Google may be the dominant player in many markets, but when it comes to international SEO, it’s not the only game in town. In countries like China and Russia, Baidu and Yandex reign supreme, and understanding how to optimise for these regional search engines can give your business a major edge. So, let’s take a closer look at how you can tailor your global SEO strategies for platforms beyond Google.

Search Engines Around the World

In China, Baidu is the leading search engine, and optimising for it involves more than just translating your content into Mandarin. Baidu places significant weight on local hosting, so having your site on a Chinese server can improve rankings. Plus, it prioritises mobile-friendly websites, as the majority of internet users in China browse on mobile devices. As part of your SEO for international markets, making your site mobile-optimised and ensuring quick loading speeds is essential.

Over in Russia, Yandex has its own quirks. Unlike Google, Yandex values local business listings and local directories more heavily. Claiming your business on Yandex's directory is a key step, and understanding that Yandex is slightly more tolerant of keyword stuffing than Google is an interesting variation on international SEO best practices.

Unique Ranking Factors

While Google’s algorithm emphasises backlinks and fresh content, Baidu and Yandex have additional ranking factors. Baidu, for example, favours websites that adhere to Chinese censorship laws, and it considers SSL certificates a strong trust signal. For Yandex, social signals from platforms like VK (a Russian social network) carry weight, so integrating local social media into your SEO for multilingual websites can boost your visibility.

If you're expanding into cross-border SEO, it's important to recognise these regional differences and adapt your strategy. An effective way to do this is through SEO localisation – tailoring not just your content, but also your keyword strategy to reflect local search habits. Conducting international keyword research for each region will ensure you're optimising for the right terms and search behaviours.

Maximising Visibility Across Platforms

Diversifying your global search engine optimisation efforts is key to capturing audiences around the world. While Google remains crucial, focusing on Baidu in China, Yandex in Russia, or even Naver in South Korea can open doors to new opportunities and maximise visibility.

So, don’t put all your SEO eggs in one basket –go beyond Google, and get your site noticed by a truly global audience.

Ready to step up your international SEO game? Discover how our SEO localization services can help you optimise for search engines around the world!