10 Remarketing Tools For Reengaging & Winning The Conversion Ep. 538
10 Remarketing Tools For Reengaging & Winning The ConversionRemarketing can help get your brand in front of a more relevant audience. Here are 10…
Agency & Business Growth
Google's Latest search algorithm to better understand natural language by Barry Schwartz #470
Google's BERT update, the largest search algorithm change since RankBrain, affects one in ten queries and rewards sites already delivering genuine value to users with little disruption.
Key takeaways
- BERT does not replace RankBrain, it is an additional signal Google uses to better understand natural language queries.
- Sites consistently delivering good value to users saw ranking gains from BERT as competitors were displaced, requiring no extra action.
- LSI graph and word-association tools help broader strategy, but targeting the exact phrase still matters for limited-budget SEO campaigns.
Focus on the user. Right? It's like as a business, focus on a customer and as an SEO-er, focus on the user.
About this episode
Google's Latest search algorithm to better understand natural languageAnother thrilling episode of the Best SEO Podcast, featuring BERT: Google’s latest search algorithm to better understand natural language.
Questions this episode answers
What is Google's BERT update and how big is its impact?
BERT is described as the largest change to Google's search system since RankBrain, affecting one in ten queries. It is an additional signal layered on top of RankBrain to help Google better understand natural language, not a replacement for RankBrain.
Do I need to change my SEO strategy because of BERT?
According to the hosts, sites already doing SEO the right way and delivering genuine value to users largely benefited from BERT as poorly optimized competitors were penalized. The advice is to continue doing everything correctly rather than making reactive changes.
How should SEOs use LSI and word-association tools after BERT?
Tools like LSI graph can surface related word associations useful for broader content strategy, but the hosts caution that targeting the specific exact phrase still matters, especially on limited budgets, because Google does not always connect associated terms with enough weight to rank for the core keyword.
In their words
Google is making the largest change to its search system since the company introduced RankBrain almost five years ago.
Chris Burris
As long as you're delivering good value to the Google user, Google is going to look favorably upon you.
Matt Bertram
Actually when these things come out, other people get hit and move out of your way and you move up a lot quicker.
Matt Bertram
Terms defined in this episode
- BERT
- Google's natural language algorithm update described as the largest change to its search system since RankBrain, impacting one in ten queries and acting as an additional ranking signal.
- RankBrain
- Google's first artificial intelligence method for understanding queries, introduced almost five years before BERT, focused on matching queries to actual content on the page.
- LSI Graph
- A tool mentioned for identifying word associations and related terms around a target keyword to inform a broader content strategy.
- Anchor Text
- The clickable text of a link, described in the episode as important because the word targeted and the associated words surrounding it carry contextual ranking signals.
Full transcript is being added.
This episode answers
Matthew Bertram
AI keynote speaker · Owner & CEO, EWR Digital · President, ModalPoint
Matthew Bertram is an AI keynote speaker, creator of DIG™ (Digital Information Governance), and owner and CEO of EWR Digital. He helps energy and industrial leaders win visibility in AI search (GEO and AEO), is President of ModalPoint and CMO of the Oil & Gas Global Network, hosts The Best SEO Podcast, and has authored eight books including LLM Visibility. More about Matthew Bertram.
Related episodes
Building An SEO Business Case Your Boss Can’t Say No To Ep. 536
Building An SEO Business Case Your Boss Can’t Say No ToSome stakeholders struggle to see the value of adding SEO to your marketing mix. Use this…
Agency & Business Growth
4 Key Areas Of International SEO Focus For Entering A New Market Ep. 535
4 Key Areas Of International SEO Focus For Entering A New MarketGoing global? Don't miss out on these 4 important opportunities to set your brand up…
Agency & Business Growth
3 Ways To Optimize Internal Linking Ep. 534
3 Ways To Optimize Internal LinkingPoor internal link structure can end up harming your site's rankings. At SMX Next, Jonathan Epstein showed how…
Agency & Business Growth
The show explains it. EWR Digital does it.
The Best SEO Podcast breaks down SEO and AI search; EWR Digital, the agency behind the show, implements it for operators. Start with a free, no-pitch audit of where you stand in Google and in AI answers.
Get a free AI visibility audit