Google vs Bing Algorithm Differences: Why Your Site Might Be “Out of Favor” with Google

Have you ever encountered this situation: your website ranks high on Bing but performs poorly on Google? This phenomenon is actually quite common. Many website owners find that their SEO efforts seem to yield better results on Bing, while requiring much more effort to achieve similar rankings on Google. The main reason behind this lies in the core differences between the two search engines’ algorithms.

Google vs Bing: Algorithm Showdown

While both Google and Bing are search engines, their algorithmic focus differs significantly. Google has recently emphasized the E-E-A-T principle (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), meaning Google places more value on content depth, author credentials, and the overall authority of a website. In contrast, Bing’s algorithm gives more weight to technical factors and keyword matching, which explains why some websites ranking low on Google might perform well on Bing.

A key difference is: Google focuses more on user experience and content quality, while Bing leans more toward traditional SEO signals. For example, Bing relies much more heavily on meta tags than Google does, making optimization of meta descriptions and title tags more directly effective on Bing. Additionally, Bing places greater importance on social media signals than Google, meaning your social media activity may have a more direct impact on your Bing rankings.

Technical SEO: The Overlooked Google Ranking Killer

If your website ranks low on Google but high on Bing, technical SEO issues are likely the main reason. Google has extremely strict requirements for a website’s technical health. First, mobile-friendliness is crucial. In the era of mobile-first indexing, if your website offers a poor experience on mobile devices, it’s almost impossible to achieve good rankings on Google. You can quickly check for such issues using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool.

Website speed is another critical factor. Google explicitly states that page loading speed is a ranking factor. The PageSpeed Insights tool can analyze your website’s speed performance and provide specific optimization suggestions. Notably, Bing is generally more tolerant of slower website speeds than Google, which might be another reason your site performs better on Bing.

Structured data is also an important factor affecting Google rankings. Through Schema markup, you can help Google better understand your content, thereby improving visibility in search results. While Bing also supports structured data, Google relies on it more heavily and its implementation is more complex.

Case Study: How Technical SEO Affects Rankings

We once analyzed a B2B international trade website that ranked in the top 3 for core keywords on Bing but was beyond the 50th position on Google. Through in-depth analysis, we discovered several key technical SEO issues: incomplete mobile adaptation, causing some content to display improperly on phones; average page loading times exceeding 5 seconds; and missing crucial structured data markup. By addressing these issues, the website’s Google ranking improved by over 40 positions within three months, with traffic increasing by 300%. This case clearly illustrates why some websites rank low on Google but high on Bing, and how technical optimization can improve Google performance.

Remember, Google’s algorithm updates frequently, with increasingly higher demands on website quality. If your website performs well on Bing but ranks low on Google, don’t be discouraged—this usually means your website has a good foundation and only needs optimization tailored to Google’s specific requirements. By systematically addressing technical SEO issues, combined with high-quality content and a reasonable link strategy, your website’s performance on Google can surpass that on Bing.

Content is King? Does Google Really Like Your Content?

The SEO mantra “content is king” is well-known, but many website owners are puzzled: why does my content perform well on Bing but poorly on Google? This is often because Google has stricter and more complex standards for assessing content quality. If your website ranks low on Google but high on Bing, content quality might be the key reason.

Google’s Standards for “High-Quality Content”

Google’s core standard for evaluating content quality can be summarized as the YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) principle. For content that might affect users’ health, finances, or life decisions, Google sets extremely high quality standards. Even for non-YMYL topics, Google expects content to be original, in-depth, and professional. In contrast, Bing’s content evaluation is relatively straightforward, focusing more on keyword matching and basic SEO factors.

Originality is one of the most valued content traits by Google. Copied or slightly modified content struggles to rank well on Google, even if it performs well on Bing. Google’s algorithm can identify content uniqueness, assessing whether it provides new value for search queries. For international promotion, this means simple translations of product descriptions are often insufficient—locally adapted original content is needed for different markets.

Content depth is another key differentiator. Google tends to reward comprehensive, in-depth long-form content that thoroughly covers topics. Bing is more flexible regarding content length. Our analysis shows that top-ranking content on Google averages over 1,500 words, while top results on Bing might only have 800-1,000 words.

User Experience: The Hidden Ranking Factor

Google increasingly values user experience signals as ranking factors. These include but are not limited to: time on page, bounce rate, click-through rate, etc. If your content fails to engage users and keep them interacting, even with perfect keyword optimization, it’s difficult to achieve high rankings on Google. Bing relies less on these user behavior signals.

Website navigation and structure’s impact on Google rankings is often underestimated. A clear internal linking structure not only helps users find related content but also helps Google’s crawlers understand your site architecture. We often find that websites ranking high on Bing have relatively simple structures, while those performing well on Google typically have more complex but logically clear navigation systems.

Page layout and readability are equally important. Google evaluates content readability levels, including paragraph length, heading usage, and the proper use of lists and images. These factors carry less weight in Bing’s ranking algorithm, which might be another reason your content performs better on Bing.

Success Story: Ranking Leap Through Content Optimization

We once helped an e-commerce website optimize its product page content. The site ranked in the top 5 for multiple product keywords on Bing but was virtually invisible on Google. Through analysis, we found its product descriptions were too brief (averaging 200 words), lacked detailed specifications and usage scenarios, and had high content duplication across pages. We rewrote in-depth content (averaging 800 words), added genuine user review sections, and optimized content structure. Six months later, the site’s organic traffic from Google grew by 470%, while its Bing rankings also improved. This proves that high-quality content meeting Google’s standards usually performs well on Bing too, but the reverse isn’t always true.

If your content performs well on Bing but ranks low on Google, don’t simply assume Google “dislikes” your site. More likely, Google has higher standards for your content. By improving content quality, depth, and user experience, you can achieve good rankings on both search engines. Remember, Google’s standards often represent industry best practices—content meeting these standards typically performs well across all platforms.

Say Goodbye to Spam Links! How to Build High-Quality Backlinks

Backlinks are one of the most important factors affecting search engine rankings, but Google and Bing have significantly different standards for assessing link quality. Many websites find the same link-building strategy works noticeably well on Bing but yields poor results on Google, sometimes even triggering penalties. If your website ranks low on Google but high on Bing, link quality might be the key reason.

Characteristics of High-Quality Backlinks

Google has extremely strict requirements for backlink quality. A high-quality backlink should have three key characteristics: relevance, authority, and naturalness. Relevance means the linking site shares thematic similarity with yours; authority means the linking site itself has high credibility; naturalness means the link is editorially placed voluntarily, not obtained through purchase or exchange. In contrast, Bing is more lenient regarding link relevance and naturalness, focusing more on the general prevalence of links.

Anchor text distribution is another important difference. Google is wary of over-optimized exact-match anchor texts, preferring natural, diversified anchor text distributions. Bing is more accepting of exact-match anchor texts, making some link-building strategies effective on Bing but potentially counterproductive on Google. Particularly important for international promotion is that links from local high-quality sites in target markets carry more value.

Link growth speed is another factor Google closely monitors. Suddenly gaining numerous backlinks might trigger Google’s algorithm review, even if the links themselves are good quality. Bing is much less sensitive to link growth speed. We often see websites rapidly climb Bing rankings through aggressive link-building in short periods while showing no improvement or even dropping on Google.

Competitor Analysis: Discovering High-Quality Link Opportunities

Analyzing competitors’ link profiles is an effective way to discover high-quality link opportunities. Focus on competitors ranking well on Google in your niche, studying their backlink sources. These sites have already passed Google’s strict scrutiny, so obtaining links from similar sources is generally safe and effective. Competitors ranking high on Bing but low on Google are also worth studying, but require more careful filtering.

Guest blogging remains a reliable method for acquiring high-quality backlinks, but Google is increasingly cracking down on low-quality guest posts. Ensure you only publish guest content on high-authority, thematically relevant sites, with content quality meeting or exceeding the site’s average standards. Bing is more lenient with guest blogging, explaining why some sites using aggressive guest posting strategies perform better on Bing.

Resource page links are another often-overlooked high-quality link source. Many high-quality sites maintain resource lists for specific topics—if your content is excellent, you can request administrators to include your site in relevant resource lists. Links obtained this way are highly valued by Google as they represent genuine editorial recommendations.

Case Study: Quality Over Quantity Link Strategy

We once helped a B2B service provider optimize its link profile. The site had over 5,000 backlinks, ranking #2 for core keywords on Bing but #58 on Google. Analysis revealed that while the link quantity was substantial, most came from low-quality directories and forums, with few high-authority relevant links. We helped the client gradually remove low-quality links while acquiring 87 high-quality industry-relevant links through content marketing and relationship building. Twelve months later, the site’s Google ranking rose to #9, with traffic increasing by 320%, while its Bing ranking improved to #1. This case clearly shows that link strategies meeting Google’s standards usually improve Bing rankings too, but the reverse isn’t necessarily true.

If your link strategy works on Bing but not on Google, don’t despair. By shifting to higher-quality, more natural link-building methods, you can achieve good rankings on both search engines. Remember, Google’s link quality standards represent industry best practices—following these standards not only improves rankings but also builds lasting site authority. Instead of pursuing quick-win Bing optimization strategies, invest in long-term link-building methods that withstand Google’s scrutiny.