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If your online business is location specific, why not try local search engine optimization. A great example is Yandex, a Russian search engine which most e-commerce industry leverage when targeting prospects in that location. Yandex covers about 82% of significant search engine for the Russian internet.
Furthermore, Yandex SEO is not only for Russians or Russians based in different parts of the world. Other Russian-speaking countries include Ukraine, Moscow, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It is easy for these countries to interpret Russian Cyrillic content.
Undoubtedly, Google still has a high percentage in Russia after the Yandex search engine. But, most e-commerce business’s marketing transactions rely mainly on Yandex SEO as a ranking factor for search queries. Russia’s market share as of the fourth quarter of 2022 is 62.2%. This article will explain the importance of Yandex SEO, the components and strategies as a ranking factor for Yandex.
What is Yandex SEO?
This search engine optimization technique involves practices to improve the quality of a business website to rank and become visible in the Russian market. Search engine Yandex is achieved using different analytical components, to sum up Yandex SEO.
There is no difference between Google SEO and Yandex except that it is written in Russian, which is a limitation for non-speakers.
Components of Yandex SEO
Some elements are used to build up the Yandex SEO. Even as a default search engine for the Russians, it has other utilities such as maps, images, shopping, etc. This helps marketers optimize content to improve website ranking factors. The components of Yandex SEO include:
Image Yandex SEO
This search engine algorithm is no different from Google. Yandex uses images to improve user experience and the credibility of the Yandex browser. This serves as the ranking factors used to improve page authority. Almost no modernized site can do without images because it makes content more appealing to the eye.
How to insert images:
- Fill in the Alt attribute of the img and tag all images on the page.
- Also, set the text in the Alt attribute of the image tag.
- Duplicate the text presented in the image. This will help the Yandex robot index image.
- Use a meaningful file name that corresponds with the content.
- Eliminate automatically generated images.
Yandex can determine the quality and value of an image to know whether it’s worth indexing based on meta tags. SEO experts also upload images using XML sitemap to specify detailed information points like location, title, link to image URL etc. Image metadata is one of the Yandex SEO ranking factors of Yandex search engines. When writing titles and descriptions, it is recommended it is written according to the user’s search intent.
Offsite Yandex SEO
Yandex webmaster tools introduced the link-based algorithm in 2005. This Yandex SEO tool helps to reduce the impact of link exchanges and spam links. Just as Google’s penguin algorithm flags off low-quality links, which are considered spam, this algorithm rewards websites with verified backlink sources. So the Yandex SEO algorithm is called the Nepot filter because it takes out. unnatural links acquired.
Focusing on offsite SEO can help you achieve the following:
- Improve your search engine rankings through backlinking, guest posting, press releases, etc.
- Increase website visibility through content promotion and brand marketing to attract a wider audience.
- Build an online reputation through customer reviews, mentions and feedback.
Yandex Local SEO
This is primarily the vital part of Yandex SEO since it is localized in Russia, unlike Google which has a larger country capacity like the United States. To get valuable results from your SEO campaign, you need to know. the particular country you are targeting. and how valuable your content is to them. Geotargeting in Yandex SEO helps check your website’s IP by assessing accurate information. To determine the region that you want to target, you can follow the tips below:
- Indicate the targeted region in Yandex webmaster Tools
- Submit your business information to Yandex Business Directory
- Then specify at most 7 regions you want to optimize for.
- You can use Subdomains if your website contains quality information about a targeted region.
Yandex Keyword Research Tool
The use of target keywords for Yandex SEO is as crucial as ever. Natural language processing and machine learning identify these. meta-keywords and interpret them to search engines for search result display. There are various tools for researching keywords in the Russian e-commerce market.
They Include:
- Yandex Wordstat: A paid Russian keyword research toolkit that permits region searches.
- Google Keyword Planner: Google Analytics still has a higher percentage than other search engines. The AdWords keyword planner can get a few target keywords for Ecommerce sites.
- Ahrefs: also has an improved Cyrillic version of the Russian language within its keyword explorer tool.
Yandex International SEO
Although Yandex is the most popular search engine for Russian sites, It can also support XML sitemaps to reach an international audience aside from Google, which is the most popular search engines in the world. Yandex’s Russian search engine ranked eighth- most prominent globally. It provides internet-based services like Yandex maps, mail, translation, etc.
Yandex Technical SEO
Yandex algorithm has its own rules that every Russian webmaster must follow before designing a Russian website. Elements such as Header tag, meta tag, keywords in URLs and internal linking structures are key ranking factors. Yandex ranking algorithm takes a little longer to discover new sites to index content, so it’s recommended to submit sitemaps. Yandex SEO algorithm helps to:
- Identify cloaking based on blog posts using the Nakhodka algorithm introduced in 2008.
- Tackle the website with intrusive notifications like ads and pop-ups.
- Upgrades the quality of content using 8-SPI algorithm.
- Filters duplicate content using the Yandex Panda algorithm.
- Personalizes user behaviour, search history and cookies with Reykjavik (2011) and Kaliningrad (2012).
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Strategies Used to Improve Yandex SEO
There are a few SEO strategies every marketer should have in mind before embarking on Yandex SEO tactics. You also need to take note of the particularities that distinguish SEO for Google and other web pages. Let’s dive in!
On-Page Optimization
This SEO strategy has to do with internal linking and website page development. There are similarities between Yandex SEO and Google, but there are distinctive features you must keep in mind when taking up on-page optimization.
- Meta Description: Yandex shows different meta tags as a source of snippets for Yandex SERP
- URLs: Yandex, as a Cyrillic engine, prefers the Russian language more than the Latin characters interpreted by Google.
- Title Tags: It is recommended to use 60 characters for Yandex SEO.
- Canonical Tags: In Yandex SEO, this works within the same domain and doesn’t work for other subdomains. Also, avoid self-referential canonical tags.
- Domain Age: This is an essential ranking factors for Yandex search engine. Yandex SEO favours older domains that have aged well; you might consider buying a website that has been around for a while.
Mobile Friendly Sites
Search engines rank mobile-friendly web pages higher than those that are not. Yandex began tagging mobile-friendly websites with an algorithm update called Vladivostok, which helps to index mobile search results for users. After optimizing for mobile compatibility, You can monitor your progress after using the Yandex Webmaster portal.
- Go to the tools-Audit page for mobile compatibility.
- Select webmaster to view details of the mobile-friendliness for specific pages.
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Improve Your Business Credibility
To gain more ground in the market in Russia, you must build an online presence which will help your potential customers build trustworthiness and also connect through your service quality. Whatever industry you may be categorized into, Usability and design quality help users to navigate seamlessly with your brand website.
Building credibility for your business entails. being transparent with your business details and objectives. That way, people can see through you and give credit for your originality. To gain the trust of your customers, you need to:
- Create a company profile on social media channels.
- Provide undiluted customer service for clients.
- State clearly when there are slight changes in pricing.
- Provide a guaranteed return policy; customers are assured of your product.
- Give a detailed description of your product to enable customers to make decisions.
Create Quality Content
Yandex pays attention to the quality of information that answers user’s queries. Yandex algorithm scans this content and prioritizes sites that provide the most valuable and complete data. Yandex penalizes websites that plagiarize or spammy content. You can embark on content marketing SEO campaigns. to boost your content productivity.
Examples of content marketing include newsletters, podcasts, social media posts and videos. Make sure you use all these forms of content to provide meaningful information that will captivate and engage users.
Prioritize Geo-Targeted Audience
Yandex SEO takes advantage of location when ranking regional search results. Yandex uses two types of search such as geo-dependent and geo-independent search. The former focuses on products and services in a localized region, while the latter searches relevant to anyone irrespective of the location. Providing your business information on the Yandex directory using the Yandex webmaster tool will help you rank.
Conclusion
Yandex SEO is just a search engine that is similar to other engines. However, pay close attention to the elemental ranking factors and other strategies to boost your website visibility in any SEO campaign. Expand your business by exploring major search engines such as Yandex to reach Russians and other Cyrillic content audiences.
