Semantic search means that Google will now use machine intelligence to interpret the meaning of your query rather than just using keywords in order to find the most pertinent results. Currently when you search, Google gives you results based solely on the text and keywords that you use.

Essentially, Google guesses.

Semantic search is a more intelligent way of producing results as the specific wording of the query won’t matter as much, but rather Google will be able to determine the intent behind it. It will look at the relationship between the words you use, how they work together and produce search results from there.

This isn’t an entirely new concept – Siri uses similar technology, however Google will be the first search engine to implement the technology.

Now, what does this mean for SEO?

Despite SEO’s ever-evolving nature, one thing has and will remain steady – it is driven by keywords, whether they are in your content, URL structure, tagging or links. However with the introduction of semantic search brands will have to consider possible questions and search queries from their consumers, as well as the intent and meaning behind keywords they use, and then create content around that, rather than dropping keywords into the website like landmines.

Intelligent content that answers consumer queries? Seems like a good thing to us.