Google, bing, Yahoo!, Yandex & Baidu major differences and ranking factors.

NO IMPACT MAJOR IMPACT

TECHNICAL
Domains & URLs
Keyword Domain

- Main keyword in the domain

- As short as possible

- Main keyword in the domain

- As short as possible

22

- Main keyword in the domain

- As short as possible

11

- Use main pinyin keyword in domain

- Easy to remember
- As short as possible

Keyword in URL Path

- Main keyword as early as possible

- One specific keyword

- Main keyword as early as possible

- One specific keyword

33

- Main keyword as early as possible

- One specific keyword

11

- Use main pinyin keyword in URL

- Easy to remember
- As short as possible

Length of URL

- As short as possible
- No filling words
- No repeat of terms

- As short as possible
- No filling words
- No repeat of terms

22

- As short as possible

22

- As short as possible
- URL directory depth as brief as possible

HTTPS

- Complete website secured with SSL

- No mix of HTTP and HTTPS

-No ranking boost from HTTPS

-Complete website secured with SSL

11

- No active SSL promotion

- Mostly recommended for authentication

22

- Complete website secured with SSL

- HTTPS is easier to be indexed than HTTP

- ccTLD or gTLD with country and language directories

- No regional domains, e.g. domain.eu, domain.asia

- ccTLD or gTLD with country and language directories

- No regional domains, e.g. domain.eu, domain.asia

22

- Slightly better rankings in Russia with ccTLD .ru

22

- Better ranking with ccTLD (.cn or .com.cn)

- But: gTLD .com is the first choice

- Local language
- Transliteration of Non-Latin characters
- Encoding or substitution of special characters

- Local language
- Transliteration of Non-Latin characters
- Encoding or substitution of special characters

33

- Local language
- Transliteration of Non-Latin characters

22

- Usage of English or Pinyin is better

- Local IPs
- Worldwide Content Delivery Network

- Local IPs
- Worldwide Content Delivery Network

11

- Local IPs
- Worldwide Content Delivery Network

44

- Use Local IP

- Correct usage of country and language codes in ISO format

- Only connect corresponding pages individually
- Provide x-default page

- Does not recognize this format

- Requires a meta language tag in header or body of the page

22

- Correct usage of country and language codes in ISO format

- Only connect corresponding pages individually
- Provide x-default page

11

- Does not recognize this format

- Requires a meta language tag in header or body of the page

Error Pages

- For all non-existing resources

- Correct 4xx status code

- For all non-existing resources

- Correct 4xx status code

22

- Correct 4xx status code

33

- For all non-existing resources

- Correct 4xx status code

robots.txt

- Active regulation of crawler behaviour

- Disallow crawling of search-engine-irrelevant paths
- No guarantee for deindexation

- Active regulation of crawler behaviour

- Disallow crawling of search-engine-irrelevant paths
- No guarantee for deindexation
- Individual file per domain

33

- Active regulation of crawler behaviour

- Disallow crawling of search-engine-irrelevant paths
- No guarantee for deindexation
- Main site mirror assignment

22

- Allow and disallow directives have to absolute and begin with

a slash (/)
- Individual file per domain

Canonical

- Definition of one unique URL version

- Only to avoid Duplicate Content

- Definition of one unique URL version

- Only to avoid Duplicate Content

33

- Definition of one unique URL version

- Only to avoid Duplicate Content

22

- Definition of one unique URL version

- Only to avoid Duplicate Content

- Crawler regulation on page level

- Relevant attributes: NoIndex, Nofollow

- Crawler regulation on page level

- Relevant attributes: NoIndex, Nofollow

22

- Not common on Russian sites

- Best practise is robots.txt for all indexation directives

44

- Crawler regulation on page level

- Relevant attributes: NoIndex, Nofollow

22

- Gather all search-engine-relevant canolicalized URLs

- Placed in the root
- Upload to Google Search Console

22

- Gather all search-engine-relevant canolicalized URLs

- Placed in the root
- Upload to Baidu Webmaster Tools

Country & Language

Local Top-Level Domain
Language in URL
Hosting
Hreflang
Crawling & Indexation

Meta & X-Robots

- Gather all search-engine-relevant canolicalized URLs

- Placed in the root
- Upload to Google Search Console

- Gather all search-engine-relevant canolicalized URLs

- Placed in the root
- Only URL location needed
- Upload to Bing Webmaster Console

Loading Time

- Reduce number of requests

- Minimize file sizes
- Optimize server setup

- Reduce number of requests

- Minimize file sizes
- Optimize server setup

33

- Minimize file sizes

- Optimize server setup

44

- Reduce number of requests

- Minimize file sizes
- Optimize server setup

Server downtime

- Avoid server downtime

- Use status code 503 for maintenance

1
3

- Avoid server downtime

- Use status code 503 for maintenance

33

- Avoid server downtime

- Use status code 503 for maintenance

33

- Avoid server downtime

- Use status code 503 for maintenance

- Provide mobile-friendly usability and use app indexing

- Consider all user-relevant devices
- Responsive design recommended

- Provide mobile-friendly usability

- Consider all user-relevant devices
- Responsive design recommended

33

- Mobile-friendly recommended in general

- Mobile doctype for mobile subdomain pages
- Crosslink between mobile and desktop version

44

- Use mobile settings in Baidu Webmaster Tools

- Use text instead of flash, images, Javascript for important
content or links.
- Independent mobile site recommended

Title Tags

- Unique, short, descriptive

- Main keyword at the beginning; brand at the end
- No keyword stuffing

- Unique, short, descriptive

- Main keyword at the beginning; brand at the end
- No keyword stuffing

44

- Unique, short, descriptive

- Main keyword at the beginning; brand at the end

44

- Unique, short, descriptive

- Keyword should match exactly
- Main keyword at the beginning; brand at the end

Meta Description

- unique, short, descriptive, full sentenced

- Include main keyword and semantic environment
- Call-to-Action

- unique, short, descriptive, full sentenced

- Include main keyword and semantic environment
- Call-to-Action

22

- unique, short, descriptive, full sentenced

- Include main keyword and semantic environment
- Call-to-Action

33

- unique, short, descriptive, full sentenced

- Include main keyword and semantic environment
- Less than 80 simplified Chinese Characters

Meta Keyword Tags

- Not relevant at all

- Usage not recommended

- Not relevant at all

- Usage not recommended

11

- Not relevant at all

- Usage not recommended

21

- Relevant keywords
- No keyword stuffing
- Add 3-5 keywords per page

Unique Content

- Unique; no (near) Duplicate Content

- Topic relevant
- Local language

- Unique; no (near) Duplicate Content

- Topic relevant
- Local language

44

- Unique; no (near) Duplicate Content

- Topic relevant
- Local language

44

- Unique, relevant; no (near) Duplicate Content

- Local language
- Avoid large amount of ad pop-ups

Word Count

- Enough to be relevant
- No glibberish content to increase word count

- Enough to be relevant
- No gibberish content to increase word count

33

- Enough to be relevant
- No glibberish content to increase word count

22

- Enough to be relevant
- No glibberish content to increase word count
- Include keywords naturally in each paragraph

Relevant Terms

- User focus
- Define and include relevant terms in content
- Include semantic environment

- User focus
- Define and include relevant terms in content

33

- Define and include relevant terms in content

- Include semantic environment

22

- User focus
- Define and include relevant terms in content
- Include semantic environment

Keyword Density

- No intentional increase of keyword density

- Natural usage of keywords

- Keyword density
- Natural usage of keywords

22

- No intentional increase of keyword density

- Natural usage of keywords

22

- No intentional increase of keyword density

- Natural usage of keywords

Text Structure and Formatting

- Use HTML elements for structuring and emphasizing

- Provide device-optimized structure
- User focus

- Use HTML elements for structuring and emphasizing

- Provide device-optimized structure
- User focus

22

- Use HTML elements for structuring and emphasizing

- No over-usage
- User focus

22

- Use HTML elements for structuring and emphasizing

- Provide device-optimized structure
- User focus

H-Tags

- Only for structuring and subdividing of main content

- Follow h-tag hierarchy
- One h1 per page including main keyword

- Only for structuring and subdividing of main content

- Follow h-tag hierarchy
- One h1 per page including main keyword

33

- Only for structuring and subdividing of main content

- Follow h-tag hierarchy
- One h1 per page including main keyword

33

- Only for structuring and subdividing of main content

- Follow h-tag hierarchy
- One h1 per page including main keyword

Content Positioning in Source Code

- Place important content at the beginning

- Load content synchron; avoid AJAX requests and other
DOM-changing events

- Place important content at the beginning

- Load content synchron; avoid AJAX requests and other
DOM-changing events

22

- Place important content at the beginning of the source code

- Load content synchron; avoid AJAX requests and other
DOM-changing events

11

- Place important content at the beginning

- Load content synchron; avoid AJAX requests and other
DOM-changing events

Images Integration

- Use content-related images

- Include the main keyword within file name
- Meaningful and descriptive alt attribute

- Use content-related images

- Include the main keyword within file name
- Meaningful and descriptive alt attribute

22

- Use content-related images

- Include the main keyword within file name
- Meaningful and descriptive alt attribute

33

- Use content-related images

- Include the main keyword within file name
- Meaningful and descriptive alt attribute

Videos Integration

- Avoid JavaScript and/or Flash for video embedding or at least

offer a fallback
- Prefer HTML5 embedding techniques in order to support
multiple devices

- Avoid JavaScript and/or Flash for video embedding or at least

offer a fallback
- Prefer HTML5 embedding techniques in order to support
multiple devices

11

- XML Feeds or OpenGraph/ Schema.org/ RSS for additional

video info transferring
- Use structured data for description

22

- Avoid JavaScript and/or Flash for video embedding or at least

offer a fallback
- Prefer HTML5 embedding techniques in order to support
multiple devices

Maximum Number of Links per Page

- Regulate your flow of link juice intentionally

- Remove irrelevant pages from internal linking

- Regulate your flow of link juice intentionally

- Remove unnecessary/ irrelevant pages from internal linking

22

- Remove unnecessary/ irrelevant pages from internal linking

33

- Regulate your flow of link juice intentionally

- Remove irrelevant pages from internal linking

Total Amount of Internal Links per Page

- Relevant pages need to have the highest amount of internal links

- Use internal linking as a hint for crawlers about the hierarchy

- Relevant pages need to have the highest amount of internal links

- Use internal linking as a hint for crawlers about the hierarchy

44

- Use internal linking as a ranking factor

- Relevant anchor texts recommended

44

- Relevant pages need to have the highest amount of internal links

- Use internal linking as a hint for crawlers about the hierarchy

Anchor texts

- Include main keyword of the linked page

- Anchor is a hint about the content of the linked page

- Include main keyword of the linked page

- Anchor is a hint about the content of the linked page

33

- Include main keyword of the linked page

- Anchor is a hint about the content of the linked page

33

- Include main keyword of the linked page

- Anchor is a hint about the content of the linked page

Nofollow

- Controlling of internal link power inheritance and the crawling

behavior
- Exclude irrelevant pages and focus link on important pages

- Controlling of internal link power inheritance and the crawling

behavior
- Exclude irrelevant pages and focus link on important pages

11

- Nofollow support declared, but does not work correctly

11

- Controlling of internal link power inheritance and the crawling

behavior
- Exclude irrelevant pages and focus link on important pages

- Use structured data to help crawlers understanding your content

- Use schema.org markup to generate rich snippets

- Use structured data to help crawlers understanding your content

- Use schema.org markup to generate rich snippets

22

- Use structured data to help crawlers understanding your content

- Use schema.org markup to generate rich snippets

22

- Use structured data to help crawlers understanding your content

- Support Baidu structured data,but submit of application to
Baidu needed

Keyword Anchor Texts

- Usage of keywords
- Vary in anchor text design; use brand combinations and plain
URL as anchors

- Usage of keywords

33

- Usage of keywords
- Vary in anchor text design; use brand combinations and plain
URL as anchors

33

- Usage of keywords
- Vary in anchor text design; use brand combinations and plain
URL as anchors

Amount

- Quality over quantity

- Variation of IP classes and domains

- Quality over quantity

- Variation of IP classes and domains

33

- Quality over quantity

33

- Quality over quantity

- Variation of IP classes and domains

Geographical Origin

- Domestic backlinks to strengthen geo-targeting signals

- Domestic backlinks to strengthen geo-targeting signals

33

- Domestic backlinks to strengthen geo-targeting signals

33

- Domestic backlinks to strengthen geo-targeting signals

Topic Relevance

- The linking page should provide relevance for the topic of the
linked one.

- The linking page should provide relevance for the topic of the
linked one.

33

- The linking page should provide relevance for the topic of the
linked one.

44

- The linking page should provide relevance for the topic of the
linked one.

Nofollow Links

- Preserve a natural ratio between follow and no-follow links

- Not relevant

11

- Not relevant

22

- Preserve a natural ratio between follow and no-follow links

Quality of Referring Page

- Avoid backlinks from bad neighborhood

- Highly trusted linking pages pass more positive signals to
linked pages
- Disavow links which could be harmful, e.g. from directories

- Avoid backlinks from bad neighborhood

- Highly trusted linking pages pass more positive signals to
linked pages
- Disavow links which could be harmful, e.g. from directories

44

- Avoid backlinks from so called bad neighborhood, e.g. gambling

and porn sites
- The highly trusted a linking page is the more positive signal it
passes to the linked page

44

- Avoid backlinks from bad neighborhood

- Highly trusted linking pages pass more positive signals to
linked pages
- Links from large websites, government websites, school websites
and old domain sites are recommended

Link Exchange

- Avoid direct link exchange at all

- Mark sponsored backlinks and use nofollow attribute

- Avoid direct link exchange at all

- Mark sponsored backlinks and use nofollow attribute

11

- Avoid direct link exchange at all

- Mark sponsored backlinks and use nofollow attribute

22

- Avoid direct link exchange at all

- Mark sponsored backlinks and use nofollow attribute

- Positive effect on reach and targeting

- Not a direct ranking factor
- Correlation, but not causation

4
3

- Positive effect on reach and targeting

- Not a direct ranking factor
- Correlation, but not causation

22

- Positive effect on reach and targeting

11

- Not relevant

CTR

- Optimize the click-through rate by adjusting the meta data

- Rankings benefit from higher CTRs
- A high CTR for brand names is a strong indicator for a brand

- Optimize the click-through rate by adjusting the meta data

- Rankings benefit from higher CTRs
- A high CTR for brand names is a strong indicator for a brand

33

- Optimize the click-through rate by adjusting the meta data

- The higher the CTR for a specific keyword is the more rankings
will profit
- A high CTR for brand names is a strong indicator for a brand

44

- Optimize the click-through rate by adjusting the meta data

- Rankings benefit from higher CTRs
- A high CTR for brand names is a strong indicator for a brand

Time on Site

- Focus on usability
- Add value to the content

- Focus on usability
- Add value to the content

22

- Focus on usability
- Add value to the content

22

- Focus on usability
- Add value to the content

Bounce Rate

- Monitor the bounce rate

- Increase relevancy
- Add value to the content

- Monitor the bounce rate

- Increase relevancy
- Add value to the content

22

- Monitor the bounce rate

- Increase relevancy
- Add value to the content

33

- Monitor the bounce rate

- Increase relevancy
- Add value to the content

Additional Certifications

- Not available

- Not available

11

- Not available

22

- Baidu plus V certification: Make websites more trustworthy

sitemap.xml
Performance

Mobile
Mobile-Friendly

CONTENT
Title & Meta Tags

Body Content

Internal Linking

Structured Data
Structured Data

OFFSITE
Backlinks

Social
Social Signals

USER BEHAVIOR

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