Things to Know About Google’s BERT Algorithm Update

You Have Probably Have Heard of Google’s BERT

Google has rocked the world of search engines and technology with its newest development. The tech giants call this latest release its biggest leap in the last half of a decade. When we consider the history of online searches as a whole, it is safe to call this innovation from Google the biggest step so far. 

To better understand search queries, Google will now employ BERT (bidirectional encoder representations from transformers). When we talk about transformers, we mean models that interpret words by considering how they relate to the other words in a sentence. 

What this implies is that by simply processing all the words that precede and appear after a certain word, BERT models can tell what that word really means. That way, you get a search engine that can understand queries better rather than looking at words individually. 

Practical Illustrations of how BERT is Working

By making use of BERT models, featured snippets, as well as search rankings, will be affected by how Google now understands queries.

But Bert will only cover one out of every 10 searches for English in the United States. According to Google, BERT is complex and requires a lot from the company in terms of hardware. That’s likely why BERT will not as of yet, cover 100% of searches.

This means that US-based users will now begin to see more useful info in SERPS. This is mostly applicable in cases where queries have to be more conversational and longer. It will also help with queries that rely on prepositions. Now, Search can decipher the context of a query and try to provide more natural results.

BERT and Featured Snippets

In the case of featured snippets, BERT will help Google to enhance results in every country that has access to featured snippets. 

While carrying out its tests, Google discovered that its algorithms performed better with the updated BERT. The tool helped them to better understand query nuances, as well as how words are connected. Check out this example below:

Here we see a query for the phrase – “2019 brazil traveler to USA need a visa.” With the help of BERT, Google was able to see that the search was about a Brazilian looking to travel to the United States, not vice versa.

Also, see the example above involving a search carried out for the phrase –  “do estheticians stand a lot at work”. In times past, Google saw the word “stand” to mean the same as “standalone.” The results were irrelevant but you can see the improvement with BERT. With this tool, Google understood that “stand” relates to the demands that come with working as an esthetician.

What the Future Holds for Search with BERT

Google admits that the testing process was challenging to ensure that searches had a better experience with BERT. This is evidenced by the examples above. With its commitment to see that queries are better interpreted, searchers can now key in their queries similar to how they speak naturally. We also expect that users will get more relevant results going forward.

 

How 313 Marketing Can Help You With the BERT Update

BERT will affect how your content is optimized. All website content needs to be logical and relevant, containing a natural flow of conversation, while still implementing your keywords. The experienced content writers at 313 Marketing are not only experienced in creating content that is relevant and engaging, but that will also follow the BERT guidelines. Reach out to one of our experts today to develop your digital marketing strategy that includes well-formatted and carefully planned content.