Did you know that Bing powers around 900 million searches every day worldwide?
While Google tends to dominate SEO discussions, savvy digital marketers know that ignoring Bing means missing out on a significant and engaged audience, and that this (relatively) hidden gem of a search engine should be kept on their radar at all times.
Whether you’re managing a personal blog, an ecommerce store or a large corporate site, optimising your website for Bing can improve your visibility and drive high-quality traffic.
In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at the Bing Webmaster Tools set up, explore its features, and share best practices to get the most out of Bing tools.
Ready? Let’s get started.
What is Bing Webmaster Tools?
Bing Webmaster Tools is a free service provided by Microsoft that helps website owners monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot their site’s presence in the Bing search engine results.
Much like Google Search Console on the Google side of things, Bing Webmaster Tools offers insights into how your site performs, alerts you to issues, and helps you fine-tune your SEO strategy.
If you’re not yet taking advantage of Bing’s platform, you’re missing out on useful data and opportunities for optimisation.
Let’s see how you can set up your Bing Webmaster Tools and how you can make the very most out of them.
Step-by-step guide to Bing tools set up
Step 1: create or use a Microsoft account
To begin the Bing set up, you’ll need a Microsoft account.
If you already use services like Outlook, Xbox, or OneDrive, you can use that login, otherwise you can create a Microsoft account from scratch following a few simple steps.
Right, all kitted out with a Microsoft account?
To set up Bing Webmaster Tools:
- Go to Bing Webmasters landing page
- Click on “Get Started” and log in with your Microsoft account
Step 2: add your website
Once logged in to Bing Webmasters Tool, you will be presented with two options:
- Import your website from Google Search Console, if you are already verified on GSC
- Manually add your website, including https:// or http:// in the URL
If your website is already verified in Google Search Console, choosing to import your website from GSC into Bing Webmaster Tools will speed things up as Bing will allow for automatic website ownership verification (which means you do not need to worry about step 3 below).
Step 3: verify ownership
If you choose to add your website to Bing Webmaster Tools manually, you will need to verify ownership of your website.
In essence, you’ll need to prove that you own the website. Bing offers three verification options:
- XML File Authentication: download the BingSiteAuth.xml file and upload it to your site’s root directory
- Meta Tag Verification: copy the meta tag provided and paste it into the <head> section of your homepage
- DNS Verification: add a CNAME record to your domain’s DNS settings
Verification typically completes within a few minutes.
Step 4: submit your sitemap
If you have imported your website into Bing Webmaster Tools from Google Search Console, your sitemap will be automatically submitted to Bing.
Instead, if you have added your website manually to Bing Webmaster Tools, you will need to submit your sitemap manually as well.
Submitting a sitemap helps Bing discover and index your content more efficiently, so we strongly recommend you to complete this quick and easy step.
How to submit your sitemap to Bing:
- In your Bing Webmaster Tools dashboard, go to “Sitemaps”
- Click “Submit Sitemap” and enter the URL of your sitemap (e.g. https://yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml)
Step 5: configure settings and preferences
Your Bing Webmaster Tools journey is well and truly underway at this point.
To get the most out of your Bing tools set up, take a few minutes to configure important settings, like:
- Crawl Control: very useful to set preferred crawl times
- Geo-Targeting: great to specify regional targeting if relevant
- Ignore URL Parameters: helpful to prevent duplicate content indexing
Bing best practices: maximising the power of Bing Webmaster Tools
Once your Bing Webmaster Tools account is set up, you can start gathering useful data on your website’s performance that can be very helpful for your marketing efforts.
Here are some essential best practices to get the most out of Bing Webmaster Tools:
1. Monitor your performance regularly
Use the “Search Performance” report to review:
- Impressions, or the number of times a link to your website showed up in different places in Bing
- Click-through rates (CTR)
- Average position for keywords in Bing search results page
Here is what Bing Search Performance report looks like. If you have used Google Search Console before you will recognise the familiar interface that allows you to filter data by different time segments to investigate trends.
These insights help you understand what’s working well for your website and where you have room for improvement.
For example, if your CTR is low, consider testing new meta titles or descriptions that better align with searcher intent. Consistent tracking allows for iterative improvement.
2. Use the SEO reports and scan tool
The SEO reports and scans in Bing Webmaster Tools provide page-level analysis and actionable recommendations. As a rule of thumb, you should focus on:
- Page title tag length (aim to stay between 30 and 60 characters) and uniqueness (avoid duplicates)
- Meta description quality and relevance, as well as a SEO friendly length of 155 characters maximum
- Proper use of H1 and H2 tags for content structure
- Ensuring correct alt attributes and alt text descriptions are in place for images
- Internal linking opportunities to boost crawl depth
You can use this data to fine-tune each page and ensure your entire site adheres to SEO best practices.
Bing Site Scan tool can help you keeping your website audit in check and ensure performance on Bing is always as good as it can be, looking for common technical SEO issues.
You can get very technical with it, configuring crawl depth, frequency, excluding certain URLs and much more. We get it, technical SEO might not be your thing – and that is why we have a whole team of SEO experts here at Logic that just to happen to provide bespoke SEO services, should you need them.
3. Keep your site mobile friendly
Bing places significant emphasis on mobile usability, and Bing Webmaster Tools as a handy mobile friendliness test tool available.
To ensure that your website is fully optimised for mobile and achieved the best performance it can on Bing, make sure to:
- Use responsive design that adapts to various screen sizes
- Avoid intrusive interstitials and pop-ups that interfere with usability
- Reduce load times using optimised images and efficient scripts
- Check mobile usability in the Bing tools dashboard
Remember, a mobile-friendly website not only ranks better but also retains users for longer periods. And yes, we know this might be quite out of your depth if you are not a web developer or keen on UX and web design, get in touch with our team if you would like to explore ad-hoc web design services or even hosting and maintenance website options, all tailored to your needs.
4. Leverage backlink data
Bing Webmaster Tool as a very useful Backlinks report that allows you to:
- Identify high-value backlinks to your website from authoritative sources (great to build website authority)
- Detect and disavow potentially harmful or spammy links
- Analyse linking patterns to uncover new outreach opportunities
Remember, a strong backlink profile improves domain authority and trust, which contributes to better rankings. Don’t overlook backlinking, we are firm believers of including it in each and any well-rounded marketing strategy.
5. Take advantage of URL inspection
Make sure to keep a close eye on Bing URL inspection tool to check individual pages at a granular level for crawling, indexing, SEO, markup details and errors.
The Bing URL inspection tool It also flags messages explaining why a URL is not shown or can’t be shown in Bing search results and suggests ways to troubleshoot this.
The URL Inspection tool shows:
- Index status of URLs on your website
- Any crawl issues or other blockers that might keep your website from showing on BING
- Last crawl date
- Canonical URL status
Use this to diagnose specific page issues, confirm that changes have been reflected in Bing’s index, and spot crawl errors quickly.
6. Stay on top of security issues
Bing Webmaster Tools is a good place to check for security problems your website might encounter, such as:
- Malware infections
- Phishing pages
- SSL certificate errors
Set up email alerts so you can respond immediately to protect your site and your users. A secure site also helps build credibility and trust with both Bing and your audience.
7. Use structured data markup
Implementing structured data can help Bing better understand your content. This can result in enhanced search results such as:
- Rich snippets (reviews, recipes, events)
- Breadcrumb navigation
- FAQs in the SERPs
You can use Bing’s Markup Validator to ensure your structured data is implemented correctly.
If you are new to schema markup or need to freshen up your knowledge on structured data, take a look at our schema guide for SEO.
8. Optimise page load speed
As you might know, page speed is a ranking factor.
A slow site can lead to higher bounce rates and lower engagement. Improve your site’s speed by:
- Enabling browser caching
- Compressing images and files
- Minimising JavaScript and CSS
- Using a reliable hosting provider
Use tools like Bing Webmaster Tools site scan or third-party platforms like GTmetrix to assess and improve your load times.
9. Optimise for Bing-specific ranking factors
When it comes to ranking factors, Bing’s algorithm places emphasis on:
- Exact match domains (EMDs for friends): these are domain names that match up to a certain keyword exactly. For example, https://www.denturesuk.com/ is an EMD for the keyword “dentures UK”. These used to be very powerful in the earlier days of the internet (if you are picturing Moss showing Jen The Internet in this iconic scene from The IT Crowd while reading you are not alone), but Bing still considers them a positive ranking signal today, especially when coupled with relative and informative on-page content.
- Social media signals: unlike Google, Bing is quite open in recognising the influence of social media activity on their search rankings (especially Twitter and Facebook). If your content is shared, liked and engaged with on social media platforms, it can impact your website’s visibility in Bing’s search results in a positive way.
- High-quality, authoritative content: does what it says on the tin. To rank well on Bing, your content needs to be relevant, high-quality and the more authority your website accrues, the better (so, get those backlinking and SEO gears in motion!)
10. Integrate Bing Webmaster Tools with Bing Places
If your business has a physical location, integrate with Bing Places for Business. This (quite like Google Business Profile on the Google shores) helps you to:
- Appear in local searches and Bing Maps
- Display your business hours, photos, and contact details
- Increase foot traffic and visibility within your region
And don’t forget: local SEO on Bing is often less competitive than Google, making it an excellent opportunity to gain visibility for your business.
11. Submit URLs for re-crawling
Last, but certainly not least: when you update content or publish new pages, use the Bing Webmaster Tools URL submission feature to request re-crawling.
This can help your website in a few ways, such as:
- Speed up indexing on Bing
- Ensure Bing sees your latest updates promptly
- Troubleshoot potential indexing delays
Top-tip: if you have a big website you can submit up to 10,000 URLs per day via the API.
Innovative ways to use Bing tools
Bing Webmaster Tools isn’t just a diagnostic tool. If you start thinking outside the box there a few ways to get creative with it:
1. Compare search data across platforms
If you use both Bing and Google tools you can compare impressions, CTR, and keyword rankings across the two. This can help you:
- Identify keyword opportunities unique to Bing
- Optimise content specifically for Bing’s algorithm
Remember: sometimes content that underperforms on Google may rank surprisingly well on Bing.
2. Target voice search
Bing powers voice search for Microsoft devices and Cortana.
Use natural language and question-based queries in your content to boost visibility in voice search results. Don’t forget to check tools like AnswerThePublic, as they can help you find common voice search queries.
3. Automate with the Bing Webmaster API
If you manage multiple sites or need custom reporting, you can use the Bing Webmaster API to:
- Pull data into dashboards
- Automate performance checks
- Schedule alerts for anomalies
This adds efficiency and scalability to your SEO operations, which always helps in the hectic landscape of marketing.
A couple of final thoughts
While Bing might not have Google’s search volume, its 100-million daily users are loyal, often older, and potentially more affluent. Ignoring Bing means neglecting a valuable slice of your audience.
By following the Bing tools set up process and applying these best practices, you’ll be in a strong position to enhance your site’s reach and performance.
Remember: Bing also considers social signals in its algorithm. Make sure your content is shareable and actively promoted on social media platforms.
Ready to get started? Log in to Bing Webmaster Tools today and start unlocking powerful insights for your SEO strategy.
Do you need help with Bing Webmaster Tools? Logic Digital makes SEO set up easy
Do you need some help setting up Bing Webmaster Tools for your website? Here at Logic Digital we love to get involved with all things SEO, and we would be very happy to help you out for all your Bing needs and beyond.
If you want expert guidance on SEO services tailored to your business, contact us today and discover how we can help you attract the right customers, boost conversions, and smash your targets.
Bing Webmaster Tools FAQs
Why should I use Bing Webmaster Tools if I already have Google Search Console?
While Google may have a larger share of the search market, Bing still powers hundreds of millions of searches daily. Bing Webmaster Tools provides unique insights into how your site performs specifically on Bing, including keyword data, backlink analysis, and crawl diagnostics. Ignoring Bing could mean missing out on a valuable segment of your audience, particularly older and more affluent users.
How often should I check my Bing Webmaster Tools account?
Ideally, you should check your Bing Webmaster Tools dashboard at least once a week. Regular monitoring allows you to spot performance trends, identify indexing issues early, and act on new backlink or keyword opportunities. Set up email notifications to stay updated on critical issues like crawl errors or malware alerts.
What’s the best way to improve my rankings on Bing?
To improve your Bing rankings, focus on technical SEO (fast load times, mobile responsiveness), high-quality content, exact match keyword usage, and strong backlinks. Bing also places value on domain age and social media signals, so active engagement on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn can positively impact your visibility.
Does Bing Webmaster Tools support multiple websites under one account?
Yes, you can manage multiple websites under a single Bing Webmaster Tools account. Each site will need to be added and verified individually, but once verified, you can access all their dashboards from one central location, ideal for agencies and digital marketers managing several properties.
Is there an API for Bing Webmaster Tools, and how can I use it?
Yes, Bing offers a Webmaster Tools API that allows you to automate data retrieval, submit URLs for indexing, and integrate Bing data into custom dashboards or reporting tools. This is especially useful for large websites or SEO teams looking to scale their workflow and monitor performance programmatically.
