When we talk about search engine optimization (SEO) , we usually focus on Google. However, pouring all your energy into that one search engine may result in losing other sources of traffic. Although the Yahoo! search engine has fewer users, it is still worth optimizing your content for this platform as well. Let’s take a look at Yahoo and what makes it different from other search engines. Let’s then look at six tips for effective SEO on Yahoo.
Let’s get started.
Table of contents hide
What is Yahoo Search?
How is SEO for Yahoo SEO different?
6 best practices for optimizing your content for Yahoo
- Use keywords skillfully
- Format your images correctly
- Focus on links
- Submit your sitemap to Bing
- Make your JavaScript accessible
- Work on your social media strategy
Conclusion
What is Yahoo Search?
Yahoo is a platform that includes email functionality, news hub, and search engine. The home page looks pretty full, but you can use Yahoo Search by typing your query in the top bar, then pressing Enter or clicking on the magnifying glass icon:
Yahoo was first launched in 1995 and initially used its own web crawling and data housing services to power its results. However, since 2009, its results have been powered by Bing . Although this search engine is not as popular as Google, it has a worldwide market share of about 2.7 percent . Yahoo is also significantly more popular in Japan and Mexico than elsewhere, with 55% and 30% of users accessing the platform regularly, respectively.
Therefore, SEO for Yahoo can be essential if you plan to target audiences in those countries. Optimizing for this search engine could also be useful if you want to attract web traffic from as many sources as possible.
How is SEO for Yahoo SEO different?
Yahoo faces strong global competition from other search engines, including Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Yandex . However, Yahoo has an advantage with one particular demographic group: users of Mozilla Firefox .
Firefox set Yahoo as the default search engine in the United States from 2014 to 2017. Although the browser has since switched back to Google, many of its users are now accustomed to using the Yahoo search engine. Considering that about 6.7 percent of Americans use Firefox , this market is not insignificant.
In addition, optimizing your content for Yahoo SEO is probably easier than with other popular search engines. This platform does not use frequently updated algorithms like Google does. In fact, it has very simple guidelines for sites that want to rank in the top positions.
It is also important to reiterate that Yahoo is powered by Bing:
Therefore, if you plan to focus on SEO for Yahoo, we recommend that you also optimize your content for Bing and pay attention to its ranking algorithm .
Finally, Yahoo has less competition for SERPs than the most popular search engines and places more value on domain authority. If you have a well-established site and make an effort to carefully optimize your content, you may rank faster in Yahoo’s results.
6 best practices for optimizing your content for Yahoo
Regardless of which search engine you wish to rank for, we recommend following some basic SEO best practices . These techniques can help your content rank better and stand out from the competition. However, if you are interested in Yahoo SEO specifically, here are the six most important steps you can take.
- Use keywords skillfully
Keywords are essential to your Yahoo SEO strategy. These phrases allow interested users to find your content in SERPs. We recommend that you use keywords frequently to rank well in relevant Yahoo results pages. In particular, we recommend that you add these phrases to your meta descriptions , page titles and alternative text in all your posts.
However, be careful not to overdo it , as most search engines and readers despise this practice called keyword stuffing. Instead, try writing your content first for readers and then for search engines.
You can find relevant keywords for Yahoo SEO by using the search engine’s Search Assist tool. When you start typing a phrase into the search box, you will see recommended terms that other users are searching for:
You can also take advantage of Yahoo! Native . This paid advertising platform allows you to market your content on the search engine and access keyword analysis tools.
- Format your images correctly
Yahoo’s guidelines also address best practices for SEO of images . You should avoid including text in your images. Embedded text can prevent the search engine from properly indexing your content. Instead, you should consider keeping your text and URLs in HTML format so that Yahoo can display them properly.
As with other search engines, it is also essential to include alternate text for your images:
This is another excellent opportunity to include your keywords. Alternative text is also essential to make your content accessible to more users.
- Focus on links
Yahoo places more importance on backlinks than Google. Backlinks are the URLs of external websites that point to your content. Receiving backlinks from authority websites and leaders in your industry can boost your content’s rankings. In addition, these URLs can attract more traffic to your site.
Therefore, we recommend taking an active approach to requesting backlinks.
- Submit your sitemap to Bing
A sitemap lists all the URLs on your website that you wish to have crawled and indexed by search engines. It also provides information about how the pages on your site are related, as well as additional details for each page (such as how often it changes and when it was last updated).
For SEO purposes for Yahoo, we recommend that you submit your sitemap to Bing. Since Bing feeds Yahoo results, this step can improve Bing and Yahoo rankings simultaneously, and you will be sure that both platforms have all the information they need. Fortunately, the process of submitting your sitemap to Bing is relatively simple. (If you’re already using Google Search Console, Bing also has a basic data import process for your site, so there’s no reason not to do it.)
- Make your JavaScript accessible.
JavaScript is a handy scripting language for WordPress websites. It is used to power different kinds of dynamic processes on your site, such as displaying animations, updating content in real time, and other interactive features.
However, Yahoo expressly discourages providing certain elements only via JavaScript. Some search engine crawlers (or bots) may not be able to properly understand and index content in this scripting language. Instead, you should also use “noscript” HTML elements to make your content accessible to all users and search engines.
- Work on your social media strategy.
Finally, as with Bing, social media can have a significant impact on Yahoo’s SEO. Unlike Google, both of these search engines highly consider your presence on online networks. If you have a large number of followers, for example, your content is more likely to rank better. The same principle applies if people frequently share your posts online.
Therefore, we recommend that you invest time in your social media strategy. You will probably want to focus your efforts on the main platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
That said, we recommend that you use the platforms best suited to the unique interests and demographics of your audience. For example, Instagram may be most effective if your readers are between the ages of 18 and 34 . You can easily find this data by examining your demographic metrics in Google Analytics .
You will also need to develop a consistent approach to your social media marketing so that you can maintain your strategy over time. To do this, consider creating a content calendar and automating key activities with social media plugins .
Conclusion
Using proven SEO techniques is essential if you want to attract organic traffic to your site. However, focusing solely on Google could mean losing a significant number of potential visitors. It is still worth considering smaller sources such as Yahoo , especially if you are looking at international traffic (from Mexico and Japan especially).
To recap, you can optimize your content for Yahoo SEO by following these tips:
1.Include keywords in the titles, tags and content of your pages.
2.Format your images with alternative text .
3.Focus on your backlink strategy.
4.Submit your sitemap to Bing .
5.Make sure your JavaScript content is also available to HTML users.
6.Work on your social media strategy .