It’s no secret that in the world of search engines, Google reigns supreme. Most people focus their SEO efforts on Google because of its popularity, and often times good SEO results in high rankings across most search engines. However, some people notice that when they focus on Google, their Google rank is high and their Yahoo and Bing rankings are dismal. We’ve broken down the reasons behind this discrepancy and what you can do to fix it and achieve a high ranking on all three search engines.
Why SEO Strategists Focus on Google
Google is the most popular search engine across the web. In fact, nearly 80% of total searches take place on Google. Searches on Bing and Yahoo combined make up only about 18% of total searches. For this reason, Google is the most important place for your business to rank. Each search engine has its own individual algorithm for ranking websites, making it difficult to cater to all three algorithms. Often times, SEO strategists will just focus on Google because that’s where a high rank will give you the most results in terms of traffic and leads.
The Importance of Other Search Engines
For many reasons, Google is the most important search engine, but that doesn’t mean that other search engines don’t matter. Bing and Yahoo make up almost 20% of total searches, which is still a sizable amount. Additionally, use of these search engines is higher among certain groups. Elderly people, people who aren’t tech-savvy, Cortana users, and Yahoo mail users all often turn to Bing or Yahoo for their searches. If your business has a good amount of customers in these demographics, if definitely worth putting some effort into ranking on these alternate search engines.
The Difference Between the Algorithms
Each search engine has a unique algorithm that it uses to rank websites. Google heavily relies on text, even to rank images, which will contain alt-text. Yahoo and Bing, on the other hand, are highly visual. Google focuses on context-based keywords and meanings behind searches and web pages, while Bing and Yahoo are more focused on direct keywords. Bing also emphasizes the domain age when considering authority, while the other sites do not. Bing gives a bigger boost to local searches (great for small businesses), while Google usually focuses on bigger companies as more authoritative. Each search engine has its own unique algorithm, and it’s important to know what’s important to each one to improve your ranking.
How to Optimize for All Three
Although we often focus on Google, it’s entirely possible to optimize your content for all three search engines. The best way to go about this process is to simply provide useful, educational, and high-quality content for your users that they want to read. You should still follow text guidelines set by Google, such as including at least 400 words on a page and 600-800 for blog posts, but you should also include a lot of visuals throughout your content to appeal to Yahoo and Bing. Including these visuals has the added bonus of breaking up your text and making your content more enjoyable for users. You should still include indirect, context-based keywords, but include direct ones too to make sure all of your bases are covered. However, you should still avoid keyword stuffing at all costs. When you incorporate elements from each search engine, you have a better chance of improving your rank across ever search engine.
ImageWorks, LLC | CT Search Engine Optimization
While professional SEO services can offer many opportunities to your business, you should never depend on SEO alone for the growth of your business. The companies that thrive on the online world have a comprehensive approach and utilize both online and offline marketing strategies. SEO can be a big piece; however, it is only one slice of the marketing pie.
By integrating all of today's Web tools such as SEO, social media, pay per click, and blogs, ImageWorks, LLC can turn your site into a lead generation tool.
