How to optimize Keyword for Yahoo & SEO checklists

Unlock the secrets of Yahoo! Japan SEO with this guide. From navigating Japanese language nuances to optimizing content and leveraging backlinks, discover how to boost your online presence in the Japanese market. Optimize for both Google and Yahoo! to maximize visibility and inbound traffic.

5 min read

Introduction to Yahoo! Japan

From 2014 to 2017, Firefox designated Yahoo as its default search engine in the US, leading many users to become accustomed to using Yahoo. Despite Firefox reverting to Google as its default search engine, around 6.7 percent of Americans continue to use Firefox, which is still used Yahoo as its browser, making this market significant. Additionally, optimizing content for Yahoo SEO may be easier compared to other major search engines, as Yahoo employs basic ranking criteria without regularly updated algorithms like Google.

In Japan, Yahoo is a second market share 14%, after Google with a 75%.(Source: JAPAN BUZZ) But, Because of its specificity in Japan, Yahoo! Japan has consolidated its dominant position in Japan. In this article, we'll learn how to optimize keywords and efficiently check SEO checklists.

Japanese language and keyword specificity

The Japanese language uses three character sets: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Each set serves a distinct purpose, with Hiragana and Katakana utilized for phonetic representation and Kanji for logographic symbols. Romaji, the Latin alphabet, is also utilized, increasing the complexity of written Japanese. Because of this diversity, a single word can be written in a variety of ways, resulting in several search term permutations.

Google's system accommodates for these variances, yet each keyword may provide different search results, altering site rankings. For example, the term "karaage" may be expressed in various ways, demonstrating the need of careful keyword selection in SEO strategy. Even corporate names, such as "Decathlon," might provide translation and search optimization issues. Overall, success in Japanese SEO demands picking keywords that are relevant to user preferences and market trends. Understanding these aspects is critical for developing successful optimization techniques.

Because of Japan's language peculiarities, it is worthwhile to first knock on the market door by translating core keywords, but it is more stable to collect data on incoming keywords once content is released, extend them, and increase the market.

Planning good keywords and SEO friendly contents in Yahoo!

Yahoo! Japan Keywords Research and SEO Checklist Template Overview Yahoo! Japan Keywords Research and SEO Checklist Template Overview

Yahoo! Japan Keywords Research and SEO Checklist

If you want to manage keywords efficiently in Yahoo! Japan, give this template a try. It will be an easier way to use a template to check the search volume by keyword using Yahoo! Japan Ads Recommendations. It’s an advertisement tool for PPC, but it will give you an idea of how much you will understand. If you want to know how to use this template, this article will be fruitful to you.

First, you would make the target group list, which is the ad group's targeting type, in Yahoo! Japan Adds. The target group list is classified based on the amount of search for each keyword, and the keyword with the highest amount of search will be your core keyword. Based on the user size that can be checked here, you can proceed with planning. The procedures for generating a target list for a target list group when utilizing a feature that allows you to share your target list across accounts are:

  • View Search Ads account in the Campaign Management Tool.

  • Click "Tools."

  • Click "Target list in target list group" in "Library."

  • Click "New target list" and select "Rule" or "Combination."

    • You can create or combine a new list of target users with this feature. You can "rule" a new target user group if you discover the possibility of a new user group while creating and managing content.
    • Using the "combination" feature risks mixing your performance data because managing user groups based on core keywords presents a clearer solution to the performance of your content.
    Yahoo! Japan Ads Campaign Management Tool (Source: Yahoo! Japan Ads) Yahoo! Japan Ads Campaign Management Tool (Source: Yahoo! Japan Ads)
  • Click "Target lists" in "Tools."

    • You will be able to find your user size here, and write it down in column F.

How to optimize your content for Yahoo!

If you've already learned how to build user groups and manage keywords in Yahoo, let's look at how to optimize your content. The Yahoo recommendations provide a variety of best practices for image SEO. For example, you should avoid using text in your photos. Embedded text may impede the search engine from properly indexing your material. Instead, try maintaining your content and URLs in HTML format so that Yahoo can properly display them. As with other search engines, it's also important to provide alt text for your photographs.

Yahoo focuses more emphasis on backlinks than Google does. These are the URLs from other websites that lead to your content. Backlinks from authoritative websites and industry leaders can help your content rank higher in search results. Furthermore, these URLs might increase traffic to your website. As a result, we advocate taking an active approach to requesting for backlinks. You may start by utilizing a tool like Moz's Link Explorer to see which sites are connecting to the most popular articles for certain keywords. Then, contact those sites and suggest that they link back to your material instead. Alternatively, you can increase the number of backlinks by guest writing.

Moz’s Link Explorer (Source: Elegant Themes) Moz’s Link Explorer (Source: Elegant Themes)

Social media presence significantly impacts Yahoo SEO, as search engines consider online network activity. Higher follower counts and frequent post sharing can boost content rankings. Investing in a social media strategy, focusing on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, is recommended. Tailor platform choices to audience demographics; for instance, Instagram suits younger demographics. Integrate social media with your site using plugins for tighter connection and track demographic metrics in Google Analytics. Maintain consistency with a content calendar and automate tasks using WordPress social media plugins.

Conclusion

To drive organic traffic, you need to use proven SEO tactics. But relying solely on Google may overlook potential visitors. So, optimizing and posting material to both Yahoo and Google might help you grow your online presence in the Japanese market, especially. It's worth exploring smaller sources like Yahoo, especially for international traffic from Japan.

Moreover, It is also feasible to achieve the inbound inflow impact in the Japanese market by increasing the visibility of HQ content not just on Google but also on Yahoo.