What are the best ways to optimize for Google's BERT update?

1 Focus on user intent

The first and most important step to optimize for BERT is to align your content with the user intent behind each query. BERT is designed to match the search results with the user's goal, not just the keywords they use. Therefore, you need to research your target audience, their pain points, their questions, and their expectations, and create content that answers their needs and solves their problems. Avoid keyword stuffing, irrelevant topics, and low-quality content that does not add value to the user.

2 Write naturally and clearly

The second step to optimize for BERT is to write your content in a natural and clear way that makes sense to both humans and machines. BERT is able to understand the meaning and structure of sentences, so you need to use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Avoid jargon, ambiguity, and overly complex sentences that might confuse BERT and your readers. Use synonyms, variations, and modifiers to enrich your vocabulary and express your ideas more accurately. Write for your audience, not for the algorithm.

3 Structure your content well

The third step to optimize for BERT is to structure your content well and make it easy to scan and navigate. BERT is able to recognize the hierarchy and organization of your content, so you need to use headings, subheadings, lists, tables, images, and other elements to break down your content into logical sections and highlight the main points. Use schema markup, meta tags, and internal links to help BERT and your readers understand the context and purpose of your content and how it relates to other pages on your website.

4 Optimize for voice search

The fourth step to optimize for BERT is to optimize your content for voice search, which is becoming more popular and more sophisticated with the help of BERT. BERT is able to handle conversational queries, such as questions, commands, and long phrases, that users might speak to their devices. Therefore, you need to optimize your content for voice search by using natural language, answering common questions, providing concise and relevant information, and using long-tail keywords that match the user's voice.

5 Update your old content

The fifth step to optimize for BERT is to update your old content and make sure it meets the new standards of quality and relevance. BERT is constantly learning and improving, so you need to keep up with the changes and refresh your content accordingly. Review your old content and check if it is still aligned with the user intent, if it is written naturally and clearly, if it is structured well, and if it is optimized for voice search. If not, make the necessary adjustments and updates to improve your content and rank better on Google.

6 Monitor your performance

The sixth and final step to optimize for BERT is to monitor your performance and measure the impact of BERT on your website. BERT is not a static update, but a dynamic and ongoing process that affects different queries and niches in different ways. Therefore, you need to track your rankings, traffic, conversions, and other metrics and analyze how BERT affects your website. Use tools such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Google Trends to monitor your performance and identify the opportunities and challenges that BERT brings to your SEO strategy.

7 Here’s what else to consider

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