How to target just one search engine and optimise for that

Question

I've been dabbling with SEO a lot in the last 6 months, and one thing that has surprised me is the disparity between Google and Bing in the way they deliver results. A website ranked for a specific keyword/phrase on Google may rank 3rd on the first page, but using the same keyword/phrase on Bing will display the same website but ranked 15th for the exact same keyword/phrase.

I came up with the idea to increase traffic to my website by targetting Bing instead of Google for several reasons. The biggest one is that while it's not the biggest search provider, people still use it, and I feel that if other websites have been "neglected" and not optimised for Bing my website would stand a better chance of getting near the top of their search rankings.

The question is though how would I do this? A lot of the SEO advice on the internet is generic, but I can't help feeling it's Google orientated for obvious reasons. How could I optimise my website to be Bing friendly, rather than Google friendly?

I know it sounds like suicide as I'm taking myself out of the Google mindset, but I feel it could work wonders for traffic to the site.

Answer 1

Simply put it takes research and testing. Start by looking at the sites that rank in Bing but don't in Google. Look for similarities and differences. Then based on the data you collect come up with a hypothesis and design tests, they could be as simple as I'm going to try this on my current site and see if it ranks better in Bing or more complex with new domains setup as control groups etc. once you're satisfied with the tests implement what you've learned, then repeat the process again.

My suggestion would be to do this with a personal site you've setup for fun so you can determine if you'll get the ROI you're expecting when you implement it on your money sites.

Answer 2

Here are some ranking criteria that will help you to get better rankings in Bing:

1. Exact match domain or keyword in the URL is the basic rule to get a higher ranking in Bing.

2. Make the keyword available in the prominent places of the landing page. It includes title, URL, description, first paragraph, and many more.

3. Submit your website to the Bing Webmasters to get a better idea about the scope of improvement on your website.

4. Competitor's analysis about page structure, the number of words, backlinks, internal links, external links on their page will help you to rank better.

Answer 3

I agree with Josh! I know how Google works better than any others, but they all have their ways about doing things, thats for sure. Bing is a lot more picky when it comes to markup code than Google. Google is a lot more lax with markup. Bing doesn't require "validation" before it will start giving you organic traffic, though that doesn't mean you will rank well either having no backlinks. Google on the other hand uses backlinks not just for "page rank", (backlinks act like a vote for your site or content) but also as a verification system, although they tell no one this. You need links to your domain from reputable sites, and you want those links to be from relevant content ( say one article that discusses a similar or the same type of subject as another). Google often will give no organic traffic to a website that has no relevant reputable backlinks. No backlinks = no organic search results. This is due to their new algorithm updates too.