{"id":7848,"date":"2020-02-10T23:48:46","date_gmt":"2020-02-11T05:48:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ilfusion.org\/dev\/staging\/?p=7848"},"modified":"2024-05-07T14:25:10","modified_gmt":"2024-05-07T19:25:10","slug":"how-to-optimize-your-content-for-google-bert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ilfusion.org\/dev\/staging\/how-to-optimize-your-content-for-google-bert","title":{"rendered":"How to Optimize Your Content for Google BERT"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the last quarter of 2019, Google <\/span>announced<\/span><\/a> an update on its search algorithm termed as<\/span> Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers\u2014or simply <\/span>BERT<\/b>. It is a new technology utilizing natural language processing (NLP) that <\/span>will help the search engine better understand search queries.<\/span><\/p>\n

What does this mean for marketers? And how can you optimize your content for Google BERT?<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is Google BERT?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Google BERT is a deep learning algorithm that will help search engine bots process words in relation to the context of the other words used in a query rather than in a one-by-one order.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As mentioned, Google BERT makes it <\/span>easier for search engines to understand search intent, context, and language nuances<\/b>\u2014ultimately improving the overall user experience when one makes a search on Google. One example of Google BERT in the works is that prepositions such as \u201cto\u201d and \u201cfor\u201d will gain more meaning, and thus, Google can provide more relevant results to a query.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Query<\/p>\n

Image from <\/span><\/i>Google<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Another case is when certain words change meaning depending on the context. For example, in the search query \u201chow to catch a cow fishing,\u201d the word \u201ccow\u201d in this context pertains to a fish (a cow-striped bass). Search Engine Journal <\/span>reported<\/span> that before Google BERT, the search results presented content relating to cows and cattle. After the update was in effect, the search algorithm took into account the word \u201cfishing\u201d and thus delivered more relevant results.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ways to Optimize Your Content for Google BERT<\/span><\/h5>\n

The introduction of Google BERT raises the question, how does this affect SEO? Can marketers optimize content for BERT?<\/span><\/p>\n

Google search engine liaison <\/span>Danny Sullivan answers<\/span><\/a>: <\/span>\u201cThere’s nothing to optimize for with BERT,\u201d adding that BERT doesn\u2019t really change the fundamentals of how Google ranks content.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He does emphasize, however, that <\/span>we can instead simply optimize content for users<\/b>, which equates to basically the same thing. Here are ways to further optimize your content so that BERT can better match your content to search queries:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Write content for people, not bots<\/span><\/h6>\n

Marketers should not lose sight of the essence of content creation: offering valuable content that resonates with audiences. What BERT does is to help search engine bots <\/span>understand <\/span><\/i>the questions inputted by users; it is our job to <\/span>provide<\/span><\/i> content that is relevant to the search query. This means writing content with substantial information that is helpful to users.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In doing so, target keywords should flow naturally, not laden with grammatically incorrect sentences just so the keywords are included in the text. The narrative should also be easy to read as if you were talking to that person, not overly formal or flowery.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Get to know your audience<\/span><\/h6>\n

The key to writing relevant content is to know the needs and wants of your audience. While using keyword tools are extra handy, it is far better to really get into the world of your target audience and find out more about them: What are their pain points? What questions are they likely to ask? What would make their lives easier and better?<\/span><\/p>\n

Listen in to their conversations online\u2014on social media, online forums, etc. Ask them questions directly through surveys. Or if resources permit, invite them for a focused peer group interview. The important thing is to probe more on who they are and what they need.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Simplify your language<\/span><\/h6>\n

One thing to remember when writing content for online users is that not everyone is on the same page in terms of language proficiency. What this means is that overly formal, technical, and flowery phrases won\u2019t sit well with everyone. This is why simplifying your language is crucial for content optimization.<\/span><\/p>\n

As previously mentioned, keep your tone conversational. Use natural, everyday language and commonly used words. For SEO, use semantically related keywords\u2014words that are most commonly related to the target search phrase. For example, if you\u2019re targetting for \u201cbest tacos in Texas,\u201d you could use keywords such as \u201chandmade tortillas,\u201d \u201cguacamole,\u201d and \u201cvegan salsa.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Don\u2019t forget on-page SEO<\/span><\/h6>\n

With all that\u2019s been said, it\u2019s also important to work on the basic on-page SEO elements:<\/span><\/p>\n