Does Bing still matter for SEO?

Google gets most of the attention, and rightly so. It sends the vast majority of search traffic to most local businesses. But Bing hasn’t gone anywhere. It’s still the default search on most Windows computers, it powers Microsoft’s Copilot, and it feeds answers into some voice assistants and AI tools. For an hour or two of setup, it’s one of the cheapest wins in local SEO.

I don’t spend weeks on Bing for clients. I spend enough time to make sure they’re listed and that nothing is blocking it, then I let the work we do for Google carry across. Here’s why, and what that setup involves.

Who still uses Bing?

More people than you’d guess, and often without realising it. Bing is the default in the Edge browser and in the search box on Windows laptops and desktops. Plenty of people search from work computers set up that way, and lots of older users never change the default on a new PC. Bing’s share is small next to Google’s, but small isn’t nothing.

There’s also a useful pattern in who those users are. Office workers searching for suppliers on their lunch break. Older homeowners booking a tradesperson from the family desktop. Both are good customers for a lot of local firms, from accountants to roofers.

Does Bing affect AI answers?

Yes, and this is the bigger reason to bother now. Microsoft’s Copilot uses Bing’s index for its answers. Some other AI tools have used Bing results in the past to search the web live. If Bing doesn’t know about your business, those tools are less likely to mention you when someone asks for a recommendation.

I’ve written more on this side in AI SEO: what you need to know and what is GEO. The short version is that being listed everywhere AI tools look is part of the job now.

What is Bing Places for Business?

It’s Bing’s version of a Google Business Profile. It’s free, and it controls how your business appears in Bing’s map results and local listings. You add your name, address or service area, phone number, opening hours, categories, photos and a description.

The handy part is that Bing lets you import your details straight from your Google Business Profile. If your Google listing is complete and accurate, setting up Bing takes about twenty minutes. If your Google listing needs work, sort that first. My Google Business Profile setup covers it, or you can follow my guide on how to set up a Google Business Profile.

Once it’s imported, check everything carefully. Imports sometimes bring across old opening hours or an odd category. Then add a couple of photos and make sure the phone number matches your website exactly.

What is Bing Webmaster Tools?

It’s Bing’s equivalent of Google Search Console. It tells you how Bing sees your website, which searches you show up for and whether anything is stopping your pages being read. You can import your setup straight from Search Console, which makes it quick.

The main job is to submit your sitemap so Bing finds all your pages, then check for any errors. Bing also supports a feature that lets you tell it straight away when a page changes, which helps new pages get picked up faster. If you haven’t got Search Console sorted, that comes first. My Search Console setup takes care of it.

How is Bing different from Google?

Mostly it rewards the same things. Clear pages, good titles, a fast site, consistent business details and links from trusted websites. If you’re doing on-page SEO for Google, you’re doing most of what Bing wants too.

Bing is a little more literal. It tends to like exact matches between the search and your page title, and it gives a bit more weight to social signals and to the age of a domain. None of that is worth chasing on its own. It’s just why rankings can look slightly different between the two.

Is Microsoft Ads worth trying?

Sometimes. Microsoft Ads shows your adverts on Bing and its partner sites. There’s less competition than on Google, so clicks can be cheaper. The catch is lower volume. For businesses already running Google Ads successfully, importing the campaign into Microsoft Ads is a quick test. If it brings in work at a decent cost, keep it. If not, switch it off.

I wouldn’t start with Microsoft Ads on its own. Get Google working first. I’ve explained how paid and organic fit together in paid vs organic traffic.

How much time should you spend on Bing?

An hour or two to set it up, then a quick look every few months. Claim Bing Places, connect Webmaster Tools, submit your sitemap and make sure your details match everywhere. After that, the work you do on your website for Google carries across on its own.

That’s how I handle it for clients. It’s a small part of every SEO campaign, done once and checked now and again. It never costs extra.

Questions people ask me

Keep reading

Bing is one of several places people search by voice, which I cover in voice search SEO for local businesses. For the listing that matters most, read how to get into the Google Maps top 3. And if you want to see what I’d look at first on your site, what I check in a free SEO audit walks through it.

Hi, I’m Pete

Covered on Google, Bing and the rest?

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