Google is not a monopoly, and performing SEO is not synonymous with Mountain View colossus optimization: In the article on vertical optimization, we have talked about “other” search engines (YouTube, Amazon, etc). However, today, we move to Russian territory to talk about Yandex, focusing on essential metrics for this search engine.
Although Google has a strong presence in Russia, your SEO and Analytics strategy must take into account Yandex, the leading Russian search engine that, thanks to the latest legal changes that have damaged Big G, has also filled the gap on mobile devices.
Yandex is a simple search engine, and it also provides a browser (YaBrowser), e-mail, news, maps, paid advertising and translation services to the Russian market, as well as in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Turkey.
The main Yandex Index: SQI
Site Quality Index: it indicates how useful a site is for users.
Among the metrics taken into consideration: users visiting the site, user satisfaction, and a series of non-public parameters. The SQI of a subdomain is usually the same as the primary domain.
It is possible to calculate the SQI using this tool: https://webmaster.yandex.ru/sqi/ (it also works on competitors).
But does having a higher SQI than a competitor guarantees a better ranking? It doesn’t seem so. However, it is worthwhile to familiarize with this metric and monitor it over time.
YTO: the Yandex Turbo Pages and the difference with the MPAs
Yandex Turbo Pages are a light version of a site’s pages. The goal is to provide an adequate browsing experience even when on slow connections: The Turbo Pages are delivered directly by the Yandex CND, easing the server’s load.
The use of Turbo Pages (positively) affects the generation of extended snippets in SERPs. The easiest way to generate Turbo Pages is via the RSS feeds, to be given to the Yandex Webmaster console.
The question arises: but are Turbo Pages the equivalent of Google AMPs? Not really: same goal, different approach.
Google forces developers to follow specific guidelines for the integration of Accelerated Mobile Pages, while Yandex only asks to feed its system with a feed: it will be the Yandex server to process and deliver the Turbo Pages. Google allows more customization of the pages, Yandex focuses on simplicity.
