Should I Optimize My Website for Bing?

When it comes to search engines, Google is, without a doubt, the undisputed platform. Although Google does not release its search volume data, a recent Hubspot report estimates that Google delivers nearly 63,000 search results per second. That equates to 5.6 billion searches per day and over two trillion searches annually. It’s fair to say that the overwhelming majority of your marketing efforts and resources should go toward Google Ads.

However, second to Google in search volume (albeit not a close second) is Bing. Powered by Microsoft, Bing is a web search engine that offers a variety of search services, including web, video, image, and map search products. Like Google, Bing also offers a full spectrum of advertising services with a platform designed for both organic and paid search engine optimization (SEO).

How Does Bing Compare to Google?

On the surface, Bing and Google perform the same function: they both deliver search results. Dig a little deeper, however, and you’ll discover some differences between the two search engines. For instance, here are some differences that experts commonly point out:

  • Bing’s autocomplete is more advanced than Google’s, offering better algorithms and eight suggestions than Google’s four.
  • Bing has a significantly better video search. The video thumbnails are larger and animated so that you do not have to leave the search page to preview videos. 
  • Google shopping results are far superior to Bing’s. You are more likely to find a wider variety of products from more vendors at a broader price range. 
  • Bing has adopted smart searches used by Google, such as unit conversions, movie showtimes, local weather, or information about prominent people. 
  • Google’s Image Search interface is smoother than Bing’s. However, Bing has an image search that allows you to remove specific parts of your chosen search terms with one click.

Is Bing or Google Better for SEO?

While Google and Bing both serve a similar purpose, you begin to notice considerable differences when applying SEO principles. Just type in the same search term in each of them, and you will get different organic search results. To be honest, it’s hard to condense all of the SEO factors that separate Bing from Google so that you can get the bigger picture. Here are just a few.

Algorithms

Website developers and SEO specialists have a vested interest in a search engine’s algorithms, which Bing and Google explain in detail. Understanding these algorithms helps designers optimize a website for both on-page and off-page SEO. Where Bing comes out on top is in page redirects (301, 302s, etc.). Redirects work more smoothly on Bing’s platform than Google’s. However,

Ranking Factors

If your website ranks high in a Google search, don’t expect the same results in Bing. That’s because Bings ranking factors for search results are largely different than Google’s. The contrast is subtle enough to keep you from overhauling your website but noticeable enough so that you will likely perform better on one platform than the other. Fortunately, any changes you make to your website to rank well on both engines are small.

Organic Search

The differences in Google’s and Bing’s algorithms can wreak havoc on your website when it comes to organic search results. One of the most noticeable differences is that Bing seems to prioritize content from established companies or domains that end in .gov or .edu. The best way to overcome the differences and rank higher in organic searches is to produce consistently high-quality content regularly. 

Metadata

Bing heavily relies on conventional methods in understanding content like page titles, keywords in a domain, and metadata. Specifically, Meta descriptions play a greater role in how Bing assesses a website. Google has little interest in these factors due to its more advanced interpretation of content within a broader context.

Multimedia Content

If your website contains JavaScript media, it is likely to perform better on Google than Bing. Google’s crawlers can decode the JavaScript sections of your website. This feature has improved over the last few years. Bing’s Webmaster Guidelines warn that rich media (JavaScript, Flash, etc.) may result in Bing having trouble crawling through the navigation or not being able to see content that’s embedded in your webpage.

Mobile Responsiveness

Google uses a mobile version of your website for ranking and indexing purposes. Therefore, all metadata and mobile content must be fully optimized to match the desktop version. Bing’s policy on this is different when it concerns indexing content. It does not apply any mobile-first indexing policy. Instead, Bing maintains a single index that’s optimized for both desktop and mobile.

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Tips for Optimizing Your Website for Bing

While there are some differences between Bing and Google, the principles for optimizing your website are the same.

Produce High-Quality Content

The same SEO content principles that apply to Google apply to Bing. To start, make sure your website content is optimized; meaning, it contains essential SEO elements. Plus, the content is informative, unique, readable, and accurate. Pages need to be roughly 1,000 words with information that directly answers the search query to keep bounce rates low.

Utilize Social Media

According to the Bing webmaster guidelines, social media presence - particularly as a channel that drives traffic back to the website - is high on Bing’s priority list. How well your social media page performs is an indicator of how well your brand is performing overall, which could spill over into your website.

Focus on On-Page SEO

To rank for Bing, focus your efforts on on-page SEO rather than off-page SEO. Bing prioritizes content with exact keyword matching in page titles, meta descriptions, and web content. Therefore, you need to adjust readability for long-tail keywords. Using keywords in URL slugs, subheadings, and your content’s first paragraph are also good practices.

Improve URL Indexing

Bing’s algorithm will index your content more effectively using categories and tags to make your website pages more discoverable. If you improve URL indexing, Bing delivers better search results and ad experiences. 

List Your Business on Bing Places

Bing’s equivalent of Google My Business (GMB) is Bing Places, useful for local search results. Listing your business on Bing Places improves your local SEO ranking performance. As a bonus, Bing rewards your website if you display your location on your website if the location matches the location on Bing Places. The same reward also applies to social media pages.

Contact Magnyfi for Automated Lead Follow-Up Solutions

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