Think about search engines other than Google

Eli says: “In 2023, it’s time for SEOs to stop thinking of SEO for Google and its algorithms - or about finding loopholes in those algorithms. You need to remember that there are broader search engines like Baidu, Bing, Apple, and Amazon.

If you focus on the user, you can be agnostic to the search engine - because they are all about people looking for things or pulling for information. If you focus on Google and the algorithm, and Google suddenly stops being the most popular search engine or changes its algorithm, you could lose traffic. However, if you focus on the user looking for information – the person typing a query into any search engine - you’re guaranteed to find that user somehow.”

Is Google showing signs of not becoming the most popular search engine or should SEOs be considering other search engines anyway?

“It’s interesting that, for the first time, Google has mentioned a competitor. Early in the year, they said they were concerned about Tiktok. Although Tiktok is not their competition yet, it is really popular. It is the first app people go to on their phones. They could launch a search engine that takes advantage of the fact that the user is already there and watching videos, and that user might want other information - like where to find a doctor, what time the Superbowl is, etc.

Such an instance is the only sign that Google could lose its dominance. Regardless, if you focus on the user instead of search engines, both the user and your website wins.”

Is Tiktok just about discovery and top-of-funnel, or is it something people natively use as a search engine?

“Currently, people are using it as a search engine to find videos. That is how the behaviour changes. However, it could be a less obvious search competitor to Google. The closest search competitors to Google could be Amazon, Facebook, and Apple - where people are already going and starting their internet journey.

With Amazon, for example, you are already shopping. Could Amazon now try to provide you with more information besides shopping? Many people observe that Google’s advantage is that they have several decades of experience fighting spam, which could mean they are still the best search engine.”

Is it possible to track a user journey across multiple search engines, where they might discover you through TikTok, and then subscribe on YouTube before visiting your website to make a purchase?

“Probably not. That is why, if people are doing those kinds of things, you should focus on that. Currently, TikTok does not have a crawler but that could change very quickly. It is already such a big company and it makes a lot of money, so they could just buy a search engine. They could purchase that crawler already in action on your site, and your website can now become a part of ByteDance and Tiktok.”

How do you find out that users are finding you in this way?

“It is mainly through one-on-one research, but it’s also via something that is not often done, which is mapping out the user journey. For example, some businesses thrive on referrals. They might wonder whether they should put effort into SEO if all their customers come from word of mouth. It depends on the nature of your business and how you expect to find customers. That factor determines where you put effort.

Many SEOs focus on queries related to the business and use that as a basis to create content. Instead, they could be questioning whether those queries would translate into users.

The other side of this is related to interviews. If it is impossible to map out the user journey, then interviewing customers would do the trick. You would find potential customers and ask questions like, ‘How would you go about finding that kind of business?’”

It is a lot more difficult nowadays to get easy organic traffic from any search engine. Do you advocate building an ongoing content strategy before allowing yourself to rank on alternate search engines?

“Content strategy is critical, and that is the missing link for many people in digital marketing. It consists of many tactics: planning relevant content, how users will find it, and so forth. For example, if you’re launching a podcast, who will listen to it? Where are your listeners going to find you? You cannot just jam it with keywords because many sites and podcasts are competing with you today. You can’t naturally expect that, just because you use those keywords, you’re going to win.

Yet, if you have a strategy, you know which user base you want to appeal to and which keywords they are likely to use. If they stumble upon you, they will refer other users because your podcast is perfect for what they’re looking for. That strategy is figuring out how to build all that together.”

Do you feel you must blend your SEO strategy with other digital channels? Should you integrate organic search and paid in your strategy as well?

“That is part of the strategy, where you want to consider how all your channels work together. When you think about the customer journey flow, it’s also about knowing where SEO fits in that funnel. In most cases, SEO will be at the top of the funnel. You want to carry people through that funnel so they convert. That is likely going to be paid traffic. Therefore, top-of-funnel might be very broad.

Now, you’ve introduced them to your business, service, and information. As they move closer to the bottom of the funnel, those might be some specific keywords which are expensive and competitive. You, therefore, need to figure out how to retarget them and try to convert them. However, it shouldn’t be a one-off. You should understand that you are ranking for a keyword, which might take a while. It would also require you to know the stage of the buyer journey that the users are on.”

Are there other specific things you need to do to your site to optimise effectively for different search engines?

“There aren’t specific things you can do because most search engines are similar. You don’t necessarily want to create a Yandex and Bing strategy specifically because it will cost your Google strategy. The idea of search engines becoming fragmented is good - where everyone is gaining market share - because you can no longer have a single search engine strategy. That could become an SEO trap. You need an organic user strategy to acquire that audience from any search engine. You’ll want to build the best content, links, and visibility.

Another interesting thing is that, when using other search engines, many people do not realise that it is not Google. That points to the fact that people really are platform-agnostic. The search engine doesn’t matter, provided they get the right results. Google results might always be the best, but other engines are not terrible, either.”

What does a fragmented search environment mean for analytics? Can you pull your data from different search engines into one or two pieces of software?

“There probably aren’t any tools that are pulling all that information right now. Currently, most people do not know that Bing has a Webmaster Tool just like Google Search Console. Yet, to set up Bing Webmaster Tools, they allow you to verify your site and pull in all your Google Search Console data. The same is the case with Yandex. Again, most people are not paying any attention to this. They are only paying attention to Google.

In a fragmented world, you probably need to use a tool that pulls it together. You will find differences between each search engine, which is good - it means you’re focusing on the user. Then, you can no longer opt for your URLs to only show up on Google. You need to look at how to please users outside of traditional search, considering what would appeal to them.”

If you focus on your users and know who your users are, then you’re certainly going down the right path for 2023, right?

“It is the most cliché thing, but true. If you look at a lot of the content that people put out around focusing on users, it always ends with ‘using this keyword’, as well. Instead, if the users aren’t buying - for example, if you are selling a B2B tool, where a CRO needs to buy it, and they’re never going to use organic search - then don’t focus on the organic search. On the other hand, if you’re focusing on something people only use on their phones, you need a mobile-only strategy.

The main idea is that users are the absolute king/queen when it comes to this. Therefore, you’re building your entire strategy around what they need and where they will find you, irrespective of what the algorithm says.”

What shouldn’t SEOs be doing in 2023? What is seductive in terms of time, but ultimately counterproductive?

“People should stop saying ‘it depends’, which means, ‘I don’t know the answer’. Imagine you go to a doctor and ask them whether you will die, and they say, ‘it depends’. You then go to another doctor, and they say, ‘No, you’re not going to die, you’ll be fine.’ That is the same thing here.

Many SEOs fall into this trap and end up being side-lined. Instead of saying ‘it depends’, say, ‘It is a great opportunity for us to learn. Let us run an experiment. I do not actually know what will happen because I’m not Google.’ Then, suggest the most logical route - whether it is changing the title tag or launching 1,000 new pages. You can always go back two weeks later and learn something new.”

Eli Schwartz is a Growth Advisor, and you can find him at elischwartz.co.