In the world of online search, it is not all about Google – right?
If you have not heard of DuckDuckGo, it is time to get acquainted. DuckDuckGo is the search engine for privacy-conscious users—it does not track your every click or build user profiles.
Whilst this can be frustrating as a marketer, as concerns about internet privacy grow, so does DuckDuckGo’s popularity.
This means that its opportunity to reach new audiences should not be ignored, but where do you start?
If you are in the professional services or tech vendor space, here are our initial thoughts on DuckDuckGo.
Why DuckDuckGo?
DuckDuckGo has been around since 2008, but its popularity has spiked in recent years.
It has grown from a modest two million searches in 2013 to over two billion searches monthly today.
This is still only a small share of the potential search market, but it is quickly becoming a challenger for Google and Bing.
For those prioritising privacy, including many younger generations, it is now the go-to platform, which makes it an emerging but crucial player for businesses.
Practical marketing takeaway?
Well, if we were to give you a quick summary, DuckDuckGo may only have about 1.7 per cent of the search market, compared to Google’s 88%, but it is growing quickly – especially among mobile users.
It is already a default search engine option for iPhones, and a big part of its audience is looking for trustworthy, track-free search experiences.
DuckDuckGo SEO: How Is it different?
The truth is that DuckDuckGo SEO is not particularly different from what you are already doing for Google and Bing.
In fact, DuckDuckGo uses over 400 sources for its search results – including Google and Bing. If you are optimising for those, you are already halfway there.
Optimising your SEO can have an incredible impact on your web traffic, especially if you can reach page one, position one.
Achieving position one generates an approximate Click Through Rate (CTR) of 39.8 per cent, whereas position #3 generates an approximate CTR of 10.2 per cent. Increasing one rank improves relative CTR by 32.3 per cent, according to recent studies.
With that in mind, here are a few tips and tricks you can keep in mind to make the most out of DuckDuckGo:
- Backlinks still matter: DuckDuckGo relies heavily on backlinks, just like Google and Bing. Building high-quality, organic links is key. Forget about buying backlinks, DuckDuckGo sources from Google, so any penalties you get there will affect your DuckDuckGo rankings too.
- High-quality content: Like the other search engines, DuckDuckGo loves authoritative content. Keep writing informative, engaging pages that address the needs of your audience, and naturally integrate relevant keywords.
- A different approach to geography: Since DuckDuckGo does not track your specific location, its local results are a bit less precise. Optimise for local search with content that mentions your location and make sure your name, address, and phone number are readily accessible on your site.
- Optimise for mobile – If your audience is on mobile – and let’s be honest, they are – DuckDuckGo favours this audience. If your site performance on mobile is poor and lacks a mobile-friendly design, now is the time to improve it.
- Making the most of metadata – DuckDuckGo does not use the metadata to rank results, it still plays an important role in getting people to click through to your site. However, title tags and meta descriptions are still key to attracting clicks. Make sure your metadata is well-optimised with relevant keywords, a clear message, and concise language.
Is DuckDuckGo worth your time?
Absolutely, especially if privacy is a key concern for your target audience or if you are looking to stay ahead of the curve.
If you are already investing in a solid SEO strategy for Google and Bing, you are largely set for DuckDuckGo as well.
It is about adapting and optimising your efforts with DuckDuckGo’s privacy-focused user base in mind.
Want to explore how DuckDuckGo marketing can fit into your strategy?
Get in touch with us and let us make your online presence as impactful as possible – without the tracking.
To find out more about our specialist web, PPC and SEO services, please contact us today.
