In the recent Google update, known throughout the search engine optimization community, as "Florida", there was a storm of controversy about how Google located websites in web searches.
Previously high ranking sites (those sitting proudly on Page One for their chosen search terms) found themselves booted unceremoniously to the Google cellar.
Or lower.
Lost in all of the noise and uproar was a new method Google uses in searches.
It's called stemming.
Stemming is the practice of searching for other forms of a word.
In the past, if someone was searching for the term "blog", only pages containing that exact word, would appear in the search results. A problem resulted from that precision.
Website copywriting became bland and keyword laden, as the search word was targeted (some say saturated). The result spewed out was copy that was not pleasant to read.
With Google's introduction of stemming, other forms of the word "blog" are now considered, by the Google search algorithm (the formula used to determine the most relevant sites for your search).
Instead of searching only for "blog", Google now considers "blogs", blogged", "blogging", "blogger", and other forms of the word, based on sufixes. Because web searchers often type in other forms of a word, the Google returned results often missed some very good web pages. The new process changes all of that.
Stemming is great for your blogging.
You are free to use all forms of words, and not be penalized by Google for doing so. You have no need to specifically target one form of a word, to the exclusion of all others. You can now write freely, and let your prose flow......cliche time...like a river of words on an artificial screen. Ugh. Sorry.
Stemming is also thought to be occurring for synonyms of words too. Along with "blog", "online diary", and "online journal", may also be considered by the algorithm. Should that indeed be the case, you can write different words, yet express the same (or at least similar) meaning. You also get some benefit from Google for your efforts
Stemming is yet another great thing for blog writers. Once again, bloggers will leap to the forefront in the search engines; without even trying!
I do not recommend specifically writing your blog postings, with only search engines rankings in mind. Think of your readers with good quality, and well written content, first and foremost. On the other hand, you do want your blog information to be included in Google searches, so web searchers can enjoy your blog's information and content.
Embrace stemming. It will help improve your blog content. It will also help your blog in the Google search engine results.
What could be better than that!
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