Utilizing Search Engines Other than Google for Local SEO
Here at Now Media Group, located in sunny San Diego, CA, we know the importance of being found online by potential local customers. While Google may seem like the leading search engine, other search engines should factor into your strategy. In this helpful guide, we’ll explore how to optimize for major alternatives like DuckDuckGo, Bing, and Yahoo to increase your local visibility.
By diversifying beyond Google, you can connect with local searchers who use alternatives for privacy or preference. Give us a call at (858) 333-8950 to discuss how we can improve your local SEO on not just Google but alternative search engines as well.
Popular Alternative Search Engines for Local SEO
DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused search engine that has seen tremendous growth in recent years. It provides localized and contextual results without tracking or profiling users’ information. This makes it appealing to privacy-conscious searchers. DuckDuckGo now averages over 100 million searches per day, so optimizing for it can drive significant traffic.
Bing
Bing is Microsoft’s search engine and the second most popular in the US and many other countries. Despite Google’s dominance, Bing still holds around 25% of the market share. It considers local signals like business name, address, and categories when ranking localized results. Optimizing for Bing can help you reach local searchers who use it for personal preference or defaults on Windows devices.
Yahoo
While Google has overtaken it, Yahoo also retains decent popularity for local and web searches. It powers the search on their popular news, content, and service properties. Local businesses shouldn’t ignore Yahoo when going beyond just targeting Google.
Optimizing for Alternative Search Engines
When optimizing for DuckDuckGo, Bing, Yahoo, and other alternatives, focus on high-quality, locally relevant content rather than trying to over-optimize for specific keywords. These search engines reward pages that actually engage and inform local users.
- Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and loads quickly. More than half of all searches now happen on mobile devices, making a fast, responsive site essential. Optimize page speed and mobile UX across all pages.
- Build local citations and reviews on directories, review sites, and other local data sources to signal reputation. The major engines draw local data from many of the same major data aggregation partners. Consistent NAP and categories across citation sources bolster local SEO.
- Use structured data markups like JSON-LD and schema.org to identify key business info—name, address, phone number, opening hours, etc. This makes it easy for search engines to understand your business and prominently display this information in results.
- Produce and promote fresh, high-quality blog content that engages local users and answers their questions or interests. Focus on topics relevant to locals rather than generic keyword-focused content. Link internally to important pages you want to be indexed.
Measuring Success with Alternative Search Traffic
- Use website analytics to track visits from DuckDuckGo, Bing, Yahoo, and other alternative search engines as referrals. Compare traffic levels and site metrics before and after optimizing to gauge the overall impact on driving visits from these sources.
- Monitor DuckDuckGo, Bing, and Yahoo rankings for important local keywords related to your products, services, and location. Use rank-tracking software to determine if you are gaining visibility in these engines.
- Consider setting up location-specific PPC campaigns through Microsoft Advertising or Yahoo Gemini to further expand your reach and exposure in Bing and Yahoo search results. Measure conversions driven by these PPC platforms.
Diversify for More Local Customers, Call Today!
Want help improving your local SEO beyond just Google? Our team can assess your current visibility on major alternative search engines and identify specific opportunities to boost traffic from them. Get in touch with Now Media Group by calling (858) 333-8950 to discuss strategies for increasing your local search presence across the web, not just Google alone. The more thoroughly you optimize across search engines, the more ways local customers can find your business.