Bing’s Mobile-Friendly Boost

In the world of SEO and Internet marketing, it can be difficult to know for sure which actions will see quick results and which tactics have a long-term effect. Because of the ever-changing nature of the industry, we rely on the movements of search engines to help guide our efforts so that we can improve website performance for the users, the clients and of course, the search engines.

Back in May 2015, Bing rolled out a label for mobile-friendly sites. For those of us who can’t stop browsing from our phones, this was hugely helpful — a major step in the right direction for improving user experience. And by now we know that website owners jumped on the opportunity to get the label by converting outdated sites to responsive design. But did the mobile-friendly move really help Bing?

Bing’s Mobile-Friendly Label Boosts Performance

In short, yes. As we look a little deeper into Bing’s performance following the label’s release in May, we see that June’s numbers are very promising. Holding steady at 20.3 percent of the U.S. Desktop Search Engine Rankings, Bing (Microsoft Sites) has established a solid foothold in the No. 2 spot in just one month. And in July 2015, Bing’s share increased by 0.1 percent, putting the search engine at 20.4 percent.

Now, we know that 0.1 percent doesn’t sound like a lot. But consider that neither Google or Yahoo had any change from June 15 to July 15, and we see that 0.1 percent can have huge implications.

The boost that Bing got from its mobile-friendly label rollout put it safely in second behind Google alone, and now the Microsoft search engine is biding its time. But what could it possibly be waiting for?

What’s Next for Bing?

At Gainesville Marketing, we think Bing will see another boost with the Windows 10 rollout. Windows 10 launched globally on July 29, and although some users may still holding out, likely waiting for any bugs to be fixed, The Verge reported that WIndows 10 is now installed on 75 million PCs, just four weeks after the release. (Now, it’s only fair to mention that the Windows 10 upgrade is free for users of both Windows 7 and Windows 8.)

Windows has predicted that the latest operating system will result in more significant gains in the search market share, a claim that should have caught Google’s attention. Not only does the company claim that Windows 10 will result in higher query volume gains this fall, but that there will be a huge increase in volume just in time for holiday campaigns.

If everything goes to plan, the strategic timing of Microsoft’s efforts may just push Bing ever closer to Google in the U.S. search engine market shares. And to help solidify its position, Bing search is available on more devices via the Cortana app on Android and iOS. With more integration across devices, Bing is putting itself in a pretty nice position for market penetration and growth.

Stay Ahead of the Internet Marketing Trends

It may be too early to tell just how Windows 10 will affect Bing’s market share, but we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on Microsoft. For website owners, now is a good time to do some research and reconsider your target audience. Are they likely to try the new trend and switch to Bing? If so, give us a call and make sure you don’t miss out on the traffic due to your current Internet marketing company. We’ll make sure your site is optimized for Bing and Google as well as get you set up with Bing’s ad campaigns.