The SEO best practices applicable to Google are also suitable for Yandex. However, there are a few key differences between these two search engines that every website owner should know. Though Google is the major search engine in the world, it hasn’t been able to beat Yandex’s popularity in Russia.
More than 55% of people in Russia use Yandex to search for products and services. If you are setting up your agency in Russia or want to target audiences there, mastering Yandex SEO strategies is the best option. Listed are the major differences in SEO between Google and Yandex you should know.
JavaScript
We all know how Google loves to crawl websites comprising JavaScript. So, if you are designing a website to rank in Google, ensure it is made with JavaScript. However, things are different when you are aiming to rank in Yandex.
Yandex has difficulties indexing and crawling the JavaScript websites. For instance, even a single webpage developed with JavaScript won’t be crawled properly in Yandex. So, when creating a website for your Russian audiences, ensure it’s not coded with JavaScript.
Content Volume
To rank your website on top in Google, it is necessary to create informative and lengthy content. Moreover, the top 10 blogs or websites shown by Google with respect to a search query tend to have long-form content.
In Yandex, there is no need to create long-form content for your users. In other words, you can get away with a content of medium length. But like Google, Yandex also focuses on the quality and relevance of the content created.
Behavior Metrics
It is another criterion based on which you can differentiate Google from Yandex. Behavior metrics typically refer to the number of visitors your website receives and how much time they spend. Though Google prioritizes the engagement rate of websites, Yandex is damn serious about the behavior metrics.
To improve your website’s engagement rate, it is crucial that you invest in responsive web design. You should also create good-quality content integrated with the right keywords to boost your website’s popularity in Yandex.
Penalties for Websites
Each search engine has its algorithm to penalize websites for flouting rules and using black hat techniques. Most SEO experts opine that Yandex’s Minusinsk is stricter than Google’s Penguin algorithm. To make sure that you comply with the SEO Yandex rules, seek help from a professional.
Indexing and Crawling
The main reason behind the popularity of Google lies in its ability to crawl and index newer websites and content faster. However, that cannot be said when you are trying to rank your website on Yandex. It takes more time than Google to index and rank new pages.
Backlinks
Unlike Google, Yandex doesn’t prioritize backlinks. So, a website with fewer backlinks can rank higher on this Russian search engine. However, the website owner must focus on internal optimization and fix technical issues to rank higher without backlinks in Yandex.
So, it is evident that there are numerous differences between Google and Yandex. Website owners aiming to rank in Yandex should consider these differences. If you want to optimize your website in Yandex, contact Yandovskiy SEO today.
