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Latent Semantic Indexing or LSI is something new, which Google has integrated into its algorithm. Nevertheless, what is it really? Before we discuss what it is let us imagine the billions of web pages that this search engine must index and determine what the purpose of semantics might mean in respect to the returned results.

It is my theory that LSI is intended to do one of two things.

1). For those who have began to notice search results being returned in more than one language, this explanation may be of interest in respect to LSI. Latent Semantic Indexing may be useful to return search results in various languages for those who are fluent in more than one language or have a translation tool. After all, to my knowledge, there is no limitation on which pages submit to which Country's Google engine. At least there has never been that I am aware. While some engines are insistent on for example UK only sites, others are not. This is why as a language tool the engine may be building its own semantic dictionary to associate various terms, which refer to the same subjects or topics on the Internet.

2). In respective to artificial intelligence and the search engine perhaps LSI is an attempt to determine whether or not a web site is attempting to circumvent the engine's algorithm somehow. Perhaps by "teaching" the engine a variety of terms, which are semantic in relation, it will determine those web pages, which have substance over those merely representing style in an effort to somehow "trick" the engine into believing it is more substantial than it truly is as far as the content of the page is concerned.

Now regardless of what the purpose of this semantic integration into Google's process may be, the hope I am certain is to return better quality pages for the terms queried by the user. Remember, Google is the best search engine for one reason, because it continuously evolves in order to present those using the search tools with the best results possible. Google is and likely will remain the innovator of all major engines and sites on the Internet and we should not look for ways to inappropriately rank higher. Instead, we should look for ways to bring quality and value to every visitor to our web pages. The human is the one who seeks out our pages and this we must never forget no matter if we rank at number one million or number one. While machines may speak to one another and talk in a variety of programming languages, it is the human beyond all else, that powers the machines and all with a flick of the power button.

My advice is not to worry so much, where you appear in the SERPs but to always opt for substance and quality in a rapidly evolving climate and atmosphere such as the World Wide Web. Finally, I tend to believe the Google Machine is focusing on a bit of both explanations and if you begin to consider the possibilities. Consider this final thought, SEM which stands for search engine marketing those of us who attempt to decipher the algorithm etc. and the word semantics -both begin with the letters S-E-M? Perhaps it is nothing more than a coincidence? Only time will tell.

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