Mastering Naver SEO: Unleash Your Website's Potential in South Korea

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Rise of Neighbor in South Korea
3. The Dominance of Google in the Search Market
4. The Shift towards YouTube for Answers
5. Usage Patterns: Neighbor vs Google vs YouTube
6. The Mobile vs Desktop Debate
7. Paid Search and Organic Rankings on Neighbor
8. Neighbor's Algorithm Sets: C Rank, P Rank, and DIA
9. Importance of Branded Keywords
10. Ranking Factors for Neighbor Cafes and Blogs
11. The Influence of Korean ccTLD
12. Technical Configurations: Robots.txt and Meta Tags
13. Keyword Research with Neighbor Keyword Tool
14. Tracking and Analytics: Neighbor vs Google Analytics
15. Importance of Implementing Neighbor Analytics

The Rise of Neighbor in South Korea

In the highly competitive search market of South Korea, Neighbor has emerged as one of the top players, challenging the dominance of Google. Christian, a renowned SEO specialist in South Korea, shares insights on how Neighbor has gained popularity and provides optimization strategies for this unique search engine.

Introduction

Christian, with his extensive experience in Google SEO, discovered an opportunity to delve into the South Korean market around four years ago. Starting his own agency from scratch, he witnessed the growth of Neighbor and Google competing for search supremacy in South Korea.

The Dominance of Google in the Search Market

Surprisingly, Google has been steadily climbing up the ranks in South Korea. It currently holds around 33% of the search market share, while Neighbor dominates with approximately 67%. However, Google's rapid rise has caused Neighbor to lose a significant portion of the younger audience, who have shifted their search habits to YouTube.

The Shift towards YouTube for Answers

Younger users are increasingly relying on YouTube as a search engine to find answers to their queries. Rather than reading text-based content, they prefer consuming video content. Whether it's learning how to make a fried egg or seeking entertainment, YouTube has become the go-to platform for the younger generation's informational needs.

Usage Patterns: Neighbor vs Google vs YouTube

While Neighbor remains popular for local searches like finding restaurants or places to eat, Google is the preferred platform for research-related queries. However, YouTube has encroached on Neighbor's territory, particularly among Millennials and Gen Z, who now turn to YouTube for video-based answers.

The Mobile vs Desktop Debate

Mobile usage is dominant when it comes to search in South Korea, accounting for around 70-80% of total searches. However, conversions and actual transactions still occur more frequently on desktops. Therefore, it's essential to optimize for both mobile and desktop, ensuring a seamless user experience across platforms.

Paid Search and Organic Rankings on Neighbor

Neighbor prioritizes paid search and prominently displays paid links at the top of the search results page. Typically, four to five paid links appear above the organic results, with an option to buy ten more. Organic results, especially for blogs, are pushed further down the page, making them less visible to users.

Neighbor's Algorithm Sets: C Rank, P Rank, and DIA

Neighbor employs three algorithm sets to determine rankings: C Rank, P Rank, and DIA. C Rank focuses on Neighbor's internal products, such as cafes and blogs, while P Rank is similar to Google's Page Rank and measures website traffic. DIA (Deep Intent Analysis) aims to understand user intent better by analyzing the semantics of search queries.

Importance of Branded Keywords

Brands like Coca-Cola consistently rank at number one on Neighbor. When it comes to branded keywords, Neighbor places high importance on brand recognition and typically boosts branded content above advertisements and other organic search results.

Ranking Factors for Neighbor Cafes and Blogs

For cafes, the number of registered users and positive reviews play a significant role in rankings. Blogs, on the other hand, rely heavily on popularity and the number of likes received from readers. Engaging with users and encouraging positive reviews can help improve visibility on Neighbor's platform.

The Influence of Korean ccTLD

Using a Korean ccTLD (country code top-level domain) can positively impact rankings on Neighbor. The platform favors native settings and displays a preference for websites with a Korean ccTLD. Implementing a Korean ccTLD signals to Neighbor that the website is tailored to the local audience.

Technical Configurations: Robots.txt and Meta Tags

Neighbor respects robots.txt files and encourages website owners to upload sitemaps and implement canonical tags. Adhering to these technical configurations helps improve the visibility and crawlability of websites on Neighbor's search engine.

Keyword Research with Neighbor Keyword Tool

The Neighbor Keyword Tool, accessible for free with a paid advertising account, proves to be the most useful tool for keyword research in the South Korean market. It provides valuable insights into keyword trends and helps SEO professionals optimize their content for Neighbor's search algorithm.

Tracking and Analytics: Neighbor vs Google Analytics

While Neighbor Analytics offers a basic overview of website traffic, Google Analytics provides more comprehensive and detailed analysis. Christian recommends implementing both Neighbor Analytics and Google Analytics to obtain a complete picture of website performance and user behavior.

Importance of Implementing Neighbor Analytics

Implementing Neighbor Analytics demonstrates to Neighbor that website owners value the platform and its product offerings. It also allows for better tracking of organic performance. Christian recommends foreign clients to add Neighbor Analytics alongside Google Analytics for a holistic view of their website analytics.

Highlights

• Neighbor, a popular search engine in South Korea, competes with Google and has gained significant market share.
• YouTube has emerged as a preferred platform for younger users seeking video-based answers.
• Mobile usage dominates search in South Korea, but conversions often occur on desktop.
• Paid search on Neighbor is prominent, with paid links appearing before organic results.
• Neighbor employs C Rank, P Rank, and DIA algorithms to determine rankings.
• Branded keywords receive priority on Neighbor, favoring brand recognition over other search results.
• Neighbor cafes' rankings rely on registered users and positive reviews, while blogs thrive on popularity and likes.
• Using a Korean ccTLD can positively influence rankings on Neighbor.
• Neighbor respects robots.txt, sitemaps, and canonical tags, enhancing website visibility.
• The Neighbor Keyword Tool is a valuable resource for keyword research in the South Korean market.
• Google Analytics provides in-depth analysis, while Neighbor Analytics offers basic traffic insights.
• Implementing Neighbor Analytics showcases support for the platform and aids in tracking organic performance.