While Google may dominate search, other engines like Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo still drive significant traffic.
Ignoring them means missing out on potential visitors. This guide from a top SEO service in Canada covers actionable SEO strategies tailored for these search engines.
Learn how to optimize for Bing’s Crawl Budget, build authority with Yahoo, and leverage DuckDuckGo’s privacy focus.
Just focusing on Google is short-sighted. Implement these beyond-Google SEO tactics to expand your reach and attract more searchers across the engines.
Why Care About Alternative Search Engines?
There are a few key reasons to consider search engine optimization (SEO) beyond just Google:
- Reach more searchers – Even though their market share is small, alternative search engines still drive significant search volume. Optimizing for them can expose your content to new audiences.
- Hedge against Google algorithm changes –Focusing SEO efforts on just one search engine carries risk. By diversifying, you make your organic traffic sources more resilient.
- Gain a competitive edge –Many sites still only optimize for Google. By expanding your SEO scope, you can get ahead of competitors.
- Improve user experience –Optimizing for multiple search engines forces you to focus on creating quality content and site architecture. This improves the experience for all users.
Top SEO Tips for Bing
Owned by Microsoft, Bing is the second-largest search engine globally. Here are some key optimization tips for Bing:
- Focus on title tags – Strong, keyword-rich title tags are critical for Bing rankings. Aim for titles under 65 characters.
- Optimize content for long-tail queries –Bing seems to favor long-tail, conversational queries. Target these in your content.
- Prioritize site speed –Site speed is a ranking factor for Bing. Check your page speeds and optimize where possible.
- Use structured data –Adding schema markup helps Bing understand your content. I use schema on my site and have seen nice lifts.
- Get your XML sitemap submitted – This helps Bing discover new pages. Submit sitemaps through Bing Webmaster Tools.
Excelling at SEO for Yahoo
Once the king of search, Yahoo’s share has dwindled but optimization can still drive visits. Tips for Yahoo include:
- Earn backlinks –More so than other engines, Yahoo focuses heavily on backlinks in its ranking algorithm. Build a robust backlink profile.
- Optimize for long-tail, question-style queries – Yahoo users tend to use long, conversational questions. Target these queries.
- Update content regularly –Fresh, frequently updated content performs better. I try to refresh my content every 3-6 months.
- Leverage multimedia –Yahoo favors content with images, videos and infographics. Incorporate visuals in your content.
- Sign up for Yahoo Site Explorer –This tool provides data to improve Yahoo SEO like crawl stats and backlinks.
Mastering DuckDuckGo SEO
Privacy-focused DuckDuckGo has seen tremendous growth. Tips for DuckDuckGo include:
- Create excellent content –With no personalization, only stellar content ranks. Write comprehensive, useful content.
- Optimize for keywords in titles and headers –DuckDuckGo focuses heavily on on-page keywords for relevance. Place keywords in titles, headers and body.
- Write longer, in-depth content – DuckDuckGo favors long-form, authoritative content. I aim for at least 2000+ words for pillar content.
- Highlight expertise –Mentions of credentials and expertise can improve relevance. Spotlight your expertise where applicable.
- Get quality backlinks – While not as crucial as for Yahoo, quality backlinks still give a boost in DuckDuckGo.
