Everything you need to know about semantic meshing: definition and best practices

Through our SEO Agency Optimize 360 on the theme of Semantic SEO.

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Semantic meshing is a technique for structuring the content of a websitewhich is based on the logical and relevant organisation of pages.

This method makes it easier for search engines such as Google to better understand the content of your website and thus improve its positioning in the results.

In this article, we take an in-depth look at the concept of semantic meshing and the best practices to adopt in order to reap all its benefits.

 

What is semantic meshing? Definition

Semantic meshing is a set of techniques designed to link the pages of a website together in a logical, hierarchical organisation. In particular, semantic meshing consists of creating strong semantic relationships between the different pages of the site, in order to help the indexing robots (like Google's) to better understand its overall theme, but also each of its individual pages.

In an SEO context, semantic meshing takes on all its importance because it has a real impact on the way search engines understand and analyse content in order to present it to web users. Good semantic meshing will help to improve your ranking in search engine results and generate more organic traffic to your website.

The different types of mesh

Semantic meshing can be approached from different angles:

• Le internal networkingwhich concerns links between pages on the same website.
• Le external networking or backlinkswhich corresponds to links from your site to third-party sites and vice versa.
• Le semantic cocoonA more advanced and methodical approach to internal linking, developed by Laurent Bourrelly. The aim of this technique is to create a tight, coherent network of related content within a single website to enhance the value of the site as a whole.

Internal meshing: the very essence of semantic meshing

Internal linking is the keystone of the semantic linking concept. It consists of organising the different pages of a site through internal hypertext links, thereby facilitating the user's browsing experience and the understanding of indexing robots.

When it comes to internal linking, there are a number of best practices to adopt:

1. 1. Create a clear, logical tree structure Structure: whatever the size of your website, it is essential to structure the different sections and sub-sections so that users and search engines can easily navigate and understand the subject matter and content on offer.
   2. Use relevant text anchors When creating a link to another page on your site, choose an anchor text (or link text) that clearly describes the content of the target page. Avoid systematically using generic terms such as "click here" or "find out more". This will enable search engines to understand the relationships between your pages and their respective themes.
   3. Setting up contextual links Contextual linking: this involves integrating internal links within the content of your pages to direct users to other pages on your website dealing with related subjects. These contextual links are often much appreciated by search engines, as they greatly facilitate their semantic analysis work.
   4. Balancing mesh density The aim is not to have internal links on every sentence or paragraph, but rather to ensure that all the pages are correctly interconnected, without excess or gaps. Overly dense links can be considered spam by search engines, while insufficient links will make certain pages difficult to access, with a negative impact on their ranking.

External links and backlinks: boosting your authority

Although backlinks do not correspond directly to semantic meshing, they nevertheless have a definite influence on the way search engines perceive and analyse your website. Indeed, a certain number of links pointing to your site from quality external sites will be interpreted as a sign of authority and relevance, and could boost the positioning of your pages in search results.

It is therefore important to regularly work on obtaining backlinks by implementing netlinking such as :

• • Create value-added content to naturally encourage other sites to mention you as a source or reference
  • Establish partnerships with complementary websites to exchange links
  • Offer guest-blogging, i.e. write guest articles on other websites. blogs with a link to your own site
  • Highlight your expertise and presence on social networks to attract visibility, mentions and shares

The semantic cocoon: a more advanced approach to internal meshing

If you want to go further in creating an optimised semantic mesh for your website, you might like to look at the concept of the semantic cocoon developed by Laurent Bourrelly.

This method involves identifying key words Then organise the content and internal links according to these key themes. In this way, you can explore different facets of the same subject in depth, while linking the pages together through a tight mesh.

The semantic cocoon not only improves search engines' understanding of your site, but also provides users with a more user-friendly experience. navigation route rich and captivating, that will make them want to explore your content further.

To set up a semantic cocoon on your website, you need to follow a number of steps:

1. 1. Analyse your lexical field Identify the key words that are important for your business and your brand. audienceand prioritise them according to their traffic potential and relevance.
   2. Structuring the tree structure and text silos Organise the pages of your site according to the keywords you have identified and refine your content to make it coherent and complementary.
   3. Weaving a dense and relevant internal network Linking: link pages dealing with similar or related subjects, taking care to follow good internal linking practices (appropriate anchors, contextual links, etc.).
   4. Update your content regularly semantic cocoon: to maintain the added value and topicality of your semantic cocoon, regularly integrate relevant information so that your users can benefit from reliable and constantly enriched content.

In conclusion, semantic meshing is a fundamental pillar in the success of your SEO strategy.

Whether it's a question of simple internal meshing or a more advanced approach such as the semantic cocoon, it's important not to overlook the various stages and best practices involved in optimising the organisation and understanding of your content by search engines.

Don't hesitate to get in touch with a SEO agency to help you implement and monitor your networking strategy.