Search engine is an important tool to deliver a streamlined search journey in this modernized era. The quality of the showed result will determine if you, as a user, find exactly what you are looking for or if you waste your time carefully reading pages in search of your desired outcome which can potentially increase your frustration and possible bounce rates.
In short, a search results page shows a list of results delivered by a search engine in response to your query. As of today, the most popular search engine results page (SERP) is Google’s.
Many people can instantly acknowledge the blue and green combination of URL and page title to be synonymous with online search. Speaking of online too, you may want to check Russian online shopping websites.
Every search engine has a dynamic tension that must be respected. It has the need to balance user experience with production opportunities. Obtaining this balance is incredibly difficult, as search engines like Ask, Yahoo, and others that have seen their market shares some kind of steep fall.
In this article, we will learn more about Yandex vs Google, what Russians prefer more? Both have Technology Empire and a long history to go through in order to stand on where they are now. But, which one is perceived better in Russia? Let us find out.
Yandex, Russia’s Search Engine
Yandex is Russia’s search engine, an answer to. It provides some tools similar to Google like Email, Docs, et cetera. It also provides a webmaster tools section for site owners similar to Google as well. It has been quite successful on unlocked Android phones in comparison to other search engines in other regions around the world.
One of the caveats that help really project Yandex to the top of Russia’s search engine use is the ability to parse through the Russian language differently and some would argue that it is better than Google.
It also claims to not utilize links in their algorithm due to the high volume of spam link in Russia. If you are not trying to work within Russia deal with Russian people then Yandex should not be of too much of a concern. The nuanced differences never hurt to learn.
Google’s Search Engine
Let us be honest; is there anyone who has never heard of Google? The large majority of users almost always turn to Google when it comes to searching. No doubt, Google defines searching to some level that some users say they googled something as a synonym for searching.
A powerful tool is what many people refer to Google’s search engine as, but the internet is a huge place. Sometimes, it is hard to find what exactly you are looking for.
The people throughout the Google Company work with the idea that presenting you with what you are after and finding what you want is their responsibility regardless what you type into the search bar.
They incorporate machine learning and artificial intelligence, study language and intent, and note every search that is undertaken. All of them are done in an effort to give a good experience to the users and make sure they get what they want.
Yandex vs Google
In Russia, Yandex is, by any means, the biggest search engine so far. More than 57% of Russian internet users use Yandex as their default search engine and it is currently ranked as the most used, most popular Russian internet tool. There is also significant Yandex usage in places outside Russia such as Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Turkey.
While most of the basic rules for promoting sites on Google also apply to Yandex, there are still some specific differences between these two platforms.
- Yandex was meant specifically for Russian market and is able to handle specific Russian search challenges better than Google. Generally speaking, Google is not as effective at parsing users’ points over spelling in non-English search, but it is even weaker when it comes to Russian language. While Google’s search engine only shows pages that are relevant to the users’ query as it is spelled, Yandex is able to parse the synonyms and users’ points regardless of the spelling. As a result, Google is giving the weaker search experience compared to Yandex.
- Even though Google is able to use its Android operating system to grow mobile search, it is not that effective in Russia. In Russia, Android has approximately 70 percent of Russian market but Yandex still has 52 percent of the search market on Android devices.
- Russian people have affinity towards local brands but this is not to say that they do not appreciate foreign products. However, in the wake of the scandal of Snowden/NSA, Russian people might want to play safe by using Yandex simply because they do not trust Google.
- Much like Google, Yandex provides free email, music, live traffic maps, videos, photo storage, and many more. A lot of these similar features are products that Google used to grow its adoption all over the world by introducing users to the Google brand. As a result, Google was able to direct users away from weaker products such as Mapquest, Hotmail, and even Dropbox to rely more on Google alternatives. In Russia, Google does not have this kind of opportunity as Yandex’s features are comparable, if not better.
The Bottom Line
In short, while Yandex’s market share has risen significantly over the last few years as its local competitors stumbled, Google’s market share of Russian search actually fell slightly. Yandex is likely to grow at the expense of Google due to some factors that just do not exist outside of Russia.
With the benefits and high stakes that will come from the continuation of growth of Yandex in Russia, we can expect Google will thrive even more to claim the search market.
Let us see what sort of acquisitions and investments Google will use to be the dominant search engine in Russia. So, that is the brief explanation of Yandex vs Google, what Russians prefer more?