Google or Bing, which is better for Digital Marketing/SEO?
Google is like the synonym of a search engine that powers various digital marketing and SEO efforts of anyone.
Another well-known search engine used for digital marketing is Bing. Over the years, search engines have undergone extensive changes in the way they provide SEO-rich information to people. All search engines, despite their similar appearances, differ from each other. And on a global level, Google and Bing are still the undisputed search engine leaders.
Precisely, Google has a better edge as it is the preferred search engine in major Western countries. Bing on the other hand is shelling out its resources with considerable effort for a potential catch-up to Google.
Microsoft Bing
It was launched as Bing.com in 2006 and got renamed to Windows Live Search as a Google competitor before settling down for Bing in 2009.
Contrary to Google, Bing’s algorithms are not updated regularly. And algorithm changes are a crucial factor that will impact website ranks.
Developed in 1998 for analyzing backlinks authority, it has significantly expanded to more than 50 internet services so far.
The initial backlink services of Google were what made it the current industry leader. Unlike Bing, the Google algorithm undergoes frequent changes including everything from major updates to minor tweaks. This is why Google is so good for most of the digital marketing and SEO strategies.
Features
Google and Bing are almost similar in terms of basic search functions as they handle text, video, image, and map searches well. They also have a shopping feature and news feed.
Differences
Even though they have the same purpose, they have significant differences as well. If to be said from a digital marketing perspective, they offer substantially different organic results for the same phrase.
Technical SEO
Both Bing and Google’s technical factors such as site speed, mobile-friendliness, etc. are evident in their ranking algorithms.
Both search engines give positive results when websites are optimized by considering their behind-the-scenes structure and on-page technical SEO.
And it is important to note that these factors also vary across each search engine.
Organic Search
Bing and Google use opposing algorithms and fetches content that aligns with user needs. So, content optimization across both will have significant overlap, meaning high-quality brand content should be prioritized.
Bing focuses on established, traffic-rich online content that has been out there for a long time, evident from its preference for top-level official domains such as.edu and.gov. Google gives equal focus on popular or even commercial websites.
Critically compare the results from either search engine especially when your sites are not optimized.
Off-Page SEO
As mentioned earlier, backlink analysis is Google’s primary method for ranking websites. If a website has more backlinks, it will have more overall authority, especially when its search results appear more prominently.
Bing, on the other hand, places less emphasis on backlinks, unlike Google SEO. Although they both similarly treat backlinks, notably to establish authority by considering the number of links, their relevance, and quality.
Google has Mobile-First Indexing
Make sure your desktop website content is highly mobile-optimized with an enhanced user experience because Google ranks and indexes them using a mobile version.
Google’s mobile-first indexing move across all sites came into effect by the end of 2020.
Maps
The functions of Google Maps and Bing Maps are widely used in digital marketing, which is why they are central to both of their offerings.
Both map applications have few visual differences from each other and in their user interfaces and provide a knowledge panel with information about a business or the area. A significant difference can be seen in the way both the web mapping services provide in terms of direction, estimated travel time, and route information.
Google’s journey time estimates are 3–5 percent more than Bing’s making them somewhat longer.
Voice Search
This feature is the boom in today’s timeline as people use it all the time to perform searches on the go. Since both search engines are good you should consider optimizing your website for voice search features by considering all the changes in your customers’ interactions with your brand.
So, which one to go for?
Yes, there’s no denying that Google owns the search engine realm. And Bing is exhibiting constant improvement, it might even trump Google’s market share in the future especially since Google is caught up with issues concerning user privacy, corporate responsibility, and business ethics.
To be honest, you cannot choose between Bing and Google as both have their own set of tricks up their sleeves. Both are vital in boosting your digital marketing and SEO strategies on an integrated level. So, understand both platforms in detail and use them wisely and simultaneously to your advantage for the best overall performance.
