Google related searches

[seoanalytics]

Hello,

Are the related searches, the words that I should use when writing my content.

For ex : when I type online spreadsheet in google, in the related searches it list online spreadsheet open source and spreasheet download.

Does it means that when writing content I should included those terms in order to be relevant on the keyword online spreadsheet ? because they are considered closely related by google ?

[brooksmanley]

It's my understanding that simply having them in the same body copy, and perhaps in some headings as well, will suffice.

[seoanalytics]

Thank you for your reply. Do the keyword I use need to be in the same sentence as my main (the keyword I want to rank for) or can they be in sentences nearby.

Saying something like :" Online spreadsheet to download for free". ( in bold are the related keyword that I write In the same sentence) or can it be something like this (where the related keywords are in another sentence: Online spreadsheet is the future. Download a template for free.

Thank you,

[brooksmanley]

Hello!

I think what you're referring to is "semantic search," regarding searcher intent and closely related keywords.

Here is a fantastic Whiteboard Friday from Moz on the subject: https://moz.com/blog/related-topics-in-seo-whiteboard-friday

I would say the goal in any content writing is to provide quality content that thoroughly answers your users questions. Google's related searches and "People Also Ask" features are a great way to find out what kinds of questions your audience has regarding a given subject - like online spreadsheets.

All in all, I would say the answer to your question is yes: using keywords that Google considers closely related to your targeted keyword can make your post more helpful and thorough to users, thus more than likely increasing your chances of ranking highly.