
What Is Bing?
Bing is a search engine created by Microsoft in 2009. It helps people explore the internet by using clever algorithms to display search results based on factors like the words used and the authority/relevance of websites. Bing’s user-friendly interface offers various search options, including web content, images, videos, news, and maps. It’s also integrated into Microsoft’s software suite, which includes Windows, Microsoft Edge, and Office. While Bing offers cool features like visual and voice search, it still trails behind Google in terms of popularity. In part 1 of this 3-part blog series, we’ll be discussing what SEO is and how Bing effects SEO.
Did you know? Google has 83% market share for search engines, with Bing in second place with roughly 9% market share! Market share for Bing has more than doubled since 2019, which may seem like a small amount, but is actually hundreds of millions of people.
What Is SEO?
SEO or Search Engine Optimisation is a digital marketing technique to make websites appear higher up in search engine results pages (SERPs). Websites appearing higher up in SERPs has numerous benefits like increased website visits, which leads on to more prospects/leads which can turn into sales through nurturing. SEO can also have a domino effect on your other marketing efforts because if your site is seen more because it’s high up in SERPs, visitors can see your social media links, for example, and follow you.
SEO is all about pleasing the algorithm. The algorithm to display search results is made up of a variety of fundamental factors like backlinks, alt text on images, keyword density, meta information, etc. Without doing as much as you can towards SEO, you’re not optimising properly and losing out to competitors who are.
How Does Bing Effect SEO?
Bing plays a significant role in the world of SEO. While Google undoubtedly dominates the search engine landscape, it’s important to not disregard Bing’s relevance, particularly when targeting specific demographics and geographic regions. A good digital marketing strategy requires an understanding of Bing’s impact on SEO.
Bing’s algorithm, while sharing some similarities with Google’s, incorporates it’s own ranking factors. In contrast to Google’s emphasis on backlinks and content recency, Bing places more importance on precise keyword usage and exact match domains. This demands a precise approach to SEO, including in-depth keyword research and the integration of keywords into content, all while maintaining readability and user experience.
Additionally, Bing pays attention to social signals. Activities on social media platforms, such as shares, likes, and comments, influence a website’s ranking on Bing’s search results. A well-structured social media strategy becomes a potent tool for bolstering one’s SEO efforts on the Bing platform.
Demographics also come into play when considering Bing’s impact. Bing’s user base tends to skew slightly older compared to Google’s. As a result, user behaviour and preferences diverge considerably. So when targeting this demographic, tailoring your content and SEO tactics to cater to Bing’s specific audience characteristics is key.
Final Thoughts
While Bing may not wield the dominant presence of Google, it undeniably stands as a formidable contender, characterised by its specific SEO rules. Recognising these specificities and tailoring one’s SEO strategy accordingly is crucial for anyone looking to maximise their website’s visibility within Bing’s domain.
Tune in next week for Part 2: “Advantages Of Bing Over Google”!