The use of synonyms makes it easier for search engines to
deduce the contents of a webpage. For instance, the word “art” can apply to the many different
forms of art, such as visual, dance, music,
and theatre. The contents of a visual arts website become clearer to computer algorithms when its pages contain related
phrases and synonyms like fine art, painting, abstract art, craft, mixed media, water colours, acrylic, oil and so on.
Another advantage of using keyword synonyms is the potential to rank higher on those synonyms, thus substantially
increasing the visibility of the website. Besides, search algorithms tend to favour the use of synonyms as their presence suggests
that the topic they relate to is covered more comprehensively.
Use of synonyms also reduces keyword density, which is advantageous if the density
is too high. The abnormally high use of keywords is labelled
keyword stuffing, a practice that is penalized by search algorithms,
adversely affecting page rank. The use of synonyms minimizes the risk of keyword stuffing.
