Hello, I am new to SEO and I have a question about how Google handles slight spelling variations. I am assisting a friend with his startup in the Data Centre industry and I have noticed discrepancies in search volumes between plurals and different spellings such as 'center' vs 'centre' when using SEMRush. I am curious about the best way to address this on-page. Thank you, Nick.
Google is adept at understanding minor spelling variations, such as “center” vs. “centre”, due to their semantic similarity. The variations are likely attributed to different English dialects (US vs. UK) and Google can readily identify the common meaning. Therefore, it is not necessary to over-optimize a page for misspellings. However, there might be a significant difference in search volume for specific keyword variations, such as “data centre cooling” vs. “data centre cooling uk”, which suggests people are using both terms in their searches.
When it comes to dealing with these variations on-page, the best approach is to focus on a primary keyword and use variations naturally within the content, URLs, and titles. For example, if “data centre cooling” is the primary keyword, “data centre cooling uk” can be incorporated into the body text as secondary keywords.
Instead of forcing variations into headers and text, prioritize natural language and readability. Use tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush to identify relevant keywords and their parent topics. These tools can help you understand the broader search landscape and determine the most appropriate keywords for targeting.
By focusing on a primary keyword and using variations naturally, you can optimize for both search engine visibility and user experience.