SEO News You Can Use: DeepRank is Google’s Codename For BERT

There’s been a rumor doing the rounds that Google is preparing to launch something called DeepRank, but this is false. DeepRank is the BERT algorithm that was launched in October 2019.

Many search experts have been under the impression DeepRank isn’t live and is set to launch soon, but this is inaccurate. DeepRank went live when BERT went live and as of a couple of weeks ago, this algorithm update is considered fully live. At launch, BERT or DeepRank, was only used on 10 percent of English search queries. However, at Google’s Search On 2020 event it was announced that BERT is used across almost all English search queries.

DeepRank is really just the internal code name used at Google in reference to the BERT algorithm. BERT is considered a massive algorithm update, as it helps Google better understand search queries because it is built with natural language processing (NLP). Through a deeper understanding of user behavior nuances and the context of search words, the search results will be more aligned with a user’s true intent.

Barry Schwartz from Search Engine Roundtable reached out to Google to find out why the algorithm earned the name DeepRank. The response was that the algorithm uses deep learning methodology that affects the ranking aspect of Search. Oh, and also, the team thought it sounded cool!

To better understand Google Search and gain a holistic view of what Google is trying to achieve, watch this awesome “home movie”. This movie was created by the Google team and released on its YouTube channel in the middle of last month. It’s fun and informative and speaks directly about BERT around the 44-minute mark.

Take Note: The BERT algorithm is a tricky one to optimize for, but it is the impetus for a bigger focus on developing high-quality content that provides value to the user. Creating content to satisfy search intent should be the No. 1 priority of content creators and marketers.

Now that we understand what DeepRank is, it’s evident there isn’t really any action to take. However, understanding the timeline of changes or updates to Google’s algorithms is important. It helps you better understand the “why” when reading your reports or data regarding your search engine marketing efforts.

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Editor’s Note: “SEO News You Can Use” is a weekly blog post posted every Monday morning only on SEOblog.com, rounding up all the top SEO news from around the world. Our goal is to make SEOblog.com a one-stop-shop for everyone looking for SEO news, education and for hiring an SEO expert with our comprehensive SEO agency directory.