Website Search Engine Optimization: Why You Can't Afford to Ignore Bing and Yahoo

Website Search Engine Optimization: Why You Can't Afford to Ignore Bing and Yahoo

While Google is still the top priority for website search engine optimization, Bing and Yahoo matter now more than ever.

Google has been top dog for search engines since anyone can remember. As of now, Google owns over 65 percent of the search engine market. It's so ubiquitous that the company's name is now the verb we use to describe the process of using a search engine. Just as Band-Aid is the term most people use for an adhesive bandage, Google is a household brand name. The thing with brands though, is that they tend to sit back and ride on their fame. Sooner or later, the competition catches up. That's just what's happening with Google now.

Near the end of 2012, Bing and Yahoo announced a partnership called the Yahoo Bing Network. According to their agreement, Microsoft's Bing, will power Yahoo's search engine and Yahoo will handle the search engine's advertising strategy.

Why the Microsoft-Yahoo Partnership Should Matter to You

Bing and Yahoo own 15% of the search engine market. For every 100 billion searches that Google handles, Yahoo and Bing counter it with 10 billion. That's not a small slice of the pie, and in spite of being the Internet's underdogs when it comes to search engines, Yahoo and Bing are performing very well. Last quarter, their search traffic grew by 9.6 percent. Compare that to Google's 0.7 percent. This doesn't mean you need to jump ship from Google SEO practices, but it's time to make sure you're optimizing for Bing as well.

Microsoft's reach extends to more households than any other company in the world. It has multiple platforms through which it can promote its search engine: Xbox, Surface, PCs and countless Microsoft software products. Facebook, which boasts 1.2 billion users worldwide, already uses Bing to power its search engine. If Microsoft ever develops its answer to Apple's Siri, it will undoubtedly use Bing for the data, and this could be a potential game changer.

SEO for Bing

In light of these trends, Internet marketers would be wise to account for Bing as they map out their SEO strategies. If you're already optimized for Google, the lion's share of the work is already behind you. These added tips will help you optimize for Bing as well.

1. Bing algorithms tend to favor content that is over 300 words. Make 300 words the minimum length for each of your blog posts or articles.
2. Share the wealth and post links on your site that lead your visitors to related sites. Bing places a high value on outbound links, more so than other search engines.
3. Bing's FAQ page states that you should target no more than two keywords per page. We suggest targeting your primary keyword and then another long-tail keyword. Refocus your attention on title tags if you have been lax. Bing loves them.

Consult with efelle's website search engine optimization experts to be sure you're doing all you can to optimize your website for traffic from both Google and Bing.

efelle has been providing expert advice and search engine optimization services since 2005. With its finger on the pulse of the search engine market, our experts can bring your website's performance to new heights. Call us at 206.384.4909 or use our online contact form to find out how we improve your search engine marketing.

See Also:
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5 Link-Building Tips for Small Businesses