Introducing BERT: Your Golden Ticket to Better Content Marketing

Author: Marcel Casella Updated Date: March 6, 2026 Category: Online marketing

When SEOs out there hear the words “Google Update”, they always fear the worst. History shows that any new addition to the search engine’s algorithm wreaks havoc on your website’s ranking, traffic, link-building process, or overall content marketing strategy. For a deeper dive, explore our guide on Content Readability Scorer.

Updates like RankBrain, Panda, Penguin, and Hummingbird were tough on business owners upon their launch. All these algorithms focused on finding and punishing low-quality and thin content, link spam, manipulative link-building strategies, and poor user experience. For a deeper dive, explore our guide on Content Optimizer.

Take Panda for example. The algorithm’s first version, Panda 1.0, targeted thin content and content farms. In its beginning, Google claimed that the algorithm update affected 12% of U.S. searches. This led to several websites like About.com and Demand Media optimizing their content to gain more traffic and page views. For a deeper dive, explore our guide on New Content Optimized Content.

In October 2019, Google introduced a new algorithm called BERT. And no, it’s not after the Sesame Street character. It stands for Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers.

Given the history of chaos and destruction, these updates typically bring, it might surprise you when I tell you that this one, regardless of its size, won’t be the star of your nightmares.

Here’s why.

Table of Contents

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Best Practices and Industry Standards for 2026

Staying current with industry best practices ensures your strategies remain competitive and effective. These standards reflect accumulated industry knowledge and proven methodologies.

Quality Standards

Maintain high standards across all activities:

Prioritize quality over quantity in all deliverables
Focus on providing genuine value to audiences
Maintain transparency in all communications
Follow ethical guidelines and industry regulations

Technology Integration

Leverage modern tools and platforms effectively:

Utilize automation for repetitive tasks
Implement analytics for data-driven decisions
Adopt AI tools appropriately for enhanced productivity
Maintain security and privacy standards

According to McKinsey research, organizations with integrated technology stacks see 30% higher efficiency gains.

Scaling Your Efforts for Sustainable Growth

Growth requires systematic approaches to scaling while maintaining quality and efficiency.

Scaling Frameworks

Process Documentation: Document all processes to enable consistent execution and team scaling. Create standard operating procedures for repeatable tasks.

Automation Opportunities: Identify tasks suitable for automation. Focus human effort on high-value creative and strategic work.

Team Development: Invest in team capabilities through training and development. Build internal expertise for core competencies.

Systems Thinking: Consider how different elements interact. Optimize the entire system rather than individual components.

Measurement and Optimization

Scale only what works:

Establish clear metrics for success
Test at small scale before major investments
Use data to guide scaling decisions
Maintain flexibility to adjust approaches

Recognizing BERT’s Capabilities

The algorithm is another attempt from Google to understand sentences, content, and search queries on a deeper level. They now have the help of natural language processing (NPL).

This new algorithm model is all about boosting language understanding and analyzing context. This will allow users to perform more natural searches. To accomplish this, Google’s new algorithm doesn’t process words individually. Instead, it focuses on determining the relationship between all words in a sentence.

According to Google, “BERT models can therefore consider the full context of a word by looking at the words that come before and after it.” The fact that the search engine can now interpret the meaning of individual words more accurately opens the door to many possibilities. For example, Google can now examine the use of prepositions in search queries.

Let me illustrate my point. There is one of the three examples the search engine has shared with the public.

Imagine someone searched for “2019 brazil traveller to the USA need a visa.” Here, “to” is the magic word.

The way Google relates that word with the sentence is crucial for two reasons: understanding the true meaning of the query and delivering accurate results.

Before BERT, Google would show results pertaining to a U.S. citizen travelling to Brazil. Now, the search algorithm can analyze the sentence as a whole and establish its context. This time, Google will return the right result: whether a Brazilian citizen needs a visa to enter the U.S.

For users, this is a significant improvement. Since BERT can now better identify how human beings communicate, people can find more accurate results while searching in a more natural way — instead of feeling forced to refine their Google-Fu. For a deeper dive, explore our guide on Better Results Lower Costs.

So, now that you know what BERT is trying to accomplish, let’s get into the nitty-gritty: how to incorporate it into your SEO strategy.

Revolutionizing Content Marketing

If I’ve learned something in my 10 years of SEO experience, it’s this: creating high-quality and relevant content is paramount to driving more traffic and increasing ranking.

New and old business owners always feel overwhelmed by how challenging content marketing can be.

But to me, BERT is everyone’s saving grace.

However, I’m not here to show you a step-by-step guide for BERT SEO – which there isn’t.

On the contrary, I’m talking about leveraging the algorithm to create higher-quality content that is more conversational and tackles context head-on.

Besides understanding prepositions, BERT can analyze content and deliver results based on relevant related topics.

Take a look at the following scenario.

Some time ago, I was struggling to keep my dog’s ideal weight. I turned to Google to find ways I could help my pet maintain a healthy life and steer clear of obesity.

So, I searched for information about “how can my dog lose weight without dry food.” Instead of getting results about alternative methods besides feeding my dog dry food, I found articles about:

Low-calorie formulas
Grain-free dog food
Or anything too similar to dry food

As time goes on and BERT becomes more sophisticated, you can expect these results to be more relevant and in tune on what you’re actually looking for.

But to do so, you (as a website owner) must first create valuable content that talks about other methods that still make your dog lose weight and that the algorithm will understand from context. To accomplish this, you could talk about:

Raw food
Exercises like long walks or hydrotherapy
Healthy fruit and vegetables

The way to take advantage of BERT while designing your content strategy is by putting yourself in the shoes of your readers.

Don’t focus on keyword density. Forget how Google thinks when returning results and create pieces that are conversational in nature. This will increase your site’s traffic, as the algorithm will show your pages for people who are entering more natural queries.

Writing Shorter Pieces

At this point, you should already know how Google’s search algorithm operates.

And the BERT update doesn’t change the fact that quality and context still rule above content length.

So, re-analyze your word count approach. Gone are the days of creating a 10k post that talks about 50 different topics and fails to engage the audience or deliver relevant information.

Many SEOs out there will tell you that long-format pieces get solid rankings on Google. But what if the information is subpar? Or if the writer doesn’t deliver what the audience wants?

Long pieces usually ramble on generic head terms that Google can interpret in a dozen different ways. If you stick to that format, you’ll be losing the opportunity to rank for topic-specific pieces that focus on long-tail keywords instead.

This brings me to the last topic.

Leveraging Long-Tail Keywords

Did you know that 70% of Google searches are considered long-tail? With emerging technologies like voice search, the phrasing of search queries these days now resemble real human communication.

If you’re not using long-tail keywords to outrank your competition, you are probably not driving as much traffic as you should.

You readers expect relevant and direct results that can solve their problems as soon as possible. And to them, it doesn’t matter how many words they use to get to that point.

Luckily, your new friend BERT is here to save the day.

We already know the algorithm uses natural language processing to understand longer and more conversational queries. So why not strike while the iron is hot?

BERT allows you to re-think your content marketing strategy by matching your pieces to the way people search. Don’t rely on generic head keywords or content that’s specifically tailored to the way Google thinks.

Using longer keywords and phrases in your copy improves your chances for Google’s new search algorithm to accurately show your pages to your target audience.

When you start creating first-class and conversational content within your niche, you’ll increase conversion, provide more value to your readers, and get better ranking opportunities.

The Ball Is in Your Court Now

BERT’s full capabilities are yet to be seen. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t work it to your favor right now.

And, although there isn’t a secret recipe or a way to optimize your website for BERT (yet), you can still take your SEO strategy one step further.

The good news is that you don’t have to worry about losing a massive chunk of traffic while doing so. Instead, the algorithm’s launch is your new chance to beat your competitors.

In a few years, we’ll be bombarded by search algorithms that fully understand queries just like humans do. So why not put your knowledge about BERT to good use and include it in your content marketing strategy?

If everything fails, you can get ahead of the game by contacting SEO experts that know how to tackle and take advantage of this new algorithm.

Trust me, if you do, your new boost in traffic will speak for itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is this guide about?

This comprehensive guide provides strategies and best practices for achieving success. Following these approaches can help improve your results and competitive advantage.

Q: How long does it take to see results?

Results vary. Most strategies require 3-6 months before significant improvements. Ongoing optimization and consistency are essential for sustainable success.

Q: Do I need professional help?

While basic implementation can be done independently, professional guidance often accelerates results and helps avoid costly mistakes.

Q: What are the most important factors for success?

Key factors include thorough research, consistent execution, quality over quantity, regular performance monitoring, and adapting to industry changes.

Q: How do I measure success?

Track KPIs like traffic, conversions, revenue, and engagement rates. Regular analysis helps identify areas for improvement.

Q: What channels should I focus on?

Most businesses benefit from SEO, content marketing, social media, and paid advertising. Start where your target audience is most active.

For a deeper dive, explore our guide on Email Marketing Age.

The Evolution of Digital Marketing Strategy

Digital marketing has transformed dramatically over the past decade, evolving from simple banner advertisements to sophisticated, data-driven strategies that leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Modern digital marketing requires integrated approaches combining multiple channels into cohesive customer experiences.

Content Marketing Best Practices

Content remains the foundation of successful digital marketing, serving as the primary mechanism for attracting organic traffic, building brand authority, and engaging target audiences.

Data-Driven Marketing Decisions

Modern marketing success depends on sophisticated analytics enabling data-driven decisions.

Building Brand Authority

Establishing thought leadership provides significant competitive advantages including increased brand awareness and customer trust.

Maximizing Marketing ROI

Proving marketing ROI requires clear objectives, sophisticated tracking, and continuous optimization.

Learn More: Home

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Content Marketing Maturity: Moving From Output to Outcomes

Most content marketing programs plateau not because they run out of ideas, but because they confuse activity with results. Publishing 4 blog posts a week is not a strategy — it’s a production schedule. A mature content program is built around specific business outcomes: organic traffic to target buyer personas, conversion to leads, and acceleration of sales cycles.

The companies generating the highest content ROI in 2025 share one characteristic: they’ve narrowed their content focus to a tight set of topics where they can genuinely be the best resource on the internet, rather than trying to cover every trend in their industry.

The Topic Cluster Model: Building Topical Authority That Compounds

Google’s Helpful Content System and E-E-A-T framework both reward topical depth over breadth. The topic cluster model — popularized by HubSpot but now validated by years of SEO data — organizes content into pillar pages and supporting cluster pages:

Pillar pages: Comprehensive, authoritative coverage of a broad topic (e.g., “The Complete Guide to Technical SEO”). Targets a high-volume, competitive keyword. Serves as the hub that links to all cluster content.
Cluster pages: Deep dives into specific sub-topics (e.g., “How to Fix Crawl Errors”, “Core Web Vitals Optimization Guide”, “XML Sitemap Best Practices”). Each targets a more specific, lower-competition keyword while linking back to the pillar.
Internal linking architecture: The consistent internal linking between pillar and clusters creates semantic signals that help Google understand the topical relationship between pages, lifting rankings across the entire cluster.

Sites that switch from random blog publishing to structured topic clusters typically see 30-50% improvement in organic traffic within 6 months, primarily driven by previously orphaned content beginning to rank because it’s now embedded in a coherent topical structure.

Content Quality Signals Google Measures in 2025

Following the August 2023 and March 2024 core algorithm updates, Google has significantly improved its ability to assess content quality beyond simple E-A-T signals. Current quality indicators that influence rankings:

Originality: Does the content provide information, perspective, or analysis that can’t be found verbatim elsewhere? This doesn’t require primary research on every post — but it does require a point of view, real examples, or synthesis that adds value beyond what’s already ranking.
Demonstrated experience: The “first E” in E-E-A-T (Experience) is Google’s response to AI-generated content. Including personal experience, case studies, client examples, and outcome data signals real-world expertise in a way that AI-generated content cannot replicate.
Depth-to-topic ratio: Content that covers 5 aspects of a topic in depth outperforms content that mentions 15 aspects superficially. Google’s helpful content documentation explicitly flags “breadth without depth” as a quality red flag.
Update recency: Content that is regularly updated with current data, current examples, and current best practices maintains ranking longevity. Stale content — especially content with date-specific claims that become outdated — deteriorates in rankings over 12-18 months without updates.

Content Repurposing: Maximizing Return on Every Asset

The biggest efficiency gain in content marketing isn’t producing more — it’s extracting more value from what already exists. A single high-quality pillar piece can be repurposed into:

A LinkedIn article or carousel post series
A YouTube explainer video with the article as the script
A podcast episode or audio summary (great for commuter audiences)
An email newsletter sequence broken into 3-5 parts
A downloadable checklist or one-pager for lead generation
Short-form social content (10-15 micro-posts pulling key insights)
An updated, expanded version 12 months later targeting evolved search intent

Teams that systematically repurpose content report 3-5x the content output from the same production budget, while actually improving quality because each piece benefits from the research invested in the original.

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By Marcel Casella
Feb 3, 2020