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How-to 9 min read October 7, 2019

What is page relevance and how is it determined

Relevance is the consistency of a user's request with information on a page or the whole website. This indicator affects search results. To increase relevance, you need to regularly monitor the utility of content.

What is query relevance

Let's suppose a user entered the phrase "how to fix a refrigerator" in a search. It is clear from the query that the person is going to repair the refrigerator on his own. If in the first positions there are pages with advertisements for the repairmen services, they will not be considered relevant. Most likely, the user will stay on the website where the repair process is described. These pages are relevant.

In another situation, a person enters the search query "1-bedroom apartment". What did he mean by this query? Does he want to buy or rent an apartment, see prices for one-bedroom apartments, find out the average area? In this case, it is extremely difficult for a search engine to determine the relevant queries.

Users often incorrectly describe what they need. And they get a set of different pages that do not match the query; in this case, websites with the widest answer (using as many different keywords as possible) will appear in search results. Just add one word, and the search results will be more accurate.

Each search engine determines the relevance of the query, page, and website using complex algorithms. They are not disclosed by SEO specialists in order to reduce the ranking manipulation in the search results. Therefore, we can only assume what kind of work contributes to the growth of relevance of content and website.

Numerous SEO experiments have identified a list of effective solutions.

How to increase page relevance

For information on a particular page to be considered relevant, it must first be useful. There is a conditional division of this concept into internal and external factors. The main mission is not just to perform technical actions, but to perform them efficiently.

Internal factors

1
Content and utility of content. After a careful study of the semantic kernel and the website structure, it is important to distribute queries across pages, that is, to cluster them.

One key phrase (or a set of phrases similar in meaning) per one page. The text on it should be unique and fully consistent with the content of the query and be a complete answer to the visitor's question.
2
Embedding keyword phrases in the Title and Description meta tags. It is better to start the Title tag with a query, putting it in a readable shape. For example, instead of "educational toys Moscow" it is better to write "educational toys in Moscow". The first word has the maximum weight.
3
Interlinking within the website. Links and anchors from other pages should direct to an optimized page and vice versa.
4
Single H1 heading and several H2 and H3 headings, lists and tables, paragraph division so that there are no continuous canvases of texts. The inclusion of key queries in the heading is desirable, but not required.
5
The meaningless and excessive use of the main search query. It is determined by the ratio of references to the desired phrase to the volume of the entire text. The query should be logically and evenly included in the text without spam.
6
Synonyms for a key query. Use similar phrases in the text to avoid spamming the main query and prove the utility of the content within a specific subject.
7
Pictures, videos, and other supporting content. It should be relevant to the subject and give an answer to the question of the visitor. The text must provide answers to direct and secondary questions.

For example, if a person entered the phrase "how to winterize a balcony" in a search, you need to provide answers on how to choose materials, manufacturers, the cost of the whole process, and so on.

External factors

1
External links from authoritative resources. You need to not just get as many links from other resources as possible. It is important that the donors be authoritative, and the surrounding text leads to a specific result.

For example, on a website dedicated to smartphones, an article on a specific model should have a link to the place where you can purchase this particular smartphone.
2
The gradual increase in the number of external links. The more reputable donors publish links to the website, the greater its relevance. Websites should have identical subjects for this purpose.

How to validate the website relevance

There is no precise reflection of this indicator; moreover, it is constantly changing. The relevance of the page depends on the geolocation of users, the accuracy of their queries, and many other factors.

For example, the query "buy a TV in Moscow" is considered relevant for Moscow residents. But the phrase "how to survive in Antarctica" may be relevant for any person, regardless of their geographical location.

Search engine algorithms change every day. Therefore, the relevance of a website or page cannot be considered constant value. Today the page of the website is in the first position, and tomorrow the page of another website may appear in front of it which is considered more relevant for a specific query by the search engine.
Exploring content consistency for just one page makes no sense. You need to analyze the utility of the entire website and do it regularly.
Checking the relevance of the page is advisable if you need to make sure that the query matches the submitted information. This can be done through an advanced search or using online tools. In the first case, you must enter a query for which the page is being optimized and look at the position in the search results.

To check the most relevant page on a particular website, you can add site:domain.com to the search bar in Google. It looks like this:
Site operator to search a site on Google
Site operator to search a site on Google
You can also go to Settings -> Advanced settings and specify the desired search domain there:
Site search
Relevant pages in search results
Google considers the first page in the search results to be the most relevant for the "buy iPhone" query on a particular website. If you enter this phrase without site:domain.com, another page comes first:
Online relevance page analysis
To check text relevance, you can use any online tools. You will receive recommendations on increasing the utility of content. To find out the exact results and analyze the relevance of the pages, you can use a comprehensive website check.

For example, using the Serpstat tools where the position of each page will be visible in the results for specific queries and regions. The overall picture shows which pages should be further developed and made more useful.
Monitoring Site Positions in Serpstat

Conclusion

Relevance is the most specific response to a user's query using the website content. Search engines accurately determine whether the information on the pages matches key phrases. The analysis of pages and websites in accordance with queries is performed using complex algorithms whose sequence is unknown to anyone.

To increase the page relevance, you must constantly work on the utility of content. Verification of texts and key queries, analysis of external and internal factors (bounce rate, session duration, page viewing depth, etc.) should be ongoing.

It is advisable to regularly update the texts, check their uniqueness and relevance, increase the number of links from reputable donors, create internal links and monitor positions in the search results.

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