Google is so well known that any SEO expert will gladly tell you that your most important goal is to rank number one for your search terms on Google; however, you shouldn’t disregard the other search engines out there.
Though Google happens to be the top site in the world according to Alexa, it only holds approximately 64% of all desktop searches. Granted that is a big piece of the pie, but that leaves another 36% to take advantage of.
What does this mean to you? Essentially, if you are on a budget and have a need to find success and start realizing the benefits of high rankings, you should start with the other search engines: Bing (Alexa rank 18, approximately 20% of all searches) and Yahoo (#5 and 12%). The reasoning behind this is because most SEOs will only target Google because it provides the largest return. More often than not, SEO providers will often ignore or even disregard the other search engines completely.
Finding yourself at the top of the other search engines may not net you the same results as being on top of Google, but in the long run, having those top rankings can acutally boost your Google rankings. If your site provides the information and holds visitors on your site, your on-site metrics will increase. These are important numbers for Google as they are always looking for the best solutions for people’s queries.
While everyone wants to be number one on Google, it’s important to remember that Google isn’t the only options out there. Ranking on Bing and Yahoo can give you great traction and allow you to build up your clients or customers so you can take on Google and the other SEO experts out there.
Related: SEO Keyword Research – Know which terms you want your site to rank for