The battle of the search engines
Google has been the uncontested leader in SEO since the early 2000s. However, as we spoke about in our previous article on ChatGPT Search, a new player is emerging on the scene. Bing, traditionally a distant second, has been upping its game in recent years due to its strategic integration of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and other AI advancements. Legend has it that the word Bing “would remind people of the sound made during the moment of discovery and decision making.”
Let’s take a moment to analyze the history, evolution, and SEO strategies of both Bing and Google, highlighting key differences, unique features, and how businesses can optimize for each platform to achieve the best results.
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The history of Bing
Microsoft’s brainchild
Bing was officially launched by Microsoft in 2009, replacing its previous search engine platforms, MSN Search, Live Search, and Windows Live Search. At the time, Microsoft hoped to rival Google’s growing dominance, but Bing struggled to gain significant market traction.
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Their initial struggles
Despite the backing of Microsoft, Bing found it difficult to distinguish itself from Google in the crowded search engine market. Google’s superior algorithms, user experience, and first-mover advantage made it the default search engine for most users.
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Bing’s unique features
In its early days, Bing emphasized visual search, incorporating rich multimedia results like images and videos, as well as a “related searches” feature. It also introduced the concept of “Bing Cashback,” which allowed users to earn rebates on products purchased through search results. However, these features didn’t attract enough of a user base to challenge Google’s market share.
ChatGPT revived Bing
The game-changer for Bing came in early 2023 when Microsoft integrated OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology into its search engine. This AI integration brought a new, conversational way of searching that attracted significant media attention and user interest.
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Traffic grew exponentially
After the integration, Bing saw a 15% increase in daily traffic in the first few months. By mid-2023, users were experimenting with the AI features that allowed them to generate answers, summaries, and even create content directly through Bing’s chat interface.
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Did it improve their market share?
Despite the ChatGPT integration, Bing’s market share still hovers around 3.4% globally, compared to Google’s overwhelming dominance of over 90%. However, the AI push has sparked interest in Bing’s capabilities, particularly among tech enthusiasts and businesses looking for new opportunities in search optimization.
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Why Google became the most popular search engine
Innovation was their key
Google’s journey to becoming the most popular search engine began long before its public launch in 1998. Founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google introduced the PageRank algorithm, which ranked web pages based on the number and quality of backlinks—a revolutionary step in search technology. This new ranking system provided much more accurate and relevant results than what was available at the time, setting the foundation for Google’s rise to dominance.
Their UX was (and is) better
Google’s simple interface and fast search results made it an instant favorite among users. Unlike other search engines of the time, Google kept its design minimal, focusing on delivering results quickly and efficiently.
They built an ecosystem
Google’s integration with services like Gmail, Google Maps, and Android has created a seamless experience for users. Over time, this ecosystem has become so embedded in everyday life that many users default to Google for nearly all their online needs, from searching to navigation to email.
They’re always evolving
Google continues to lead in AI and machine learning innovations. Its search algorithms, powered by RankBrain and BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers), understand user intent and context better than ever before. These innovations have helped Google stay ahead in the race and maintain its status as the dominant player in search.
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An analysis of Bing’s SEO
Key features
Bing’s SEO strategy differs from Google’s in several ways, with a focus on specific elements that may offer businesses a unique advantage.
Metadata and keywords
Bing places more emphasis on exact-match keywords and metadata (title tags and descriptions). Businesses that optimize these elements can often rank higher in Bing than they would in Google, where content relevance and quality are more heavily prioritized.
Social media signals
Bing integrates social media activity into its rankings more directly than Google does. Social signals—such as likes, shares, and posts—play a significant role in determining the relevance and authority of web pages.
Rich media
Bing tends to favor rich media such as images, videos, and infographics in its search results. This can be an advantage for businesses that use visual content to engage their audiences.
Structured data
Bing uses structured data (schema markup) in a similar way to Google, but with a greater emphasis on local business data, especially in relation to product searches and reviews.
Pros of Bing SEO
- Lower competition: With fewer businesses targeting Bing, there’s less competition for keywords, especially in niche markets. This makes it easier for businesses to rank for competitive terms.
- Better ROI for paid ads: Bing Ads tends to offer a lower cost-per-click (CPC) compared to Google Ads, making it a more cost-effective option for small businesses or those with limited budgets.
- Engaged older demographics: Bing’s user base tends to skew older, with a higher percentage of users in the 35-64 age range. This is valuable for businesses targeting older or more professional audiences.
Cons of Bing SEO
- Smaller audience: Bing has a smaller user base than Google, which means that businesses will have less organic traffic from Bing compared to Google.
- Less refined algorithms: Bing’s search algorithms are not as advanced as Google’s, which means that businesses may need to focus more on basic SEO elements like metadata, keywords, and structured data.
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An analysis of Google’s SEO
Key features
Google’s SEO strategy focuses on understanding user intent and delivering the most relevant and high-quality results (similar in a way to ChatGPT Search, interestingly enough).
E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness)
Google evaluates the quality of content through the E-E-A-T framework. Websites with authoritative, well-researched, and trustworthy content are more likely to rank highly.
Mobile-first indexing
With the majority of searches now coming from mobile devices, Google prioritizes mobile-friendly websites in its rankings. Mobile optimization is no longer optional—it’s a necessity for businesses.
Backlinks
Google places significant value on backlinks from authoritative websites. High-quality backlinks help boost a site’s domain authority and improve rankings.
Pros of Google SEO
- Reach a bigger audience: Google controls over 90% of the global search market, meaning businesses can reach a vast audience.
- Huge amount of tools: Google offers powerful tools like Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and Google Ads, giving businesses in-depth insights into their SEO performance.
- Refined algorithms: Google’s AI-driven algorithms ensure that search results are accurate and contextually relevant, providing the best possible search experience for users.
Cons of Google SEO
- The competition is fierce: With its massive user base, businesses face significant competition for keywords and paid ads.
- Stricter SEO guidelines: Google’s SEO guidelines are complex and constantly evolving, which can make it challenging for businesses to stay on top of best practices.
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Which search engine is right for your SEO strategy?
Use Bing if:
- You’re targeting an older, more affluent demographic, particularly in the U.S.
- You have a niche business and want to avoid the high competition in Google’s search results.
- You want to take advantage of Bing Ads’ lower CPC and higher visibility in certain industries (e.g., real estate, travel).
Use Google if:
- Your business targets a broad, global audience.
- You rely heavily on mobile users and need to optimize for mobile-first indexing.
- You want to use Google’s advanced features like rich snippets, knowledge panels, and personalized search results.
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Let XDigitalSEO help you choose
Bing or Google? We’re here to help you find the right search engine for your SEO strategy. Give us a call and we’ll get your business growing!
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