Co-Occurrence Matrix And SEO

There has been much discussion in the search world about “co-citation” and “cooccurrence matrix” for quite some time. These two words, which fundamentally mean the same thing, have been dubbed the “next big thing” in SEO and are even thought to represent the next wave of Google change.

If co-occurrence and co-citation are such significant changes in SEO, it’s critical that we grasp what they are and how they could affect the SEO game.

What Exactly Is Co-Occurrence?

The existence, frequency, and closeness of similar terms across many websites is referred to as co-occurrence. Keywords that are thematically relevant but not identical are logically included in co-occurrence.

Co-occurrence isn’t a new concept in SEO. Latent semantic indexing is essentially linked to co-occurrence. It’s been around for quite some time.

Google Caffeine, which debuted in August 2009, marked a shift in index expansion and indexation ranking, altering how and when pages were returned in the SERPs, with or without a rigid set of keywords. Caffeine’s complete introduction in June 2010 made webmasters enthusiastic about crawl performance. However, overlooked in the fervour over crawl speed was an underlying shift in how Google may possibly correlate two separate websites under a new search architecture?

This algorithmic focus reinforced the fact that content is king, which is why marketers are jumping on the content marketing bandwagon. Webmasters discovered themselves suddenly ranking for keyword searches that they had rarely utilized on their website.

What Exactly Is Co-Citation?

When two distinct sites reference (but do not link to) the same website or brand, this is referred to as co-citation.

There is a strong content-driven relationship between the two sites owing to their mutual reference of a single website, rather than any real linkages between the sites, in co-citation. Some have referred to it as link building without links.

Sites must be linked in a co-citation relationship in order to…

1.       Share a mention of the same website. There is no requirement for a connection.
2.       Discuss a related topic. There is no requirement for common keywords.

The algorithm interprets co-citation as a signal that the mentioned site is relevant. These three websites are inextricably linked. Typically, in co-citation, an authoritative site or sites serve a commensalism function to the less authoritative site (s).

How To Put Co-Citation And Co-Occurrence Into Practice

When this notion initially emerged, it was riddled with predictive language.

I’ve seen that “this form of SEO” is in use. The algorithms are already set up to handle non-link-driven searches. It’s time to harness the power of co-citation and co-occurrence. Here’s how to go about it.

1.     Don’t Get Too Caught Up On The Anchor Text.

It’s old advice, but it’s worth reiterating in this situation. The use of anchor text is becoming obsolete. For the time being, you should refrain from attempting to optimize anchoring.

The change of anchor text was important to the origins of the co-occurrence/co-citation debate. If you want to use co-citation to boost your SEO, it’s time to stop looking for keyword-rich anchors and instead figure out how to expand your brand’s existence and get mentions.

2.     De-Emphasize Keywords.

We live in an era when keywords are becoming less and less important. You’ve most likely noticed this in the SERPs.

For this question, keywords aren’t the most important factor in the SERPs. It is, instead, the power of co-occurrence and, presumably, co-citation.

You don’t have to be concerned about which long-tail keywords to target while you create content. Because search engines do not index terms alone, they are aware. They monitor user activity as well as the interaction of co-citation mentions.

3.     Increase Your Brand’s Visibility And Exposure.

SEO is becoming more of a public relations game. The more your brand gets referenced on the internet, the better your search results will be. Brand mentions have the same effect as backlinks. When authoritative sites or other companies reference you, your brand’s standing in the SERPs rises.

However, in order to get value, you must first provide value. When you link to or mention other high-quality companies in your writing, you will receive a portion of the kickback granted by co-citation.

You want your brand to be associated with other brands in your niche. Google analyses and categorizes brands based on the brands they mention. As a consequence, you may identify your brand with other companies and perhaps rank for phrases where other brands have traditionally performed well.

Increasing your brand’s visibility will have at least two favourable consequences.

Ø  You will rank well for branded keywords that convert well.

Your best-converting keywords are almost always ones that feature your brand name. These searchers who query branded phrases are more likely to be in a buying cycle closer to the actual point of purchase and, as a result, are more likely to convert when they reach your website. The visibility of your brand in content throughout the web almost assures that you will dominate the SERPs for your branded keywords.

Ø  You will rank higher in organic search results.

The second favourable impact is considerably more impressive. Nonbranded keywords are the ones you truly want to rank for. These are the keywords that buyers will search for if they are in the early stages of the purchase cycle or if they are unfamiliar with your brand. As you collaborate with other niche companies and share mentions and related information, your website’s performance in the SERPs improves. The growth of your brand (e.g., mentions on the web) increases your total visibility in the desired keyword categories. You will see an increase in your results for non-branded organic search searches if you have relevant content and a free linking presence with other niche companies.

Make liberal use of brand association. It is OK to discuss competitors, even in a good way. Because search engine marketing is becoming more about brand promotion, let your public relations and SEO teams collaborate to determine how these techniques might better intersect.

4.     Use Content Marketing To Obtain Genuine, High-Quality Links.

I spent some time above detailing the interaction of traditional linking since it is still important, even in the context of co-citation. You should keep using content marketing as your primary link-building technique. Links are important, but not as much as they formerly were.

As a result, co-citation is already in action, but it should be supplemented by the power of connections. At least for the time being.

Forget about keywords and concentrate on your content.

As previously stated, co-citation is based on the algorithmically determined fact of co-occurrence. Co-occurrence demands that you stop fretting overhead phrases and the precise long-tail keywords to target and instead enjoy the delight of exceptional content, regardless of keyword presence.

Conclusion

The beautiful thing about including co-citation and co-occurrence into your SEO plan is that it is quite similar to regular content marketing. Sure, there are specific emphases to bear in mind, but the overall concept remains the same.

•       Concentrate on high-quality material.
•       Concentrate on your brand rather than links, keywords, or anchors.

Finally, it is critical to stay current on where the search has come, where the search is now, and where the search is headed. You get a competitive advantage by staying up to date on algorithm updates and search engine innovation. Co-citation and co-occurrence are examples of important changes that we should be aware of.

More Resources:

• Co-occurrence matrix
• Create a Gray-Level Co-Occurrence Matrix