If you're a marketer or a small business looking to get noticed online, you're probably already spending effort on SEO and possibly putting up PPC advertising, Google and Bing are the best Search Engines.
SEO is ‘search engine optimization and it is the process of improving your site's links and content to make it more discoverable on Google. This can help more potential buyers find your site, leading to increased sales (at least that's the aim!).
PPC, on the other hand, stands for ‘Pay Per Click,' and is a type of advertising in which you only pay for ads that are clicked. This often includes paying for ads to display on Google searches, which you can do through the Google AdWords advertising network.
But why should you only focus on Google?
Because there are several reasons to pay attention to Bing and Microsoft. This is why…
The Current Lay of the Land
Most people will focus their efforts on Google since they are aware that Google has by far the greatest percentage of search traffic. This is true, but not by as large a margin as you may believe.
Because, in reality, Bing controls 20% of search traffic, while Yahoo (which is backed by Bing) controls 10%. If you're not paying attention to Bing, you're missing out on a staggering 30% of your visits. Why are you doing this now when you would never do it in any other line of business?
Moreover, in terms of advertising, Bing is less competitive than Google. Because PPC is based on a ‘bidding system,' in which you establish a maximum price you're ready to spend for each click and never pay more than that, you'll pay less for the same number of clicks on Bing.
How much less? 33.5%. That means with the same budget, you can afford 33.5% more visitors! That makes a big difference to your business.
The Future of Microsoft
But, more importantly, you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket, ignoring the chance that things might change at any time. And there are other reasons to believe that Microsoft will have a larger investment in search in the future. After all, its market share is increasing, and that's without taking into account all of the positive actions it's doing.
Microsoft, for example, now produces a lot of hardware. The Surface PC series is highly popular, and rumors of a “Surface Phone” are as intriguing. Then there's the Xbox One, as well as accessories like the Microsoft Band.
Bing is the default search engine, and Cortana is available on all of them. What happens if Cortana is unable to answer a question? It runs a Bing search for you and takes you to that website!
Why not try to get a head start on Microsoft and Bing now while they're still growing?
