A couple of days ago, Google announced one of the most significant changes to its search algorithm in five years, dubbed the Google BERT update. So, what is BERT, and how will the update impact your SEO strategies?
It essentially means Google Search has gotten better at understanding more prolonged and more conversational queries. This is especially true in statements where prepositions like “for” and “to” matter to the meaning.
Also, the search engine can now reliably grasp nuances and context. And that’s all thanks to a neural network-based technique for processing language called Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers.
But, they’re calling it Google BERT, for short.
What is the Google BERT Update?
It’s a new search algorithm update that uses neural networking techniques to understand the intentions behind queries better. That means Google is now significantly better at matching questions with content.
Meaning, people can now search in a way that feels more natural to them.
Here’s what Google said:
“Well, by applying BERT models to both rankings and featured snippets in search, we’re able to do a much better job helping you find useful information.”
According to the search engine giant, the update will impact 10 percent of search queries in the United States. Meanwhile, for featured snippets, the update is already live globally.
In the world of Search Engine Optimization, that 10 percent is a pretty big deal. This raises the question:
How Does the Google BERT Update Affect On-Page SEO
The good news is that the algorithm update is not supposed to penalize any site. It just improves how the search engine understands search intent and queries.
On the flip side, the Google BERT update won’t favor websites with poorly-written content. That means sloppy text and vague use of words won’t cut it anymore.
Experts have suggested that sites with tons of good content in the form of well-written guides will benefit from this update. So, if you’re not doing it yet, you may want to invest in reliable tools to augment your content strategy.
One AI-powered content tool that takes advantage of the Google BERT update is INK. In a post, INK’s co-founder and creator, Alexander de Ridder, explained:
“Three years ago, I began working on the Rank Candidate Theory, which basically asserts that Google has been doing exactly this kind of processing for a while now, and how it relates to how Google ranks content.
The AI that we ended up building is designed to look at content Google is favoring in search with the goal of understanding WHY. As Google results are getting smarter, the INK editor is able to take advantage of these refinements and will better understand what BERT is looking for.”
INK is FREE and we are encouraging you to try it if you want to stay on top of Google’s ranking game.
Hey comprehensive, thanks a lot!