Producing content with ChatGPT ≠ Writing content that meets Google's expectations. On the occasion of the release of SEO Writing Guide for Beginners by Louis Bazile, we've put together a quiz to test your editorial SEO knowledge. 8 questions about keywords, search intent, and onsite SEO elements. Let's go!
What is the search intent of the keyword “iPhone under 200 euros”?
- Buy an iPhone that costs under €200
- Find out if there are iPhones under €200
- Choose the best iPhone among those that cost under €200
Answer
All three! A keyword can have several search intents and, sometimes, intents we don't think of because they are subtle or secondary.
The most important thing: identify the search intent Google expects by analyzing the search results page (called theSERP"). What are competitors talking about? Which editorial angle do they choose (comparison, in-depth article, interview, commercial page)? So many clues that will help you know how to structure your page.
To rank for “best pizza Nantes”, what is the best <h1> title for a piece of content?
- "Our selection of the 10 best pizzas in Nantes"
- "Graziella, the best pizza restaurant in Nantes"
- "Famous Nantes chef reveals her best pizza recipe!"
Answer
Answer 1: "Our selection of the 10 best pizzas in Nantes"! Why? "Nantes" indicates a local search, often implying a point of sale or, at minimum, a local presence. "Best pizza" suggests an intent to compare pizzas to choose the best one. That's why this title is the one most likely to work.
Buuut... the restaurant Graziella could very well try to rank: in a world where it were internationally recognized as making the best pizza, where it had backlinks and mentions in the most influential magazines, why wouldn't it be legitimate? Sometimes a secondary search intent (THE best pizza) can take precedence over the main intent (THE best pizzas).
Finally, it will be difficult for this Nantes-based chef to rank with a recipe (informational content) for a local query (local/commercial intent).
On a SERP, the results are: 5 category pages, 3 product pages, and 1 homepage. Which page should you try to rank?
- A category page
- A product page
- A homepage
Answer
"it depends"… but you have a better chance of ranking with a category page. Why? Let's eliminate the homepage first: the most powerful page of a site, it can sometimes rank if the site is relevant but Google can't find a better page. Another possibility: it's a branded query and the brand's homepage is what's ranking.
Now, why not a product page? More categories than ranked product pages = it's likely the query is generic. In that case, the presence of product pages can be explained by Google preferring them to categories (it's up to you to find out why if that's your case!). Of course, this is theoretical and every case is different.
What you should do: trust the majority of templates on the SERP and analyze the keyword (generic or specific?) to determine whether you need to offer a generic page (category) or a specific one (product page).
Aside from the content of the <title> tag, what does Google use to write the blue title of the result in its SERP?*
- Main visual title displayed on the page
- Title elements such as <h1>
- Contents of tags og:title meta
- Anchor text on the page
- Structured data Website
*Sometimes Google rewrites the <title> tag to propose a more relevant one. In that case, it uses other elements on the page.
Answer
All of the above! And yes, even microdata! Three other elements are officially listed by Google as sources to rewrite the <title> tag displayed in the SERPs (source)
- "Other large content or content that appears prominently through the use of specific styles"
- "Other text elements on the page"
- "Text of links that point to the page"
Remember the essential: the title must represent and describe each result as accurately as possible. Do you absolutely want a particular element to appear? Put that text in the page's <h1> title, in the introduction or, at minimum, fairly high and prominent on the page.
Which sentence has the most SEO potential?
- "Need a change of scenery? Discover Sicily! To organize your trip, here is our selection of popular Sicilian hotels. Remember to bring your papers, otherwise no beach this summer!"
- "Want to travel? Choose from the best hotels to stay in Sicily! Prepare your passport or ID card before boarding the plane — it would be a shame to be stressed at the airport!"
Answer
Answer 2! Your goal, when writing (or reviewing content generated with ChatGPT), is to put meaning into the terms you use to maximize semantics. On review, replace terms that are "low in meaning". Examples:
Replace "discover Sicily" with "travel to Sicily." Replace "Sicily hotels that are popular" with "the best hotels to stay in Sicily." Replace "remember to bring your documents" with "prepare your passport or ID card before flying."
What is the difference between a “lexical field” and a “semantic field”?
- The semantic field is the set of synonyms of a word, whereas the lexical field includes antonyms and stylistic variants.
- The semantic field groups the meanings of a word or expression according to its context, while the lexical field is the set of words related to the same theme or notion regardless of context.
- The semantic field refers only to the technical terms specific to a domain, while the lexical field includes all the words commonly used in general language around that domain.
Answer
Answer 2! An example for the word "insurance" which has 3 semantic fields (on the left of the diagram). On the right, the lexical field of "insurance" in the context of car insurance:
Is E-E-A-T a ranking criterion?
- Yes
- No
Answer
No (no, and no)! EEAT is a concept created by Google to assess the quality and relevance of a page or a website. It is part of the guidelines given to search results evaluators (called "Quality Raters".
It is sometimes confused with a ranking criterion because one can associate concrete characteristics demonstrating the quality of content with it: the presence of an author, evidence of experience (certifications, accounts, photos, etc.), reliable sources, fresh content, etc.
In the URL https://www.abondance.com/moteurs-recherche/google what is the name of the last part "google"?
- Link
- Directory
- Slug
PS: don’t stress too much about your URLs — keep them simple and readable; they carry very little weight in SEO (some will say “none”).
Answer
Answer 3! Here is the explanation of each part of the URL:
If you want to improve the semantics and structure of your written or AI-generated content, our expert, Louis Bazile, has produced a guide accurate and simple to make sure you have healthy foundations.
The article "Questions for an SEO specialist: test your “Onsite” knowledge!" was published on the site Abondance.
