Looking Beyond Google: Why Writing For Multiple Search Engines Is The Smart Option

Search engines are the titans of the digital world, and as such SEO is king in the digital marketing space. Almost 93% of all website traffic comes from search engines, and as a result, SEOs and marketers are, understandably, eager to impress them and get their website ranking for relevant searches.

Google remains the king of search engines, with the biggest market share. It processes 3.5 billion searches every day, which adds up to 1.2 trillion searches around the world every year.

However, just because Google is a big contender, doesn’t mean it’s the only search engine you should be focusing on when optimizing your website.

Google might seem like the top choice, but that’s like only buying one brand of cereal because it’s the most popular. There’s a lot of cereal out there, you just need to take a look and start spreading your wings. Overlooking Google’s smaller competitors would be a big mistake, as I’m eager to highlight.

Google Isn’t The Only Search Engine On The Market

As of January 2020, Google had 87.35% of the global search engine market share, which is impressive and makes it evident that, if users can’t see your website when searching with Google, then your website won’t get the visibility it needs.

However, there is still 12.65% of the market left, and with over 4.5% billion people using the internet currently and that number rising rapidly, it’s clear that other search engines still have a significant chunk of users.

Therefore, focusing exclusively on Google could make you miss out on billions in traffic that could potentially lead to conversions.

Not Everyone Trusts Google

As evidenced by its incredible market share, Google is clearly popular, but not with everyone. It’s a well-known fact in SEO that you shouldn’t act on everything Google tells you, and some users also distrust the search engine and commit themselves to alternatives.

Data scandals have led many internet users to distrust Google and other important members of the online community, like Facebook.

As such, they seek out alternatives like DuckDuckGo, Qwant, and others which promise not to track users’ information or share data with third parties.

With major scandals like the Cambridge Analytica showing that many leading online platforms are misusing online data, even more internet users could be turning away from Google in the future.

As such, it’s crucial that you look beyond Google and make sure that you’re aware of, and optimizing for, the smaller search engines.

Smaller Search Engines Target Specific Audiences

As highlighted above, some search engines offer unique features designed to meet the needs of specific users, like those who don’t want their data harvested and shared.

Other search engines, like Ecosia, target environmentally-focused internet users by donating 80% of their profits to charities that plant trees.

Therefore, if you want to reach a niche audience, then you will need to scour the market to find out if a small search engine targets them, and then work to optimize your site for it.

You could also consider taking out advertisements on these smaller search engines to boost your reach and get your website noticed by your target market.

In China, Baidu Has Surpassed Google

If you don’t live in or visit China regularly, then you’ve probably never even heard of Baidu. However, it’s a big deal in China and is the biggest search engine in the country.

China has one of the largest online communities in the world and is an increasingly important player in the global corporate landscape. As such, any business that wants to expand its reach in this growing global powerhouse needs to be aware of Baidu.

Originally designed to help other Chinese portals, Baidu expanded to accommodate any internet user and help them to find the products, services, and information that they need.

Today, its CEO and Co-Founder, Robin Li, is a billionaire and one of the wealthiest people in China. Baidu owns a selection of other websites, including a map provider and a video arm.

As one of the most influential websites in China, the site is worth following and incorporating into any global SEO strategy. It has the potential to reach even greater heights in the future, so keep watching the search engine market to see how far Baidu’s star rises.

Microsoft Devices Use Bing As Standard

Any device made by Microsoft, including Kindles, computers, tablets, and smartphones produced by this technical giant, have the company’s own search engine, Bing, set as the default search homepage.

This fact contributes to Bing’s strong position in the search engine market; after Google, it has the most market share.

As many internet users forget to amend their preferences and simply dive straight into searching for what they want, Bing has access to a wide audience, so it’s crucial that you consider it in your SEO strategy.

It’s also worth remembering that Bing powers Yahoo!, and as a result has a larger proportion of the market share than you might think.

Therefore, if you’re not even considering Bing and what its algorithms want from you, then you could be missing out on access to a wide range of search engine users.

Exploring Multiple Options Is Basic Risk Management

Putting all your eggs in one basket is never a good business practice, whether you’re investing money or time.

In SEO, plowing all of your efforts into optimizing your website for Google is poor risk management, because while the search engine is currently the global market leader, things could change.

In the future, the market could shift, and new players could challenge Google for the top spot. By being ahead, you’ll be able to adapt faster and have a website that’s already prepared to deal with whatever shifts the search engine market makes.

How Can You Incorporate Smaller Search Engines Into Your SEO Strategy?

It’s easier than you might think to optimize your website content for multiple search engines because many of these search engines are driven by the same aim: to provide their users with the most informative results possible.

However, some of them target specific niches and audiences, which means that you need to consider whom you are targeting, and find search engines that might appeal to them.

You can then adapt your work to fit into what these search engines are looking for and boost your chances of reaching your target audience.

Staying informed about what the major players, including Bing and Baidu, are doing, even if you’re not specifically targeting them. Follow SEO blogs and influencers to learn when an update is released and what it means for you and your website.

You can then combine this information with your knowledge of Google and its updates, to ensure that you have a website that is optimized for all of the biggest players in the market, not just Google.

It’s Not All About You, Google

Overall, Google is still the biggest search engine on the market, so you shouldn’t abandon it altogether. However, I hope this article has shown you that smaller search engines are also worth your time.

by Maayan Zohar Basteker

Senior SEO Specialist at Similarweb

Maayan, with 5+ years in SEO, specializes in complex research, strategy, and technical audits. She previously worked at a top digital marketing agency in Israel.