Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for businesses and websites to get found online today. With billions of webpages online, SEO helps make a website visible in search engines like Google and Bing. By optimizing content and web pages, a site can rank higher in search results for relevant queries. This increases organic traffic from search, allowing a business to reach more customers without paying for ads.
SEO considers both on-page elements (content, HTML tags, site architecture) and off-page elements (backlinks, social shares). Optimizing these factors improves a site’s authority and relevance in the eyes of search algorithms. While the basics are similar, ranking in Google versus Bing does require some differing optimization tactics. This article will explore the key differences between optimizing for Google versus Bing and best practices for ranking well in both search engines. Understanding the nuances between the two can help websites maximize visibility and traffic across multiple search platforms.
What is Bing?
Bing is a search engine owned and operated by Microsoft. It was launched in 2009 and is the second largest search engine in the world after Google.
Some key facts about Bing:
– Owned by Microsoft – Bing is owned and operated by Microsoft as part of its Microsoft Services division. This means it is deeply integrated with other Microsoft products and services.
– Second largest search engine globally – Though far behind Google in market share, Bing has solidified itself as the second most popular search engine. It has around 7-8% of the global search engine market.
– Powers Yahoo Search – Through a partnership with Yahoo, Bing powers the backend of Yahoo’s search engine. So when you search on Yahoo, you’re actually searching Bing’s index.
– Used by Siri and Cortana – Bing provides the search results for Apple’s Siri voice assistant and also Microsoft’s own Cortana assistant. So voice searches on iOS or Windows devices use Bing.
– Main focus is US and Western markets – While Google dominates worldwide, Bing has managed to gain more traction in the US, UK, Australia and other Western countries, where it holds around 15% market share.
So in summary, Bing is Microsoft’s web search engine offering. While it lags behind Google in market share, it has established itself as the second biggest player.
What is Google?
Google is the world’s most popular search engine, receiving over 3.5 billion searches per day. It was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin and is now owned by Alphabet Inc.
Some key facts about Google:
– Processes over 40,000 search queries every second
– Accounts for over 90% of global search engine market share
– Offers services beyond search like Gmail, Maps, Drive, YouTube, and more
– Pioneered key search innovations like PageRank algorithm and semantic search
– Primary source of revenue is advertising through AdWords/Ads
– Mission is to “organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”
– Known for simplicity of homepage with just a search box and two buttons
– Indexes hundreds of billions of webpages
– Available in over 150 languages
– Offers localized versions for many countries
As the dominant player in search, Google sets the standard that other search engines aim to match. Its vast index and constant innovation with algorithms and AI make it the #1 starting point for most people’s search journeys. Ranking high in Google is critical for visibility, traffic, and success for any website or content creator.
Key Differences Between Bing and Google SEO
While Bing and Google are both search engines, there are some key differences in optimizing for each one:
Indexing Methods
- Google uses web crawlers to find and index pages. Bing relies more on site maps and feeds to discover new content. Submitting a site map helps Bing index your site faster.
- Google indexes pages more quickly than Bing. It can take days or weeks for new or updated content to appear in Bing.
- Bing places more emphasis on freshness of content. Recent updates may get crawled and ranked faster.
Keyword Analysis
- The keyword tools differ slightly. Google Keyword Planner shows monthly searches while Bing Keyword Research shows weekly averages. Study both for the full picture.
- Keyword difficulty and competition levels vary between the engines. Target keywords that are a good match for each search engine.
Personalization
– Bing incorporates user search history and location more prominently into results. Optimizing for local SEO is critical for Bing.
– Google also personalizes but focuses more on site content and signals like PageRank. Global optimization is more important for Google.
Site Links
– Bing only displays sitelinks for the top result. Google shows sitelinks for all relevant results.
– Earning sitelinks depends on different factors. Have a well-structured internal linking scheme for both search engines.
Other Differences
– Bing incorporates more user signals like clicks, dwell time, and interactions into rankings. Google focuses purely on on-site factors.
– Bing places more emphasis on social signals and author authority markers.
– Googlebot renders JavaScript. Bingbot doesn’t execute JS as much. Adapt technical SEO accordingly.
Keyword Research for Bing vs Google
When doing keyword research for Bing and Google, there are some key tools you’ll want to use:
- SEMrush – SEMrush allows you to see search volume data for both Bing and Google. This makes it easy to find high volume keywords that work for both search engines. You can also see keyword difficulty scores.
- Moz Keyword Explorer – Moz provides keyword volumes for Google, but also has a separate database for Bing keyword data. This is helpful for seeing which keywords have more search volume on Bing vs Google.
- Google Keyword Planner – Google’s free Keyword Planner tool shows volumes specifically for Google search. Use it to find high volume Google keywords.
- Bing Keyword Research tool – Bing has its own keyword research tool that shows volumes specifically for Bing. It’s useful for finding keywords that are popular on Bing.
The key is to use a mix of these tools to find keywords that have good search volume on both Bing and Google. Look for overlaps in the keyword data to optimize for both search engines. Also pay attention to keyword difficulty – some terms that rank well on Bing may be more competitive on Google and vice versa. Doing thorough keyword research is the foundation for optimizing for both search engines.
Optimizing for Google
Google is the dominant search engine, with over 90% market share globally. Therefore, most SEO efforts focus primarily on optimizing for Google. Here are some key factors to consider:
Title Tags
The title tag is critical for Google SEO. It should contain the target keyword, be under 60 characters, and entice users to click. Write title tags with humans in mind, not just keywords.
Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions summarize page content and appear in search results. While not directly used for rankings, compelling meta descriptions can improve click-through-rates. Keep them under 155 characters.
Headings (H1, H2, etc)
Headings help structure content and improve on-page SEO. Use target keywords in headings appropriately without over-optimizing. Have a single H1 heading per page.
Content
Google’s algorithms analyze content for relevance, expertise, originality and value. Optimize content through keyword research and integration. Ensure pages directly answer user queries with comprehensive, in-depth information.
Backlinks
Google considers backlinks as ‘votes’ for a site’s authority and relevance. Earn high-quality backlinks from reputable sites to improve rankings. Guest posting and link building outreach can help build backlinks.
Page Speed
Page speed impacts mobile rankings and user experience. Optimize images, minify CSS/JS, enable caching, and compress files to improve page speeds. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify fixes.
Mobile Friendliness
With mobile usage surpassing desktop, a mobile-friendly responsive design is essential. Ensure content is easily readable on small screens. Avoid interstitials and other mobile friction.
By focusing on these core elements, you can optimize sites to rank higher in Google and provide a great user experience. Conduct ongoing keyword research, create valuable content, earn backlinks, and analyze data to refine efforts.
Optimizing for Bing
Bing places emphasis on different factors than Google when it comes to search engine optimization. Here are some key areas to focus on when optimizing specifically for Bing:
XML Sitemaps
Submitting an XML sitemap helps Bing index your site more efficiently. Make sure your sitemap contains all the pages you want indexed and submit it in Bing Webmaster Tools. Keep the sitemap updated as you add new content.
Keyword Consistency
Use keywords consistently across your site, especially in titles, headers, meta descriptions, content, and image alt text. Bing looks for semantic keyword signals to understand relevance.
Site Speed
Site speed is a ranking factor for Bing. Keep page sizes optimized, enable compression, and minimize redirects to deliver fast page load times. Monitor site performance in Bing Webmaster Tools.
Backlinks
Quality backlinks from relevant sites help boost rankings in Bing, similar to Google. Focus on earning links naturally from sites with topical authority. Avoid manipulative linking schemes.
Structured Data
Adding schema.org structured data can improve how your content appears in Bing search results. Ensure your structured data is valid through testing tools.
By focusing on these areas in addition to overall good SEO practices, you can optimize specifically for higher visibility in Bing search results. Monitor your performance in Bing Webmaster Tools and tweak your strategy over time for better rankings.
Best Practices for Both Bing and Google SEO
There are several best practices that apply to optimizing for both Bing and Google search:
- Mobile-friendliness – Make sure your website is mobile-friendly and responsive. Both Bing and Google prioritize sites that provide a good user experience on mobile devices. Use responsive design, avoid interstitials, minimize page load times.
- Site speed – Faster site speeds lead to better rankings on both search engines. Optimize images, minimize HTTP requests, enable compression, and leverage browser caching. Use tools like PageSpeed Insights to identify optimizations.
- Quality content – Unique, high-quality content that answers user intent is important for SEO success with both Bing and Google. Focus on creating content that adds value for users.
- Local SEO – If you have a local business, optimizing for local SEO is key. Have a Google My Business and Bing Places listing, include your address, use local keywords.
- Structured data – Adding schema markup helps search engines understand your content. Use structured data on both sites.
- Link building – Natural backlinks from authoritative sites are valued by both Bing and Google. Focus on high-quality links, not just quantity.
- Technical SEO – Have a sitemap, robots.txt file, use alt text on images, optimize page titles and meta descriptions. These technical elements help with SEO on both search engines.
By focusing on creating a great user experience and implementing search best practices, you can optimize for both major search engines. Regularly analyze your search analytics to identify opportunities.
Tracking and Analyzing Results
Using the right analytics tools is crucial for tracking and measuring the success of your SEO efforts on both Bing and Google. Here are some of the key platforms to leverage:
Google Analytics
Google Analytics provides detailed insights into your website traffic and performance. When connected to your Google Search Console account, you can see how well your pages are ranking for target keywords and view click-through rates. Key metrics to analyze include:
– Organic traffic growth
– Top landing pages
– Bounce rates
– Pageviews per session
– Top referral sources
Review trends over time to see the impact of your optimization efforts.
Google Search Console
Google Search Console shows how Google views and indexes your site. It provides data on impressions, clicks, and position for keywords you’re targeting. Use it to:
– Submit sitemaps
– Fix indexing issues
– View crawl errors
– See search analytics
Bing Webmaster Tools
The Bing equivalent of Search Console. Connect it to see how Bing views your site and track keyword rankings. Key features include:
– Indexing status
– Crawl stats
– Sitemaps
– SEO reports
– Link analysis
Compare metrics between Search Console and Webmaster Tools to optimize pages for higher rankings in both search engines.
By leveraging Google Analytics along with the search console tools, you can measure the impact of your optimization efforts and identify areas for improvement. Analyze the data regularly to refine your SEO strategy for better visibility in both Bing and Google search.
Conclusion On Bing SEO & Google SEO
In summary, while Google still dominates the search engine market, Bing has steadily grown in popularity and now powers a significant portion of searches. This means that most websites should aim to optimize for both search engines to maximize visibility.
The core SEO best practices, like optimizing title tags, headings, content, etc. apply to both Bing and Google. However, there are some key differences in how each search engine algorithm works. Google relies more heavily on external links and domain authority, while Bing places more emphasis on on-page content signals.
When researching keywords, it’s important to analyze the data separately for each engine, as the competition and search volumes can vary. Overall, an effective SEO strategy involves:
– Conducting thorough keyword research for both Bing and Google
– Optimizing on-page elements for keywords and readability
– Building high-quality backlinks from reputable sites
– Creating compelling, useful content that answers searchers’ queries
– Monitoring rankings and traffic in both Bing and Google Search Console
– Adjusting efforts based on the unique algorithm behaviors
By leveraging the similarities and differences between the two engines, brands can develop an SEO strategy tailored for success in both Bing and Google. With continual optimization and refinement, sites can gain visibility and traffic in the two most widely used search engines.