Law Firm Marketing Agency
“Google it” has become synonymous with “look it up”. It is true that Google dominates the search market. However, Microsoft’s Bing has experienced a large increase in usage recently due to its rollout of new features (including AI-powered search tools).
As searchers, people tend to be religiously committed to their search engine of choice. But how about on the business side? How big is the difference between Google and Bing when it comes to SEO, and do attorneys need to be worried about optimizing for both search engines?
Whether you’re a Google devotee or a Bing acolyte, here’s what you need to know about how to optimize your lawyer website for both popular search engines.
Do I have to pick one search engine to target?
No, you do not have to choose to optimize your site for one or the other.
For the most part, both search engines have the same goal: to serve up high-quality content for search engine users. Although Google’s and Bing’s algorithms are different, the fundamental SEO process is similar for both. For both search engines, you need a website that delivers a valuable user experience.
Instead of picking one and ignoring the other, craft an SEO strategy that works for both search engines and works for your specific business.
What do attorneys need to know about the difference between Bing and Google?
Google and Bing differ slightly with regard to what types of content they prioritize, how people access the search engine, conversion rates, and usability.
Here’s a brief overview of the key differences between Google and Bing.
Bing vs. Google: Types of content
- Bing values social signals, whereas Google rates social media pages and web pages the same
- Bing can crawl multimedia pages better, whereas Google is still heavily text-based
- Bing prefers fewer high-quality backlinks (for example, links from .gov or .edu domains) and older backlinks, whereas Google prefers a lot of authoritative backlinks.
Bing vs. Google: How people access the search engine
- Bing values exact keywords, whereas Google is better at identifying synonyms.
- Bing’s average user is older, more educated, and more affluent, whereas Google’s users tend to be younger
- Bing is the default for Microsoft Edge (which replaced Internet Explorer) users and voice searches with Alexa, whereas Google is the default for Chrome users and Google Home voice searches
- Bing assesses the desktop version of a site for indexing whereas Google uses a mobile-first approach.
Bing vs. Google: Conversion rates
- Bing traffic may convert better than Google traffic
Bing vs. Google: Usability for your marketing team
- Bing Webmaster Tools is more complex, whereas Google Search Console is easier to use
- Bing Ads gives you more control over campaigns, whereas Google Ads is the industry-dominant platform for digital advertising
- Bing PPC Ads are generally cheaper than Google PPC Ads
In sum, SEO for Google should prioritize comprehensive content informed by keyword research, a strong backlinking strategy, and a responsive (mobile-friendly) website. SEO for Bing should focus on exact keywords, multimedia content, and social signals.
Ultimately, you should ask your digital marketing team and developers to work together on an SEO strategy that balances both approaches based on your target market and your business goals.
Remember that some people use social media platforms (Twitter, TikTok, Instagram) as search engines, too!
How do I create a smart SEO strategy that optimizes for both Google and Bing?
You’re already asking the right question!
To optimize for both search engines, start by signing up for both Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
You will benefit from seeing the differences between the two data sets. You may start to notice patterns in the data. For instance, you may find that Bing visitors convert at higher rates—or you may find that the opposite is true. Google may be sending better traffic to your site. This is often the case for the firms we work with.
Overall, there’s no harm in having access to two sets of intel. Monitoring performance using data from both Google and Bing will help you make smarter marketing decisions.
Next, look for a marketing team and/or developer with a track record of helping businesses optimize for both search engines. SEO is a long game and you’ll need experts to succeed.
Review and next steps
Google still has the lion’s share of the search market, but Bing is on the rise and often underrated. It is possible to optimize for both platforms, although it’s important to adjust any SEO strategy to your unique goals.
The truth is that SEO for attorneys requires more than a few hours per week to get results.
Get on the path to success with help from the experts. If you need a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that is tailored to your target market, reach out for a consultation. We’ll craft an SEO plan for your firm that is grounded in data and focused on improving your visibility online.