Google introduced the BERT update to its Search ranking system last week. This new algorithm, designed to better understand natural language queries, marks a significant change, affecting 1 in 10 queries. However, despite its rollout, many SEOs and tracking tools did not observe significant changes in Google search results.
The question is, why?
The short answer: The BERT update focuses on understanding “longer, more conversational queries,” as Google explained in its blog post. Tracking tools like Mozcast primarily monitor shorter queries, making BERT’s impact less noticeable for these tools.
For site owners, rankings are often tracked using short-tail queries that drive higher traffic volumes, rather than long-tail queries.
Moz on BERT: Pete Meyers from Moz mentioned that the MozCast tool tracks shorter head terms, not the type of phrases requiring the natural language processing (NLP) capabilities of BERT.
FYI, I wouldn’t expect to see much impact of BERT in MozCast — the daily tracking set is mostly shorter phrases and so-called head terms. They’re not the kind of phrases that are likely to require NLP at the level BERT acts (from my own, limited understanding).
— Dr. Pete Meyers (@dr_pete) October 25, 2019
RankRanger on BERT: RankRanger, another toolset provider, reported, “Overall, we have not seen a real ‘impact’—just a few days of slightly increased rank fluctuations.” This is likely due to the dataset these companies track—short-tail keywords rather than long-tail ones.
Overall tracking tools on BERT: Tracking tools have shown smaller fluctuations during the BERT rollout compared to past Google algorithm updates, such as core updates or the Panda and Penguin updates.
Here are screenshots of the tools over the past week. You would typically see significant spikes in changes, but these tools do not show that:
SEO community on BERT: Individual reports of ranking changes in Google search were also less pronounced compared to a Google core update. While there was some chatter within the SEO community, it was not as loud as is typical with other Google updates.
Why we care: Many are asking how to improve their sites now that BERT is live. Google has made it clear that there is no specific way to optimize for BERT. Its purpose is to help Google better understand searchers’ intent when they use natural language. The advantage for SEOs and content creators is to focus less on “writing for the machines” and more on creating great content for real people.
Danny Sullivan from Google reiterated that you cannot really optimize for BERT:
“https://twitter.com/dannysullivan/status/1188689288915050498”
Continue your strategy of writing the best content for your users. Don’t do anything special for BERT; rather, be special for your users. If you are writing for people, you are already “optimizing” for Google’s BERT algorithm.
