Here at DealerLeads, we’re big fans of websites having plenty of backlinks. While Google calculates domain authority based, at least partially, on the number of backlinks a site has, Bing is more picky about this process. First off, Bing prefers organic links from websites that are relevant and trusted. If they end in .org, .edu, and .gov, all the better. In addition, Bing likes links from older domains, which is interpreted by the bot as a signal of trust. Bing wants websites to grow a link profile with do-follow links and exact match anchor text making specificity crucial.
For the folks who do a lot of researching (like car shoppers), there is something both creepy and convenient about the suggested search queries on Google. Likewise, the engine’s Hummingbird update made a clear distinction between literal and semantic interpretation of user’s search phrases. Bing, on the other hand, has stayed literal. The more experienced SEO experts might feel like they have gone back in time to Google circa 2011. An upside, though, is that unlike Google, Bing takes a much closer look at meta keywords and their descriptions.
Another way you can help grow your backlinks, ranking, and credibility is on social media. Unlike Google that doesn’t care how many Facebook and Instagram follows you have, or whether you’re well-liked on Yelp, Bing totally digs it. This is exciting for many folks in the automotive industry who want to be active on these types of platforms. Though you don’t want to invest everything you’ve got on these pages, spending an hour or so a day can help you get better positioning on a Bing SERP.
We’ve talked about the significance of making your dealership website mobile-friendly for the masses. Even with Google’s Pigeon update that added local search to their algorithm, Bing is heavily into mobile devices and local searches. Part of this has to do with their emphasis on literal interpretation of keyword phrases. What this means for you is, firstly, to make sure that your website is mobile-friendly and, secondly, that your phone number is readily available. Why? A smartphone is still a phone. When it comes to optimizing location, though, you’re already doing that for Google, right?
Well, sort of. We can’t stress enough how important content is for any SEO or SEM strategy you have. The words you use are critical for anything you do. Triple-check for typos, have someone who knows how to write professionally check your styling, don’t randomly capitalize words, and so forth. We harp on this because Google does too. Bing also puts emphasis on aesthetics and media. So as Google rewards websites that have a high user experience (UX), Bing likes sites that are good looking, have videos (especially flash), and suitable images. For dealership websites, quality pictures are integral to getting buyers to come in for a test drive. But you know that newbie who has been talking about making a video tour of the lot? Now’s the best time to do it as you tweak your Bing SEO.
