Back in 2012, Yandex introduced Turbo mode to its browser, YaBrowser.
Yandex achieved this by incorporating load-reducing compression technology, developed by Opera, which reduces the size of webpages by up to 75 percent on the server side without transcoding them. This significantly improved the browsing experience for users connected via 3G or low-quality public WiFi networks.
Fast forward to 2017, Yandex announced the launch of Turbo pages.
What Are Turbo Pages?
Turbo pages are similar in nature to Facebook Instant Articles, AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages), and MIP (Baidu’s Mobile Index Pages), designed to streamline content.
Turbo pages, introduced initially for YaBrowser in 2016, automatically activate when a user’s 3G or WiFi connection drops to 128kbps, though users can also activate them manually.
The new rollout allows publishers to utilize fast-loading content and incorporate ad blocks and banner ads for monetization.
Yandex asserts that Turbo pages are easier to implement than Facebook Instant Articles and come with "out of the box" monetization via ad content.
Yandex highlights the key features of Turbo pages as:
- Content loads 15 times faster on 3G than a standard mobile webpage.
- Features 10 times less content than a standard HTML page.
- Includes ad blocks for contextual and banner ads that can be managed through Yandex and ADFOX.
- Ads can be monitored through Yandex.Metrica, Google Analytics, and Mediascope.
- Available in Yandex.News and Yandex.Zen.
In developing Turbo pages, Yandex has integrated several of its content and quality algorithms, like Krasnodar and Magadan, and AI algorithms such as MatrixNet, Palekh, and Korolyov, to ensure users receive quality, timely, and query-specific content.
“At Yandex, we continually strive to improve the user experience and how publishers engage with users,” said Ivan Smirnov, the head of Yandex Turbo pages. “With the increasing reliance on mobile in Russia, Turbo pages promise a more fluid user experience. The fast download time will benefit both users and publishers, providing more accessible and contextually relevant content.”
Webmasters and publishers can implement Turbo pages through Yandex.Webmaster, akin to Google’s Search Console, and can input their content in RSS format.
The Russian Mobile Web
In 2014, mobile internet usage surpassed desktop usage for the first time, even though the number of internet users in Russia has grown over the years (102,258,256 users / 71.3 percent penetration), with mobile usage currently standing at around 46 percent.
Mobile War: Yandex vs. Google
According to StatCounter, Google and Yandex are almost evenly matched in the Russian search market, each holding about 48 percent. Yandex leads on desktop (52 percent vs. Google’s 42 percent), while Google dominates mobile (60 percent vs. Yandex’s 38 percent).
The mobile search market in Russia is evolving, and legal battles have ensued. Earlier this year, Google and the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) reached a voluntary settlement after Yandex accused Google of abuse of power. Russia has about 55 million Android users, and until the FAS’s decision, these users were restricted to using Google by default.
In addition to a fine, Google was required to open up the Android platform and introduce a “choice” screen and a new Chrome widget allowing users to pick their default search engine.
European Legal Implications
This ruling sets a significant precedent under European Law. In April 2016, the European Commission’s Antitrust Chief indicated in a statement of objections that Google had breached EU competition laws by mandating smartphone manufacturers using the Android operating system to pre-install (and set as the default) Google Chrome and Google Search.
With the FAS ruling making the mobile web more accessible for Yandex, observing the adoption rate of Turbo pages will be intriguing.
Image Credits:
- Featured Image: Pe3k / Shutterstock.com
- In-Post Image #1: Yandex. Used with permission.
- In-Post Image #2: Screenshot by Dan Taylor
