Optimize Your Web Site For Bing

Those who visit Bing will find that the site provides general search and a category search. Other than a large graphic, the search engine doesn't appear to have a lot behind it. However, Microsoft has reported a more intelligent search engine and new search experience.

The question that website owners want answered is how the new engine produces results differently than the previous search engine and what optimization techniques should be used compared to those used for Google and Yahoo! I've done quite a bit of research on the subject and it appears that there are only a few factors that might influence Bing results compared to Google. The thing to keep in mind is that following SEO best practices will rule the day.

When looking at top ranked websites, an in depth analysis can be done to see which factors vary between top results. A recent comparison that I viewed showed that the number one ranking website on Bing was able to keep a leg up on the competition by having an older domain age, and having inbound links from websites that included the primary keyword in the referring site's title tag. In short, the top web site was successful in building inbound links from other SEO sites and directories as opposed to being from unrelated websites.

What I find particularly interesting is that Bing is relying on many of the same factors that Google has been using from day one. The factor you should be most concerned with is inbound linking. Both search engines like inbound links. More importantly, they like relevant in bound links. Use this information to guide your SEO campaigns and determine which sites to target for link exchanges.

Organic search should be at the top of your list. If it is then you know where you need to focus, inbound linking. If you haven't gotten on the organic rankings band wagon, then start with on page optimization. Once your site is formatted appropriately, start with off page optimization and link building.

The other place you want to focus is content. Quality content is vital. But trying to attract users with quality content alone is not enough to rank on top for competitive keywords. Make is easy for others to link to your content and give them a reason to do so. Add time to your daily efforts to acquire links from relevant and authoritative sites to increase your rankings and keep you on top of search engine results.

You may be asking yourself which search engine you should be optimizing your web site for. Based on what I've seen, I'm encouraged by preliminary Bing related findings. I believe that Bing is using many of the same factors that Google uses to evaluate a site's relevance to a search query. As always, focus on white hat methods to optimize your site and follow SEO basics.

If you're looking for a quick way to rank out on top for Bing, Google, or Yahoo! for that matter, consider leveraging existing websites that has some age, a number of inbound links from authority websites, and quality content.