Understanding Bing and Other Search Engines
When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO), a lot of attention is given to optimizing for Google — and rightly so. Google has dominated the global search engine market share for years. But there are other players in the field that can equally benefit your website. Bing, for instance, isn’t just another search engine. It powers searches on Yahoo and has partnered with AOL and Amazon’s Alexa.
While it’s true that Bing doesn’t boast the audience size of Google, the Microsoft-owned search engine still is used by millions of people each day, thus creating potential opportunities for businesses to reach new audiences.
Aside from Bing, search engines like DuckDuckGo and Baidu have also their unique attributes and demographic appeal that create valuable opportunities for strategic optimization. If Google’s ever-changing algorithms and data privacy policies have made SEO a bit arduous, it might be wise to consider diversifying your SEO strategies to include Bing and other search engines.
Optimizing for Bing
As with any search engine, Bing uses its unique algorithms to deliver search results. Understanding its algorithm helps devise a an effective Bing-specific SEO strategy. Here are a few prominent aspects to consider when optimizing for Bing:
Keyword Selection: Bing is less sophisticated than Google when analyzing the context of content. Therefore, it relies heavily on keywords. Use precise, relevant keywords in your content, meta titles, descriptions, and URL. Bear in mind also that Bing values local keyword usage, making it effective to businesses who prioritize local SEO.
Website Structure: Bing favors websites that are easy to navigate, showcasing a logical and visible sitemap that enables the search engine to quickly understand and index site content.
Social Media Interactions: Unlike Google, Bing openly admits to ranking websites based on their social media interactions. More likes, shares, and social media presence equals better ranking on Bing.
Backlinks: Bing’s algorithm places substantial importance on the number of social shares and backlinks that a site receives. However, it emphasizes on the quality of the links over the quantity. Bing prefers backlinks from older, more established websites.
Optimizing for Other Search Engines
Optimizing for alternative search engines such as DuckDuckGo and Baidu requires understanding their unique algorithmic needs.
DuckDuckGo: DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused search engine that has seen growth in usage over recent years due to increasing privacy concerns among internet users. Since DuckDuckGo doesn’t track its user’s activities, traditional methods of SEO, such as targeting based on user behavior, don’t apply here.
For DuckDuckGo, the focus should be more on local SEO, high-quality backlinks, and using well-structured, clean HTML. Since DuckDuckGo aggregates its results from different sources, optimized sites on Bing and Yahoo are likely to perform well on DuckDuckGo too.
Baidu: As the dominant search engine in China, Baidu optimization aids businesses looking to reach the Chinese market. Baidu tends to favor new content and websites that are hosted in China or nearby regions.
Optimizing for Baidu involves regular content updates, targeting the right Mandarin keywords, and avoiding blocked sites (like Facebook and Google) that Baidu won’t be able to crawl. Solid technical SEO implementation and hosting your site in China (or at least not in a location that’s blocked by the Great Firewall of China) could also boost your Baidu rankings.
To sum up, while Google should be the primary focus for SEO, it shouldn’t be the only one. There are other search engines out there that could help you reap significant traffic and visibility benefits. By understanding how each of these search engines operate, you can devise a holistic SEO strategy that benefits your website on multiple fronts.