SEO
Top 5 Chinese Search Engines & How They Work
In 2021, China surpassed one billion internet users, making it the biggest online market in the world.
But as global businesses seek to gain a foothold in this rapidly growing digital economy, they face a unique set of challenges, including optimizing their websites for the world’s most populous nation.
Unlike in the rest of the world, where Google is the undisputed king of search engines, it held just 3.56% of the Chinese market in June 2022.
Bing, its main global competitor, fared slightly better, with an 11.47% market share.
But Chinese internet users still need a means of finding products and information on the web.
If they’re not using the search engines popular in the rest of the world, what are they using?
Domestic search engines, designed in China for use in China, of course.
To help you enter the Chinese online market or attract new customers from the east, this piece will cover the top five search engines in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and give you tips for using them to reach your goals.
But before we get to that, it’s important to get some background information.
The Internet And Censorship In China
Though it had supported simplified and traditional Chinese searches since 2000, Google did not officially join the Chinese mainland market until 2006.
At this time, the country had just 137 million internet users.
Just four years later, the search engine giant abandoned the country in favor of Hong Kong to avoid Chinese censors.
In response, the Chinese government banned Google search sites in all languages.
This was all set in motion by an internet explosion in 2009.
Worried about the impacts of unrestricted access to information, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued the Circular on Computer Pre-Loaded Green Internet Filter Software.
This required a web filter on all devices made or sold in China to block access to certain sites, including news, streaming, and social media sites, among others. More sites are added to this list every year and if you’re worried your domain is included, you can check here.
But where there’s a will, there’s always a way and enterprising and tech-savvy Chinese citizens have turned to use virtual private networks (VPNs) to access restricted sites.
Surprisingly, while there are numerous VPNs on the list of blocked sites, their use is not illegal.
And while this workaround exists, it’s simply not a significant means of driving traffic to western sites from the Asian country.
Google To Return To China?
It’s hard to imagine the world’s biggest search engine would completely forgo the world’s biggest online market and there have been hints it intends to return at some point.
In a 2018 letter obtained by the New York Times, hundreds of Google employees signed a letter objecting to working on a censored Chinese version of the search engine, which was being built in secret.
However, just one year later, Karan Bhatia, a vice president of government affairs and public policy at Google testified before a Senate Judiciary Committee that the project had been terminated.
But that hasn’t silenced murmuring that the company plans to get back into the Chinese market. If it does, it will be in for stiff competition from homegrown search engines that are already well-entrenched.
But more on that in a bit.
First, let’s talk about how the Chinese online marketplace and the Asian giant’s unique customer journey.
How Chinese Consumers Shop Online
The first thing every ecommerce company that wants to do business in China needs to understand is that the way Chinese consumers use the internet is very different from what most non-Chinese companies are used to.
For one thing, while mobile internet surpasses usage on computers in most countries, it does not dominate search traffic in the way it does in China.
In 2020, almost every Chinese internet user (99.7%) accessed the web via their smartphone.
By comparison, 32.8% accessed the internet via desktop and only 28.2% on laptop computers. Thus, any company entering the online marketplace in the country would be wise to focus its efforts on the mobile market.
Chinese consumers also rarely visit company or brand websites, preferring instead single-entry points where numerous brands are represented. Instead of searching for specific products, they tend to perform extensive research and read (often automated) recommendations before making a purchase.
Social media and influencers also have a strong influence on purchasing decisions.
On- and off-line sales channels tend to be more integrated with the PRC, while the line between entertainment and shopping is fuzzy.
Chinese users can often click on items they like in social media posts and buy them in a linked online store.
Additionally, Chinese merchants place an emphasis on customer service, which contributes to high levels of purchasing loyalty.
What Search Engines Is China Using?
While cultural differences exist from country to country, and sometimes region to region everywhere in the world, Chinese norms are often quite unfamiliar to Western companies. And that includes the search engines used.
So, what sites are the Chinese using to find things on the internet? Here are the top five:
1. Baidu – China’s Answer To Google
Much like “to Google” has become a standard verb meaning to look something up online, in China people “Baidu” something.
It controls more than 75% of the search engine market in the PRC and even brings in some users from other countries, including the U.S. and Japan.
Baidu got its start with funding from Silicon Valley in 2000, initially as just a homepage that allowed companies to bid on ad space. Since then, it has expanded not just into search, but also artificial intelligence and a number of internet-related products and services.
What You Need To Know
Baidu only indexes sites that use simplified Chinese characters.
That means if you don’t have a Mandarin website, you won’t show up.
It also prefers websites that are hosted on Chinese servers.
To host a website in the PRC, you must have an Internet Content Provider License.
Search engine position is determined by homepage and Baidu’s rankings still include meta keywords, partially due to image AI that is not as advanced as Google’s.
That means image alt texts and metadata are important to ensuring its image understanding.
HTTPS is also included as a ranking signal and it seems to take loading speed, content quality, and content prominence into account as well.
It’s also important to note that Baidu does not handle JavaScript well, so all content and links should be in plain HTML on both mobile and desktop versions of your site.
2. Sogou – Search-Dog
Initially launched in 2004, Sogou (literally “search dog”) holds the second spot in the domestic Chinese search market, claiming a 4.83% share.
In September 2021, it completed a $3.5 billion merger to become a subsidiary of Tencent, a technology company with gaming, social media, and entertainment interests.
What You Need To Know
Sogou’s search algorithm places a high value on original content and site authority.
Like Baidu, it favors websites that use simplified Chinese and those hosted on Chinese servers.
Backlinks are an important ranking factor, with the emphasis seemingly on quantity rather than quality. Meta descriptions don’t seem to be as important, but title tags are vital.
Because of its connection to Tencent, Sogou is the default search engine for QQ Browser, QQ Messenger, and WeChat, all major apps in the Chinese market.
3. Haosuo – Secure Search
Also known as Qihoo 360 Search and s.com, Haosuo comes in at #3 in the Chinese domestic search engine market. Launched in 2012, it went through a series of domain changes, operating as so.360.cn, so.com, and haosou.com.
Backed by one of China’s largest internet providers (Qihoo 360), it became Haosuo in 2016.
This change came with a simplified interface and an increased focus on mobile experiences.
What You Need To Know
The Qihoo 360 browser comes preinstalled on most Chinese computers, making it the Internet Explorer of China. No word on whether it’s used primarily by technologically challenged seniors, though.
Known for its security features, any Chinese businesses recommend their employees use Haosuo, making it a powerful player in B2B marketing.
Also, this cybersecurity emphasis appears to be reflected in rankings, with sites with higher authority and trustworthiness seeming to be ranked higher.
There is less competition on 360 Search, which often means a lower cost-per-click on paid ads.
A unit based in Hong Kong may also make it easier for foreign companies to advertise on this platform.
4. Shenma – The First Name In Mobile
A venture between ecommerce giant Alibaba and UC Web, Shenma claims 1.74% of the Chinese market.
It is the default search engine on the UC web browser, which is one of the most used browsers.
What differentiates Shenma from the competition, and most search engines for that matter is that it is mobile-only.
Calling itself the “experts in mobile search,” Shenma is a combination search engine and app store.
What You Need To Know
Shenma’s link with Alibaba allows it to include direct links to product pages.
It’s widely used for home goods, clothing, and books, as well as apps.
Products that are listed on Taobao or Tmall (Alibaba shopping properties) are given priority, which improves placement in search results.
5. Youdao – The Translation Search Engine
A division of Chinese internet technology company NetEase, Youdao operates more like an online education platform than a traditional search engine.
It allows users to search websites, images, news, and perhaps most importantly to foreign users, Chinese-to-English entries.
What You Need To Know
Youdao can translate Mandarin into more than 20 languages.
It is the biggest translation tool and online dictionary in the PRC, providing example sentences and word usage help.
More than half of Youdao’s users are 24 or younger.
Primarily used by students and high-income individuals, it offers opportunities for foreign companies looking to sell international products in China.
Getting Started In SEO In China
Getting a foot in the door in China’s search engine rankings can be tricky.
And if you don’t have a site in Mandarin, preferably hosted within the PRC, it can be very tough.
But in a country of more than 1 billion internet users, it’s worth the effort.
Baidu is the big dog on the block, but it doesn’t dominate the Chinese market in the same way Google dominates the American one.
Competitors are finding new ways to carve out their own niches.
And this provides opportunities for international companies.
International SEO requires some extra work, but by doing your research, becoming familiar with Chinese search habits, and working within the confines of the PRC’s internet environment, you can claim your spot in the rankings and expand into new markets.
More resources:
Featured Image: Shayli/Shutterstock
SEO
State Of Marketing Data Standards In The AI Era [Webinar]
![State Of Marketing Data Standards In The AI Era [Webinar] State Of Marketing Data Standards In The AI Era [Webinar]](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/State-Of-Marketing-Data-Standards-In-The-AI-Era-Webinar.jpg)
Claravine and Advertiser Perceptions surveyed 140 marketers and agencies to better understand the impact of data standards on marketing data, and they’re ready to present their findings.
Want to learn how you can mitigate privacy risks and boost ROI through data standards?
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In this webinar, you will:
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- Get an overview of the current state of data standards and analytics, and how marketers are managing risk while improving the ROI of their programs.
- Walk away with tactics and best practices that you can use to improve your marketing data now.
Chris Comstock, Chief Growth Officer at Claravine, will show you the marketing data trends of top advertisers and the potential pitfalls that come with poor data standards.
Learn the key ways to level up your data strategy to pinpoint campaign success.
View the slides below or check out the full webinar for all the details.
Join Us For Our Next Webinar!
SaaS Marketing: Expert Paid Media Tips Backed By $150M In Ad Spend
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SEO
GPT Store Set To Launch In 2024 After ‘Unexpected’ Delays

OpenAI shares its plans for the GPT Store, enhancements to GPT Builder tools, privacy improvements, and updates coming to ChatGPT.
- OpenAI has scheduled the launch of the GPT Store for early next year, aligning with its ongoing commitment to developing advanced AI technologies.
- The GPT Builder tools have received substantial updates, including a more intuitive configuration interface and improved file handling capabilities.
- Anticipation builds for upcoming updates to ChatGPT, highlighting OpenAI’s responsiveness to community feedback and dedication to AI innovation.
SEO
96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here’s How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023]
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] 96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023]](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464170_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.jpg)
It’s no secret that the web is growing by millions, if not billions of pages per day.
Our Content Explorer tool discovers 10 million new pages every 24 hours while being very picky about the pages that qualify for inclusion. The “main” Ahrefs web crawler crawls that number of pages every two minutes.
But how much of this content gets organic traffic from Google?
To find out, we took the entire database from our Content Explorer tool (around 14 billion pages) and studied how many pages get traffic from organic search and why.
How many web pages get organic search traffic?
96.55% of all pages in our index get zero traffic from Google, and 1.94% get between one and ten monthly visits.
Before we move on to discussing why the vast majority of pages never get any search traffic from Google (and how to avoid being one of them), it’s important to address two discrepancies with the studied data:
- ~14 billion pages may seem like a huge number, but it’s not the most accurate representation of the entire web. Even compared to the size of Site Explorer’s index of 340.8 billion pages, our sample size for this study is quite small and somewhat biased towards the “quality side of the web.”
- Our search traffic numbers are estimates. Even though our database of ~651 million keywords in Site Explorer (where our estimates come from) is arguably the largest database of its kind, it doesn’t contain every possible thing people search for in Google. There’s a chance that some of these pages get search traffic from super long-tail keywords that are not popular enough to make it into our database.
That said, these two “inaccuracies” don’t change much in the grand scheme of things: the vast majority of published pages never rank in Google and never get any search traffic.
But why is this, and how can you be a part of the minority that gets organic search traffic from Google?
Well, there are hundreds of SEO issues that may prevent your pages from ranking well in Google. But if we focus only on the most common scenarios, assuming the page is indexed, there are only three of them.
Reason 1: The topic has no search demand
If nobody is searching for your topic, you won’t get any search traffic—even if you rank #1.
For example, I recently Googled “pull sitemap into google sheets” and clicked the top-ranking page (which solved my problem in seconds, by the way). But if you plug that URL into Ahrefs’ Site Explorer, you’ll see that it gets zero estimated organic search traffic:
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] The top-ranking page for this topic gets no traffic because there's no search demand](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464168_468_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] The top-ranking page for this topic gets no traffic because there's no search demand](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464168_468_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
This is because hardly anyone else is searching for this, as data from Keywords Explorer confirms:
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Keyword data from Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer confirms that this topic has no search demand](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464168_531_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Keyword data from Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer confirms that this topic has no search demand](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464168_531_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
This is why it’s so important to do keyword research. You can’t just assume that people are searching for whatever you want to talk about. You need to check the data.
Our Traffic Potential (TP) metric in Keywords Explorer can help with this. It estimates how much organic search traffic the current top-ranking page for a keyword gets from all the queries it ranks for. This is a good indicator of the total search demand for a topic.
You’ll see this metric for every keyword in Keywords Explorer, and you can even filter for keywords that meet your minimum criteria (e.g., 500+ monthly traffic potential):
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Filtering for keywords with Traffic Potential (TP) in Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464168_670_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Filtering for keywords with Traffic Potential (TP) in Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464168_670_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
Reason 2: The page has no backlinks
Backlinks are one of Google’s top three ranking factors, so it probably comes as no surprise that there’s a clear correlation between the number of websites linking to a page and its traffic.
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Pages with more referring domains get more traffic](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464168_94_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Pages with more referring domains get more traffic](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464168_94_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
Same goes for the correlation between a page’s traffic and keyword rankings:
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Pages with more referring domains rank for more keywords](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464168_324_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Pages with more referring domains rank for more keywords](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464168_324_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
Does any of this data prove that backlinks help you rank higher in Google?
No, because correlation does not imply causation. However, most SEO professionals will tell you that it’s almost impossible to rank on the first page for competitive keywords without backlinks—an observation that aligns with the data above.
The key word there is “competitive.” Plenty of pages get organic traffic while having no backlinks…
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Pages with more referring domains get more traffic](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464168_573_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Pages with more referring domains get more traffic](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464168_573_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
… but from what I can tell, almost all of them are about low-competition topics.
For example, this lyrics page for a Neil Young song gets an estimated 162 monthly visits with no backlinks:
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Example of a page with traffic but no backlinks, via Ahrefs' Content Explorer](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464168_883_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Example of a page with traffic but no backlinks, via Ahrefs' Content Explorer](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464168_883_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
But if we check the keywords it ranks for, they almost all have Keyword Difficulty (KD) scores in the single figures:
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Some of the low-difficulty keywords a page without traffic ranks for](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464168_388_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Some of the low-difficulty keywords a page without traffic ranks for](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464168_388_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
It’s the same story for this page selling upholstered headboards:
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Some of the low-difficulty keywords a page without traffic ranks for](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464168_125_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Some of the low-difficulty keywords a page without traffic ranks for](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464168_125_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
You might have noticed two other things about these pages:
- Neither of them get that much traffic. This is pretty typical. Our index contains ~20 million pages with no referring domains, yet only 2,997 of them get more than 1K search visits per month. That’s roughly 1 in every 6,671 pages with no backlinks.
- Both of the sites they’re on have high Domain Rating (DR) scores. This metric shows the relative strength of a website’s backlink profile. Stronger sites like these have more PageRank that they can pass to pages with internal links to help them rank.
Bottom line? If you want your pages to get search traffic, you really only have two options:
- Target uncompetitive topics that you can rank for with few or no backlinks.
- Target competitive topics and build backlinks to rank.
If you want to find uncompetitive topics, try this:
- Enter a topic into Keywords Explorer
- Go to the Matching terms report
- Set the Keyword Difficulty (KD) filter to max. 20
- Set the Lowest DR filter to your site’s DR (this will show you keywords with at least one of the same or lower DR ranking in the top 5)
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Filtering for low-competition keywords in Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464169_37_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Filtering for low-competition keywords in Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464169_37_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
(Remember to keep an eye on the TP column to make sure they have traffic potential.)
To rank for more competitive topics, you’ll need to earn or build high-quality backlinks to your page. If you’re not sure how to do that, start with the guides below. Keep in mind that it’ll be practically impossible to get links unless your content adds something to the conversation.
Reason 3. The page doesn’t match search intent
Google wants to give users the most relevant results for a query. That’s why the top organic results for “best yoga mat” are blog posts with recommendations, not product pages.
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] It's obviously what searchers want when they search for "best yoga mats"](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.jpg)
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] It's obviously what searchers want when they search for "best yoga mats"](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.jpg)
Basically, Google knows that searchers are in research mode, not buying mode.
It’s also why this page selling yoga mats doesn’t show up, despite it having backlinks from more than six times more websites than any of the top-ranking pages:
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Page selling yoga mats that has lots of backlinks](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464169_945_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Page selling yoga mats that has lots of backlinks](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464169_945_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Number of linking websites to the top-ranking pages for "best yoga mats"](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464169_703_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Number of linking websites to the top-ranking pages for "best yoga mats"](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464169_703_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
Luckily, the page ranks for thousands of other more relevant keywords and gets tens of thousands of monthly organic visits. So it’s not such a big deal that it doesn’t rank for “best yoga mats.”
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Number of keyword rankings for the page selling yoga mats](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464169_1_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Number of keyword rankings for the page selling yoga mats](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464169_1_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
However, if you have pages with lots of backlinks but no organic traffic—and they already target a keyword with traffic potential—another quick SEO win is to re-optimize them for search intent.
We did this in 2018 with our free backlink checker.
It was originally nothing but a boring landing page explaining the benefits of our product and offering a 7-day trial:
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Original landing page for our free backlink checker](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464169_536_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.jpg)
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Original landing page for our free backlink checker](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464169_536_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.jpg)
After analyzing search intent, we soon realized the issue:
People weren’t looking for a landing page, but rather a free tool they could use right away.
So, in September 2018, we created a free tool and published it under the same URL. It ranked #1 pretty much overnight, and has remained there ever since.
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Our rankings over time for the keyword "backlink checker." You can see when we changed the page](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464169_302_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Our rankings over time for the keyword "backlink checker." You can see when we changed the page](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464169_302_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
Organic traffic went through the roof, too. From ~14K monthly organic visits pre-optimization to almost ~200K today.
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Estimated search traffic over time to our free backlink checker](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464169_112_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
![96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google. Here's How to Be in the Other 3.45% [New Research for 2023] Estimated search traffic over time to our free backlink checker](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1701464169_112_9655-of-Content-Gets-No-Traffic-From-Google-Heres-How.png)
TLDR
96.55% of pages get no organic traffic.
Keep your pages in the other 3.45% by building backlinks, choosing topics with organic traffic potential, and matching search intent.
Ping me on Twitter if you have any questions. 🙂
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