Welcome to our guide on how search engines understand topics. We also know it as semantic SEO.

Our team here at AccuvantLabs has helped Brisbane businesses climb search results by focusing on topics instead of keywords. And after reading this article, you’ll understand how Google understands content in 2026 and what that means for your SEO strategy.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through:

• How Google actually reads your content now
• Why semantic SEO beats keyword targeting
• Best practices for effective outcomes
• How topic clusters build authority
• Mistakes that kill your rankings

Read on to learn how search engines truly think.

How Google Reads Your Content (It’s Not About Keywords Anymore)

Google reads your content by analysing topics, entities, and the relationships between them. This approach is a major change from earlier keyword-driven approaches to search. In the past, rankings were often influenced by heavy keyword usage. Plus, keyword stuffing was far more common than it is today.

Here’s a detailed list of how Google understands your content these days:

• From Words to Meaning: Google no longer matches exact phrases to pages. Instead, it uses semantic search to figure out what your content is really about. The days of repeating the same keyword 50 times are long gone.
• Entities Over Keywords: You can think of entities as real things like people, products, places, or ideas. Google connects these entities through semantic relationships in its knowledge graph. That’s how, when you mention “Brisbane” and “SEO agency”, Google understands how those two elements connect.
• The Hummingbird Update: Google released the Hummingbird update in 2013. It helped the search engine understand full sentences instead of individual words. It was the first major step toward topic-based search. Before this update, Google was essentially playing a matching game with keywords.
• RankBrain’s Role: Back in 2015, Google rolled out this machine learning system to deal with unfamiliar searches. Since roughly 15% of searches each day are brand new, RankBrain helps interpret what users are really looking for.
• BERT and Natural Language: BERT launched in 2019 and uses natural language processing to understand context. It looks at how words relate to each other. For example, when someone searches “can you pick up a prescription for someone else”, BERT understands they mean collecting medicine on another person’s behalf.
• The Knowledge Graph Connection: Google’s knowledge graph stores billions of facts about entities worldwide. It connects related terms, people, places, and concepts together. That’s why when your content aligns with this web of information, you become part of how Google understands a topic.

All of these points point to one thing: Google wants content that mirrors how people actually think and search.

Why Does Semantic SEO Outperform Keyword Targeting?

Semantic SEO performs better than keyword targeting because one well-written page can rank for many related searches. Rather than creating dozens of near-duplicate pages, you focus on one strong piece that covers the topic properly.

Let’s get into more detail about these reasons.

One Page Can Rank for Hundreds of Queries

Did you know that top-ranking pages often rank for over 1,000 different relevant keywords from a single URL? It’s because when you write in-depth content around a topic, Google automatically matches it to related searches.

For instance, you don’t need separate pages for “best running shoes”, “top running shoes”, and “running shoe reviews”. Just one comprehensive guide can capture all of that traffic (a cleaner site ensures better signals… Welcome to modern SEO).

This is the real power of semantic SEO. You write once, and Google does the work of connecting your content to every relevant query. The old approach of building individual pages for each keyword variation is not just outdated but also a waste of time.

Pro tip: Analyse Search Console query data to find unexpected phrases your page already ranks for, then strengthen those sections to widen reach.

You Avoid Keyword Cannibalisation for Google Search

When we audit client websites, we encounter one problem almost every single time. That issue is five or six pages, all targeting slightly different versions of the same keyword. And none of them rank well.

Why? Because when you do that, Google gets confused about which page to show. So, it shows none of them.

Semantic SEO fixes this problem by consolidating everything into one pillar page. This way, instead of spreading your authority thin across multiple URLs, you stack it all in one place. The main thing is that Google rewards this approach, as it gives users a complete answer without making them click around.

From our experience, sites that consolidate thin content into comprehensive guides often see ranking jumps within weeks.

What Are the Best Practices for Semantic SEO?

The best practices for semantic SEO include comprehensive content, semantic keywords, answering common questions, and structured data. None of these elements is complicated on its own. But when you combine them, your content starts speaking Google’s language.

Below are the best practices for semantic SEO and why they’re important:

• Cover the Entire Topic: Shallow content rarely ranks because it leaves users wanting more. So, your goal should be to answer every question someone might have about a subject in one place. Keep in mind that if readers need to click away to find more information, you’ve already lost them.
• Use Semantic Keywords: These are related terms that help Google understand your core topic better. You’ll find them in Google’s “related searches” and through keyword research tools. Use those keywords naturally in your content instead of repeating them.
• Answer People Also Ask: The People Also Ask (PAA) dropdown boxes in search results are a valuable source of insight because they show exactly what users want to know. We’ve seen sites double their traffic just by adding sections that directly address these questions.
• Add Structured Data: Adding structured data, like schema markup, gives Google clearer signals about what your content means. Although it’s not a ranking shortcut, it can improve context and increase your chances of appearing in featured snippets.

In real terms, this is how structure and depth lead to better outcomes with semantic SEO.

How Do Topic Clusters Build Authority?

Topic clusters help build authority because they show Google you understand a subject as a whole. This authority comes from pillar pages supported by related content clusters and clear internal linking.

When your content is connected and organised, that structure communicates expertise more clearly than isolated posts.

We’ll now explain how you can build this authority.

Creating Pillar Pages and Cluster Content

A pillar page acts as the main hub of your content. It covers a broad subject thoroughly, like “SEO for Small Businesses”. From there, you build cluster pages around it, where each handles a specific subtopic like “local citations” or “Google Business Profile tips”.

The key here is that all the content links together. The pillar page connects to each cluster, and the clusters link back. In the end, it helps Google understand your expertise and subject coverage more clearly (no time for ambiguity here).

Using Internal Links to Signal Relationships

Internal links are how Google finds which pages on your site belong together. Without them, your content just floats in isolation.

How does it work, though? Well, Google crawls and indexes your pages one by one. If a page isn’t linked to related content, the search engine has no context for how it fits within your site. That’s why pages with no internal links often struggle to rank.

But when you link related content together, Google follows the trail and finally sees the full picture.

Helpful tip: Use descriptive anchor text that reflects the topic’s meaning rather than exact keywords. It helps Google understand page relationships better and faster.

What Mistakes Kill Your Semantic SEO?

The mistakes that kill your semantic SEO include thin content, ignoring search intent, and poor internal linking. If you don’t solve these issues early, they’ll seriously hold your search engine rankings back, regardless of how good your content is.

Let’s take a closer look at the mentioned mistakes.

Publishing Thin Content on Separate Pages

While many people think that publishing more pages with thin content can get them more traffic, in reality, this kind of action backfires.

We’ve audited sites with 50 blog posts targeting slight keyword variations. And guess what? None of them ranked. Each page was too thin to stand on its own, so Google just ignored them all.

The solution is merging those scattered posts into one comprehensive piece. This is how you give Google something worth showing (and it usually will).

Ignoring Search Intent Behind Queries

Getting intent right means your content matches what people are actually looking for. Sometimes users want a quick answer, yet they’re given a long guide. And other times, they want depth and only get a short paragraph. In both cases, the content misses the point.

We strongly recommend searching for your keyword and studying what’s already ranking before writing anything. Those results show the format, depth, and intent Google expects, so treat them like a blueprint.

What to Do Now for Your Semantic SEO Strategy

You’ve made it to the end, and now you know how Google actually reads your content. It’s about topics, entities, and how everything connects.

If you’re just getting started, focus on covering topics in detail and linking your content together. Those two changes can improve results within weeks.

And if you want a team that understands semantic SEO inside and out, get in touch with us today. At AccuvantLabs, we’ve helped Brisbane businesses build content strategies that actually rank. Let’s talk about what that could look like for your business.