Why Google Should Be Your Priority
September 18th, 2013 by
You already know why Google is king of the Internet, but you may still be hung up on those significantly lower search traffic numbers from Yahoo and Bing. As I find myself saying on a fairly frequent basis, while it is certainly imperative to monitor your performance on other search engines and intervene when things seem off, it is important to keep the numbers in mind. Here are a few main reasons why:
1. Market Share
Google owns 67% of the search market share alone with Bing trailing behind at 17.9% followed by Yahoo at 11.3%. This is where your search traffic is coming from. This is it. Take out the other guys and, sure, you’ll see a little dip, but no where near the site traffic tanking than if you were to eliminate Google search traffic completely from the equation. So, if Google owns a majority of the market share, it would only make sense to proportionately spend a majority of your efforts there.
2. Even Yahoo knows the power of Google products
Here’s a fun thing I found the other day. Do a Yahoo search for “maps” and see which result Yahoo deems most relevant. What’s that topping the chart? Google Maps!
3. Googling is actually a verb in the English language
Not only are ya mom ‘n ‘em using this term, even our dear friend Merriam-Webster has added this term to his vast lexicon. Hows does he define “google” you ask? If I may borrow the cliche high school speech opening, Merriam-Webster defines “google” as a verb meaning “to use the Google search engine to obtain information…on the World Wide Web.” Not Yahooing, not Binging, and not even Dogpiling (well in search engine related terms that is). Our excessive use of the once slang term has creeped its way into our very own language. If that doesn’t tell you this search engine is on top, then I don’t know what will.
As I mentioned previously, I do not condone ignoring these other search engines and how they bring traffic to your site. My point here is to reinforce the sheer magnitude of Google’s influence on website traffic, online authority, and even our daily lives and habits. If you’re a small business owner hoping to improve your search presence on a small budget, focus your efforts where they will provide you the most return on your time investment.
