Google does not use LSI keywords. It's a popular SEO myth, and no amount of "adding LSI keywords" will change your rankings. The idea behind it is still useful though: write naturally and cover the related terms your readers expect, and your content gets stronger. Here's what's real and what isn't.
What are LSI keywords?
LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords are terms related to a page's main keyword. If your primary keyword is "hiking gear", the related terms would include:
- Hiking backpacks
- Hiking boots
- Ice axe
The theory says Google rewards you for sprinkling these in. It doesn't work that way, because Google doesn't use LSI in the first place.
Does Google use LSI keywords?
No. John Mueller, Search Advocate at Google, said so clearly back in 2019: there is no such thing as LSI keywords.
The myth likely grew out of Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA), a natural-language technique from the late 1980s that helps computers spot relationships between words and concepts. It's genuinely old technology, and as most people in the field agree, Google has far more advanced ways to understand language today.
So is the idea worth anything?
The label is wrong, but the instinct behind it is right. It leaves us with three useful lessons.
Write for people, not search engines
Related terms show up on their own when you write properly. An article about candid photography will naturally mention "best camera for candid photography" or "best lens for candid photography" without you forcing it. Use this as a check: have you covered the points a reader would expect? An article on candid photography tips should probably mention camera settings and the kinds of shots to take.
Focus on topics, not single keywords
Google's goal is to give searchers a great answer. You don't want a visitor to land on your page and bounce back to the results because they couldn't find what they needed. So:
- Understand the topic. What questions does your audience have? Answer the common ones in depth so people stay with you instead of returning to the search results.
- Don't over-optimize for one phrase. Cover the related and secondary questions too.
- Widen your research. Mine Related Searches, People Also Ask, and Google Autocomplete, and look in glossaries, encyclopedias, and knowledge bases for angles you've missed.
Apply common sense
Don't force terms into your text. Any well-researched piece will naturally include the related words readers need. If your keyword research throws up terms that don't fit, leave them out. If a question matters to your reader but shows zero search volume, cover it anyway.
The takeaway
Google doesn't use LSI keywords, so don't chase them. Do the thing the myth was reaching for instead: understand your topic, answer your reader's real questions, and write naturally. Do that and you won't need SEO hacks, because you'll have content Google actually wants to rank.
