Are you thinking about going into the Russian market with your business?
You should take special notice of this guide on optimizing Search Engine results for Yandex.
Although it is not significantly distinct to optimize for Yandex as opposed to Google, there are particular particulars that should be reviewed with special diligence.
By taking this action, you can enhance traffic from Russian webpage customers and expand your total revenues and brand familiarity in the nation.
Are you prepared to find out how to make your website work better with Yandex? Let’s get started.
What is Yandex?
Yandex is a very popular search engine in Russia. Despite the availability of Google, the majority of citizens of the country are not able to confidently comprehend the English language, hence, their preference towards this other option.
In fact, Yandex has been around since 1993. The term “Yahoo!” came from an abbreviated version of “Yet Another Indexer” which was a nod to the multitude of search engines emerging then.
Since its inception, the platform has grown to include a wide range of other websites, such as Yandex Mail, Yandex Maps, Yandex Translate, and more.
Those wanting to reach more patrons or a better impact on the market should primarily direct their attention to Google.ru, the Russian edition of what is usually called Google, and look at Yandex as a supplementary emphasis.
It is essential to figure out if putting in extra energy to customize for this engine, similar to some other less popular search engines operating in America, is worth it.
Ultimately, Yandex offers fresh difficulties such as language borders, censorship, and the utilization of the Cyrillic alphabet which makes optimizing a website much more challenging than what many companies are willing to engage in.
Why is This Search Engine Relevant Today?
Yandex is still prominent due to the fact that it is widely used as a search engine in Russia.
It was much more widely accepted than Google for quite a while. Currently there is a 55% majority of people who prefer Google over Yandex, which stands at 42.5%.
Mail.ru occupies 1.75% of the total market share for web search engines.
As the eCommerce market of the nation starts to expand, many retailers are looking to join in on this opportunity. Thus, Yandex SEO is important.
In addition, the Russian Antimonopoly Service decided that Google’s forced use of the American search engine on Android devices was too restricted.
In this way, these phones are now able to automatically switch Yandex as the default search website.
Competition is also much lower with Yandex versus Google.ru.
It is beneficial to make changes to your website now if you are one of the first businesses in your field to enter the Russian market. Doing this now will help ensure you remain ahead of your competition.
If you encounter any problems, the Yandex search team is very reactive and will most likely answer your query faster than you think they will with Google.
If you desire to expand your client base within this nation, then you should be aware that almost one-third of search engine users are using Yandex.
Why Expand Your Global Website Reach Into Russia?
One should be aware of the motivations for a company to broaden its international presence into Russia when discussing Yandex.
The truth?
The Russian eCommerce and global services market remains largely unexplored.
It used to be incredibly difficult to market products to domestic clients, as well as Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and parts of Ukraine.
Approximately 81% of people worldwide use the internet to make at least one purchase in any given month. Data suggests that the amount will only go up.
It is obvious why so many international businesses are drawing attention to the Russian market when one considers that the country boasts the fifth largest Gross Domestic Product in the world.
Why should you optimize for Yandex?
You should consider changing your SEO strategy to encompass Yandex due to multiple advantages. While this might feel like a lot of work, especially if you’re only just getting to grips with SEO for Google , below are just some of the most important reasons you should optimize for Yandex:
Figures from 2019 show that Yandex is now ranked fifth among the most commonly used search engines globally. Despite the potential impact this could have, a huge number of people have not even been made aware of it, let alone take the time to think about using it as part of their SEO tactics – which is outrageous when you take a step back and think about it!
You’re targeting a Russian market
It is essential to be successful in a Russian market or in a part of your target crowd that includes Russians, that you adjust for Yandex. It is clear that the most used search engine in Russia is this one, so it makes sense that if you desire to be noticed by the Russian part of your audience, you should make a good placement in it.
It’s not just about Russia
Additionally, not only is it important to tailor content for a Russian market. The search engine is widely used in a few different countries such as Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Turkey and the demand for it is increasing.
There is now an English version of the site
Continuing on from the last thought, Yandex has now created a .com website specifically for England. It is becoming evident that the search engine is not only widely used in the East, but is also spreading to Western countries. The rising fame of the website should be seen as an alert that companies must start thinking of including Yandex in their search engine optimization strategies.
Key takeaway:
Yandex’s rank seems to be going up and there’s no evidence to suggest that it will slow down in the near future. Modifying strategies to suit Yandex as opposed to other search engines necessitates a distinct set of tactics. Therefore, it is essential that you start considering how to make your website more suitable for the increasing number of searches on this engine.
How do you optimize for Yandex?
Now that you are aware of Yandex and why it is essential to optimize for this search engine, where should you commence the process? It has been asserted before that making refinements to improve rankings on Yandex can differ from making improvements for Google, yet some of the changes can still help optimize a website’s visibility on all search engines. Here, we’ll be examining the optimal SEO techniques and the steps one needs to take to gain favorable outcomes with this search engine.
Bear in mind, similar to ranking highly with Google, it may be some time before you can be seen on page one of Yandex. The reason for this is because search engines don’t check websites as frequently and there are numerous components that affect the rankings. Do not be concerned if you do not observe effects quickly, as this is a situation where patience is needed. But here’s how to get things moving:
1. Content is Key
Yandex emphasizes the importance of attractive, up-to-date content, so you should make sure to put a substantial amount of effort into your writing. The search engine tends to prioritize websites which offer the most appropriate answer for the user inquiry.
2. Check Your Backlinks
And really – it makes sense!
Be sure that you are producing helpful material that can be advantageous to your audience. Yandex places an emphasis on excellence and executes programs to investigate all material. Any weak, replicates or over-optimized copy could get penalized.
The best way to avoid being perceived as irrelevant is to make sure you don’t overload your content with keywords unnecessarily and that it sounds natural. Remember, this is for humans, not robots. Watch out not to make spam-filled material and surely don’t copy and paste substantial pieces of writing. The search engine does not favor duplicated copy. The essential element is to devise up-to-date and understandable material that both Yandex and your audience are sure to appreciate.
3. Understand Your Commercial Relevance
Yandex considers something that Google doesn’t in terms of determining rankings, which is commercial relevance.
This is especially important for those in the eCommerce retail industry, though it is something that everybody should be aware of.
Yandex evaluates aspects such as selection of goods, costs, delivery, return policies, and the user-friendliness of the website when assessing how pertinent your brand is in the marketplace.
A high level of detail concerning products and localized information is essential in this context.
4. User Experience is Everything
Yandex is highly reliant on the user experience. Most importantly how long they stay on your pages.
By increasing the amount of time that people spend on a page, one is indicating that the site is providing the desired content. To attain a good ranking, reducing bounce rates and extending time spent on the page is a wise decision.
This could be accomplished by altering the look or logo of your website. You should make your material more interesting and make sure that you are providing your viewers with what they are expecting. In the end, if you improve your visitor experience it will result in more people using your site, which will lead to higher ranking on Yandex.
5. Location, Location, Location
Yandex places more emphasis on a user’s location than any other search engine. They carry out two distinct searches: ones related to a geographical area, and ones that are not tied to a geographic location. People who depend on geographical factors will prioritize items or services that are specifically catered to the local area. Searches that are not limited by location will provide results that could be pertinent to anyone.
So how do you optimize for this? You need to use the Webmaster Tools of the specific regions you desire to target. By submitting your website to the Yandex Business Directory, you can improve access to specific audiences in certain locations. The search engine has a preference for those who do this type of work since it is easier for them to rank the sites more accurately and display more specific results.
6. Don’t Neglect the Meta Data
Yandex goes beyond Google by taking meta data into even greater consideration. In order to rank high in the Russian search engine, it is essential to optimize your URLs, Meta tags, Page Titles, Description Tags, and Canonical Tags accordingly.
As with content, quality is of great importance here. Ensure that you have selected beneficial and pertinent titles, investigated your keywords and have not employed replicated canonical tags. It’s a lot of information to process, but if you make sure you understand these particulars, your prospects of having a good ranking on Yandex will increase.
7. Eliminate Pop-Ups
Yandex has an especially stringent policy with regards to websites that employ pop-ups.
This implies that you must utilize different methods to draw the eye of your viewers on homepage and landing pages to keep away from getting disqualified by the significant Russian search engine.
8. Consider Creating a Separate Page for Russian Visitors
Expanding into a new global marketplace is never easy.
If you aspire to increase your presence in Russia, you could consider establishing a unique page or subsection specifically for those audiences.
We advise against getting a completely different domain, as it could prevent you from appearing in Yandex’s rankings. However, it is possible to add region-specific elements to your content which makes it simpler for Russian visitors to look through for a more satisfactory activity.
9. Optimize for Mobile
Yandex, similar to Google, values having a mobile site due to the increase of smartphone usage and executing searches from those devices. Thus, you must make certain that your website and webpages are adapted for mobile devices. Be sure to check that the loading speeds on these are not too sluggish.
Key takeaway:
The search engine optimization techniques used for Yandex may be distinct from those used with Google and it can take some time to set up. Focusing on the user experience, producing impressive material and ensuring the meta information is correct can start the building blocks of strong SEO, allowing your website to perform well in Yandex rankings.
Conclusion
SEO practitioners should not be too perturbed about any discrepancies between Yandex and Google in terms of how they rank websites. In the long run, their purpose is similar to the purpose of any other search engine. The objective is to supply their customers with the most accurate and pertinent outcomes for their inquiry. It is evident that the contents and user experience are absolutely essential for any website on Yandex to be successful, therefore make certain your text is solid. Be sure that your website is applying User Experience (UX) principles to create themost interactive experience for its users.
The ranking elements for both Google and Yandex still have some shared characteristics. It is feasible that the same general tactics can help your site to have a good standing in both search engines. It is always best to prioritize the needs and wants of the people you are targeting over any considerations related to search engine optimization or positions in search engine rankings. In such case, the organic traffic should naturally follow.
