Does Bing really matter? Well according to comScore, they sure do! Google has the lion share of the market with 67.6% while Bing remains in second place with 18.7% and Yahoo is at 10%. With these numbers amounting for 96.3% of the market, we know that other search platforms, like AOL and Comcast, account for only 3.7%.
Business owners know the value of Google but many underestimate the value of Bing. Microsoft’s search platform isn’t a strong competitor with Google’s brand and user loyalty, but with a number of partnerships that include Facebook, Klout and TripAdvisor, Bing is taking a sniper’s approach to search versus a broad strategy.
Agencies often leverage these partnership opportunities using services like Yext to manage business listings. Along with this, general website optimization and optimization done for Google, often covers what is needed for organic visibility in Bing. When it comes to Microsoft’s search system, business owners can make use of:
- www.bing.com/webmaster – Bing’s Webmaster Tools’ System
- www.bingplaces.com – Bing Local Business Platform
- bingads.microsoft.com – Microsoft’s Pay Per Click Platform
In 2014, Microsoft has made a few changes and started working on a few transitions. The first is associated with the separation from Yahoo. Bing and Yahoo partnered thinking a joint approach would help them overcome the beast that is Google. However, when Marissa Mayer took over at Yahoo, Bing was one of the first partners on the chopping block. Their partnership is slated to end in 2015.
Along with this, Bing has expanded their maps system to include additional images and data points for local searchers. This increased focus on local coincided with Google’s local update, Pigeon.
The most recent change involved the removal of 130 million URLs for keyword stuffing. If you are at all familiar with SEO, you may know the big three no-nos of search: duplicate content, spam content (and links), and keyword stuffing. These concerns were addressed in Google during the early 00’s but it is only now that Bing is refining it’s index and improving the quality of results. Unlike the big dog, Bing offered details of the removal in a post on their official blog.
The Wrapper
Ultimately, Bing has a few tricks and tools working in their favor. It is up to business owners to determine how much value is available in the 18% share Bing manages. It is possible, that for a minimal investment of time, effort, and/or money, business owners can make the most of Bing’s market share of search.
About the Author: Chris Turner is also known as ChocolateSEO. CSEO is Chris' Nashville search marketing and consulting service offering a variety of services to help you, your company and any website maximize web-based marketing opportunities. He is the father of three girls, one boy (finally) and husband to the wonderful Savannah. Join the author's circle: Chris Turner on Google+.
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