related search queries, emphasizing the provision of accurate, unique, and authoritative information.”
GÜBÜR, Koray Tuğberk: Importance of Topical Authority for SEO
Case Presentation: Establishing Topical Authority for Local Impact
Setup
Case: Local Business that sells car batteries.
- Business: It has 4 locations in the same city.
- New domain: The domain was bought in May 2023.
- CMS: It was built in WordPress and Woocommerce in June 2023.
- Agency: POS1
- SEO Manager: Eduardo Peiro
Semantic SEO Principles
Implementing Koray GÜBÜR’s three principles of Semantic SEO is a strategic move for your new local business website. Here’s how to effectively apply these principles:
- Vastness of Content: Create comprehensive content that covers every aspect of your products and related topics. This includes various perspectives, uses, comparisons, and background information, ensuring that your website becomes a go-to resource.
- Depth: Dive deep into each topic to showcase your expertise and knowledge. Detailed guides, in-depth explanations, and expert insights will enhance your website’s authority.
- Momentum: Develop a content publishing schedule that starts slow and gradually increases in frequency. This approach should not follow a rigid pattern but should adapt based on content performance, user engagement, and SEO results.
Combining these principles with local SEO strategies will position your website effectively in your target market, building both authority and relevance in your niche.
Strategies
According with Koray’s Framework we choose the following strategies for a brand new website selling products in a local area:
- Local SEO Optimization: Ensure the website is optimized for local search. This includes having a Google My Business profile, local keywords, and location pages with embedded google maps.
- Semantic SEO Implementation: Utilize semantic SEO techniques to structure the website content. This involves understanding user intent and providing comprehensive content that covers related topics thoroughly.
- Building Topical Authority: Focus on becoming an authority in the niche. Provide extensive and expert content on topics related to the products, and ensure this content is interlinked to create a knowledge network on your site.
- High-Quality, Unique Content: Create content that is unique, engaging, and useful to the target audience. This includes product descriptions, blog posts, how-to guides, and FAQs related to the products and industry.
- User Experience and Website Performance: Optimize website’s loading speed, mobile responsiveness, and overall user experience.
- Social Proof and Reviews: Encourage customer reviews and testimonials, and prominently display them on the site. This builds trust and credibility.
- Data Analysis and Adaptation: Regularly analyze website data and user feedback to continually refine and improve your SEO and content strategies.
Techniques
Our journey to establish Topical Authority began with a meticulous analysis of our local market, identifying the key topics and subtopics that resonated with our audience. Drawing inspiration from Koray GÜBÜR’s methodologies, we embarked on creating a network of interrelated content that not only addressed the breadth of our products but also delved into the intricacies of each item with expert precision.
Comprehensive Product Coverage: We initiated our strategy by cataloging every brand and model available in our inventory, ensuring no stone was left unturned.
In-Depth Content Creation: Each product page was enriched with detailed attributes and specifications, outstripping the depth of information provided by competitors in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
Educational and Advisory Articles: To reinforce our authority, we published a series of articles ranging from detailed guides on choosing the right product to advice on maintenance and care.
Tracking Progress and Adaptation: Leveraging tools like Google Search Console, we meticulously tracked our progress, witnessing a tangible uptick in impressions, clicks, and, most importantly, user engagement.
Actions
- We published more than 150 different products, including ALL BRANDS AND MODELS available in the region.
- We published more than 150 blog posts including:
- Best batteries for specific cars
- Best batteries for specific trucks, SUVs, etc.
- How to mantain batteries
- How to determine battery’s health
- How many amperes do I need for my car?
- Etc.
- We encouraged customers to publish reviews into Google My Business profile (hundreds of them).
Results
The results were excellent. The graphics keeps increasing every week with impressions and clics.
This open new opportunities for the site owner like including related products and open new locations.
I will keep publishing more use cases like this.
I want to thank Koray’s community for all the help and friendship.