Bing Webmaster Tools: complete guide, tools and best practices

Google isn’t the only option! Of course, the Mountain View giant is still “the” most used search engine in the world, but something is changing and, for the first time since 2015, its market share has dropped below 90%. In short, it may be time to look elsewhere for those who want to seek organic visibility: in this sense Bing, the search engine of Microsoft, represents a significant and growing market share, thanks also to the integration with tools such as Copilot and the adoption of technologies such as IndexNow, which accelerates the content indexing process. For anyone involved in SEO or managing a website, in particular, Bing Webmaster Tools offers a set of advanced tools to monitor visibility and identify opportunities for improvement: the platform allows you to analyze the performance of pages on Bing search results, identify technical problems, manage sitemaps and check the backlink profile. Unlike Google Search Console, it provides specific data on queries, with detailed insights into user interaction, so you can refine strategies, optimize content and exploit any competitive spaces in the online search landscape. The aim of this guide is to explore in depth and in a practical way everything that Bing Webmaster Tools has to offer, from essential functions to advanced settings, and to understand how to configure it, which data to analyze and how to use it to improve your presence on this search engine.

What is Bing Webmaster Tools?

Bing Webmaster Tools is a free platform developed by Microsoft to allow website owners, SEOs and webmasters to monitor and improve the visibility of their content within the Bing search engine. It provides tools to analyze performance in the SERP, identify technical issues and optimize content indexing, offering advanced diagnostic and reporting features.

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The service offers a complete overview of a site’s performance and includes several advanced features: it is possible to check key metrics such as clicks, impressions and CTR, analyze the backlink profile, manage sitemaps and report new pages through the IndexNow protocol, which speeds up the detection of content by the search engine.

The adoption of this tool is not limited to optimization on Bing, but represents a wider opportunity for those who want to extend their visibility beyond Google and intercept an alternative audience, often characterized by different browsing habits and a higher conversion rate in specific sectors.

An overview of the platform

Bing Webmaster Tools is a control center for analyzing the performance of a site on Bing, identifying opportunities for improvement and reporting any critical issues. The interface is intuitive, designed to simplify access to the most relevant insights and immediately provide users with useful data on the technical and SEO aspects of a site.

In particular, it divides the information into three main macro-areas:

• Monitoring search performance: detailed metrics on impressions, clicks and page ranking in search results.
• SEO optimization and error resolution: scanning problems, suggesting technical improvements and providing guidance to refine on-page SEO.
• Technical management and indexing control: to send sitemaps, use the IndexNow protocol and limit the scanning of certain pages

The tools available allow you to verify index coverage, analyze the performance of pages in search results and identify any scanning issues that could compromise visibility. Microsoft has also integrated user behavior-oriented features, such as browsing session analysis and heatmap, thanks to the connection with Microsoft Clarity.

Compared to other similar platforms, the emphasis is on greater customization of site management; for example, users can configure rules that influence the frequency with which Bingbot visits pages, block specific URLs from the index and receive proactive reports on potential SEO optimizations.

Bing Webmaster Tools and Google Search Console: differences and specificities

It’s clear that the Microsoft platform immediately brings to mind the “similar” solution provided by Big G. In fact, Bing Webmaster Tools and Google Search Console share basic purposes and functions, although on closer inspection they have significant differences that can influence the approach of users in SEO optimization.

The first difference is in the interface. Google Search Console has a simple, linear design, with simplified reports that emphasize the most relevant technical errors. The Bing platform, on the other hand, has a more detailed layout, with more specific sections for crawling and SEO analysis.

The main differences emerge when examining the available data. Microsoft allows more in-depth access to backlinks, with the possibility of directly comparing incoming links with those of other sites, while Google only offers a selection of linked pages. Another exclusive feature is the keyword research module, which provides insights based on real user queries.

Another distinctive feature concerns the indexing mechanisms. The integration of the IndexNow protocol allows changes made to a site to be communicated in real time, making the process faster than the traditional automatic scanning carried out by crawlers. Google, on the other hand, still relies on a system that is more dependent on the frequency of Googlebot passages.

These differences also affect the opportunities for optimization. Microsoft’s search engine rewards off-page signals with greater emphasis than Google, giving more weight to backlinks and the quality of the site that hosts them. In addition, it favors a clearer and more structured content layout, valuing text over dynamic elements and complex scripts.

For those who also aim at the Bing market, taking advantage of the features of the Microsoft tool is a useful opportunity to intercept qualified organic traffic and obtain complementary data with respect to the Google Search Console.

How much does Bing Webmaster Tools cost?

However, there is one obvious aspect that the two competing solutions have in common: Bing Webmaster Tools is also completely free. Like Google, Microsoft also makes all the platform’s features available without limitations, allowing website owners to manage optimization at no additional cost.

The decision to offer these features for free is part of Bing’s strategy to encourage better quality of indexed content, helping webmasters and SEOs optimize their site’s presence without access barriers. This allows Microsoft to improve the accuracy and freshness of its search results, benefitting both site managers, who receive data directly from the platform, and Bing itself, which obtains a more up-to-date and accurate index.

What is Bing Webmaster Tools for?

Optimizing for Bing requires tools that allow you to monitor, diagnose and improve the presence of a website in the Microsoft search engine; as mentioned, Bing Webmaster Tools offers a series of features that allow you to analyze indexing, organic performance and backlinks, providing insights that are not available in normal web analytics platforms.

One of the distinctive aspects is the greater control over the interaction between the search engine and the website: the specific tools for scanning and SEO optimization allow you to manage the crawling speed, the detailed analysis of ranking factors and the integration with the IndexNow protocol, which accelerates the updating of content in the Bing index.

Using the platform is not only an option for those who want to diversify their organic traffic, but also represents an opportunity for growth for those who operate in sectors where Bing intercepts a significant share of users, such as the corporate and B2B world. With an audience that tends to interact more with organic results than with sponsored ones, Bing can offer a better return on commercial keywords, making optimization on this search engine a strategic action.

Checking indexing and optimization status

One of the first aspects to consider in any SEO strategy is the indexing of pages. If content is not included in the search engine index, it cannot be found by users, regardless of its quality. The URL inspection tool available in Bing Webmaster Tools allows you to quickly check if a page is present in the index and to identify any critical issues that may be hindering its correct processing.

By entering a specific URL in the dashboard, you can obtain detailed information about its status, including:

• Last scan by Bingbot
• Any indexing errors or blocks from robots.txt
• Presence of accidental noindex tags
• Detected structured data

If a page does not appear in the search results, the problem may be due to incorrect settings in the robots.txt file, a lack of internal links that help crawlers reach it, or technical errors that prevent correct interpretation of the content. In these cases, it is possible to proceed with a series of corrective actions, including manually sending the URL to force detection or optimizing the site structure to facilitate the scanning of less accessible pages.

Search performance analysis

The “Search Performance” section of the platform offers a detailed overview of how a site performs within Bing results. The available data allows you to understand which pages attract visitors and how they are displayed in the search results.

Three key metrics help you evaluate the effectiveness of your optimization strategies:

• Clicks: the number of times users have actually visited the site after seeing a relevant result.
• Impressions: the number of times a page has appeared in the search results for a given query.
• CTR (Click Through Rate): the percentage of users who clicked on the result after viewing it.

By analyzing this data, it is possible to identify the pages that generate the most traffic, as well as those that appear frequently in the SERP but receive few clicks. If a piece of content has many impressions but a low CTR, it may be useful to optimize its title or meta description to make it more attractive.

Another useful feature is the advanced filter that allows you to segment performance by date, country, device and search query, so you can identify differences in audience behavior on desktop and mobile or analyze the performance of specific keywords, adapting SEO strategies based on the observed results.

Optimization for the Microsoft search engine

Bing uses ranking factors that are partly different from Google’s, making a specific approach necessary to improve your ranking on this search engine. Some criteria have a greater weight in its algorithmic evaluation, so it’s important to know them in order to optimize your site.

The first crucial element is the quality of backlinks. While Google has progressively reduced the importance of external factors in determining ranking, Bing still attributes significant value to the quantity and quality of links pointing to a page. Having links from authoritative and thematically relevant sites can therefore favor better positioning.

The structure of the content also plays an important role. Sites that use clear and well-structured HTML are better interpreted by Bing’s algorithms, which favor pages with hierarchically ordered headings and appropriate use of structured data.

The age of the domain is another distinctive aspect of ranking strategies. In Bing results, sites with an established history tend to gain a competitive advantage, which is why investing in a long-term content strategy can be particularly effective.

Finally, one aspect that should not be overlooked is the influence of social signals. Although the exact impact has not been officially confirmed, Bing seems to give greater weight to interactions on social networks than Google, considering the signals generated by platforms such as LinkedIn and X when evaluating the authority of a site.

To optimize a digital project on Bing it is therefore essential to focus on a combination of technical elements, domain authority and off-page strategies. The Microsoft tool offers useful data on each of these aspects, facilitating the optimization process and improving the ability to reach users who use this search engine as an alternative to Google.

Why it’s useful and who should use it

Optimization for Bing is an often-underestimated opportunity, but the value of a diversified approach to SEO is becoming increasingly evident. While Google remains the main reference for organic traffic, Bing welcomes a significant share of users, with a demographic profile that can offer strategic advantages to specific categories of websites.

Bing Webmaster Tools is particularly useful for SEO professionals, developers and digital entrepreneurs, as it allows more detailed control over indexing, analysis of specific metrics and identification of opportunities less exposed to the strong competition present on Google. Thanks to accurate backlink data, keyword research based on organic volumes and advanced diagnostic tools, anyone working in the digital sector can benefit from a strategy that includes this tool.

Let’s take a look at the professional profiles that can benefit the most from it.

• SEO specialists and agencies

For optimization experts, the information obtainable from this tool is an excellent complement to the data already available on Google Search Console. The possibility of analyzing the positioning of a site on a search engine with different algorithms allows you to identify new traffic opportunities, especially for less competitive keywords compared to Google. One of the main strengths is the detailed backlink report, which offers a broader view than what Google shows. By being able to compare a site’s links with those of its competitors, it becomes easier to identify targeted link building opportunities. In addition, the availability of the keyword research tool based on real organic data allows for the verification of interesting variations in user behavior between the two platforms. SEO agencies, in particular, can integrate these insights into their clients’ strategies, using Bing as an alternative channel to improve the visibility of brands operating in sectors with high competition on Google.

• Webmasters and developers

From a technical point of view, the Microsoft platform provides valuable resources for monitoring the indexing status and correct scanning of the site. Advanced diagnostic tools can identify problems that could prevent the search engine from correctly detecting content. Developers can use URL Inspection to verify how Bingbot interprets a page, identify any blocks in the robots.txt file and correct crawling errors that affect visibility. Furthermore, managing sitemaps directly from the platform allows for greater control over indexing times. For projects that rely on advanced management of URL parameters and geographic targeting, Bing Webmaster Tools offers more detailed configuration features. The IndexNow protocol, as mentioned, accelerates the inclusion of new content in the index, a significant advantage for sites that are frequently updated.

• Companies and eCommerce

Those who manage an online shop or a digital business can improve their visibility thanks to the data obtained, in particular by exploiting some distinctive elements of the Microsoft search engine. One of the most interesting aspects is Bing’s greater penetration among business and professional users. Windows devices, which use Bing as their default search engine in many configurations, attract an audience that is often more likely to make purchases or interact with high-value content. This makes it particularly interesting for sectors such as software, B2B and technology services, which can find a more qualified audience on Bing. For eCommerce, the ability to monitor search queries and user behavior on Bing offers advantages in catalog optimization. Many sites see higher CTRs for certain product types, thanks to less aggressive competition than on Google Shopping. Integrating performance analysis with other marketing tools allows you to refine your campaigns and conversion strategies.

History and evolution of Bing Webmaster Tools

Officially launched in June 2009, Bing Webmaster Tools was created as a revised and improved version of the developer tools previously available on Live Search, the Microsoft search engine that Bing replaced. Its initial purpose was to provide webmasters with a reliable means of monitoring, managing and optimizing the presence of their sites among Bing’s search results, helping them to improve indexing and organic visibility. A real “answer” to Google Search Console, even if the most recent implementations based on artificial intelligence and progressive updates, which have led to the introduction of new features and adaptations to changes in search engine ranking criteria, have made the service increasingly evolved to respond to the more and more specific needs of webmasters, SEOs and digital companies.

In the early years, in fact, the features were basic and limited to sending sitemaps, managing crawl parameters and a series of diagnostic tools for indexing. Starting in 2012, however, the company redesigned the interface making it more accessible and added detailed reports on queries and organic performance: This update made the platform more similar to Google Search Console, offering webmasters a clearer view of how Bing interpreted their sites, and gave the tool a more structured form, also thanks to the integration of performance reports and new options for backlink control, marking a first expansion towards a more articulated system oriented towards a more in-depth SEO.

How the tool developed

The evolution of the platform was driven by various factors, such as a growing focus on technical SEO, the expansion of Bing Search functionalities and – last but not least – the need to compete with Google Search Console, offering more detailed metrics and analysis tools specific to the Microsoft search engine. If in the beginning the focus was mainly concentrated on the technical management of indexing, over time Bing Webmaster Tools has followed a growth path that has made it a more complete suite, integrating tools based on artificial intelligence, advanced traffic analysis and continuous monitoring of organic performance.

As mentioned, the first versions of the tool date back to 2009-2010, a period in which Microsoft was trying to consolidate Bing as a competitive alternative to Google, offering this suite initially called “Bing Webmaster Center”, with still limited functions.

The most significant evolution took place between 2015 and 2020, when Bing Webmaster Tools was completely revamped, with a new interface and advanced features such as backlink monitoring, SEO error detection and more flexible management of crawl settings, to also facilitate the management of the crawl budget. At the same time, Microsoft has been working to integrate artificial intelligence and automation tools, paving the way for the latest innovations in the platform.

With the renewal of the interface in 2019-2020, the system was once again redesigned to improve the user experience and offer more detailed reports. Functionality has been expanded with the introduction of IndexNow and support for Microsoft Clarity, a tool designed to provide users with a clear view of user behavior on the sites analyzed.

Since its debut, Bing Webmaster Tools has transformed from a technical tool for managing presence in search engines to a strategic tool that helps SEOs, developers and digital entrepreneurs gain concrete insights into ranking factors and the performance of a site within the Microsoft network. Today it continues to expand, introducing AI-based and personalization features, demonstrating how Bing is also investing in more refined methods to improve the experience of users and web professionals.

Functions removed over time and the most recent innovations

The expansion of functionalities has also led to a more targeted selection of the available tools, with some functions eliminated or integrated into more modern processes, with a view to maintaining a more efficient platform and reducing any redundancies among the available tools.

One of the most significant eliminations concerns the Disavow Tool, a feature that allowed users to manually report malicious or unwanted links. Anticipating Google, Microsoft decided to remove it permanently in 2023, believing that the Bing algorithm was now able to automatically recognize and ignore low-quality links without the need for manual intervention.

Another important change concerned the management of geographic targeting. In the past, Bing allowed you to assign a reference country for an entire domain, but this option has been eliminated to favor the use of more precise methods such as meta tags hreflang and DNS settings. The same happened with Connected Pages, a tool that allowed you to associate social profiles with a website and monitor their visibility in Bing’s SERPs, now replaced by integration with Microsoft Clarity, which offers detailed data on user behavior.

Finally, the separate section dedicated to mobile compatibility has been eliminated: the report on the mobile version of a site has been incorporated into broader SEO diagnostics, making the overall performance analysis more intuitive.

Alongside these deprecations, increasingly sophisticated optimization tools have obviously been introduced, in line with emerging technologies in the field of search AI. It is worth mentioning that SearchGPT is currently heavily based on Bing’s algorithmic systems.

The integration with Copilot, an artificial intelligence-based assistant, has transformed the way users can analyze their data: today, thanks to this implementation, it is possible to obtain personalized suggestions on what improvements to make based on organic performance metrics.

Another significant update was the extension of the data history up to 16 months, allowing users to identify long-term trends in the SERP, a significant advantage for those working on complex SEO strategies.

The most significant evolution from a technical point of view is IndexNow, a technology that significantly reduces indexing times, allowing site updates to appear in search results in a very short time compared to the traditional periodic crawler scan.

The main features of Bing Webmaster Tools

The platform offers operational and analytical features that help manage a site’s indexing, monitor its performance and correct any SEO problems. In addition to simply displaying data, the tools included allow you to actively interact with the search engine, reporting updates, checking for technical problems and carrying out targeted optimizations.

A distinctive feature is the ability to directly intervene on indexing through IndexNow; SEO diagnostic tools allow you to identify pages with structural errors or accessibility issues, while the backlink analysis options provide detailed and accurate data.

The platform also includes advanced resources such as Site Explorer, which shows a preview of the structure of the site from Bingbot’s point of view, and tools for managing technical parameters, including robots.txt control and verification of html code readability. The recent integration of artificial intelligence with Copilot adds a further level of automation, suggesting improvement actions based on page performance.

Access to these features allows you to develop an effective SEO strategy for Bing, differing from the usual approaches based exclusively on Google and offering a more complete overview of growth opportunities in search results.

1. Search Performance

The section dedicated to organic performance collects all the data relating to the visibility of the site in Bing search results. The information available helps you understand which pages receive traffic, which queries generate impressions and how users interact with the content.

The main report highlights the number of clicks received compared to impressions, offering a direct comparison between the number of times the site was shown and the number of times it was actually visited. The CTR (Click-Through Rate) value is a fundamental indicator for evaluating the effectiveness of titles and meta descriptions, facilitating more precise optimization.

Another area of analysis concerns keywords and landing pages, which Bing divides according to performance. Monitoring this data allows you to identify the sections of the site that work best and to identify content that could gain more visibility with small improvements.

2. SEO Report and diagnostic tools

The diagnostics area provides an analysis of the technical aspects and potential SEO problems that could compromise the indexing of the site. Errors are reported directly in the dashboard and accompanied by operational suggestions that simplify their resolution.

Among the aspects monitored are anomalies in meta tags, header structures and directives for robots, as well as elements that could affect the loading speed and readability of HTML code. The analysis also includes problems related to internal links and navigation, which could reduce the crawler’s ability to correctly map all pages.

3. Backlinks and inbound link analysis

The backlink analysis system offered by Bing Webmaster Tools provides a detailed view of the network of external links pointing to a site. Unlike other tools, this platform allows access to a wider list of source URLs, providing a clear picture of the pages that transfer authority to the monitored site.

In addition to allowing the consultation of reference domains, the link report includes information on the quality and relevance of inbound links. The presence of repetitive or unnatural anchor texts, as well as an excessive concentration of links from a single source, can signal risks related to the reliability of the connections.

Bing also offers a comparison between competitive backlink profiles, providing useful insights to evaluate the strategies used by competing sites. Analyzing this type of data helps to understand how to improve link distribution and identify opportunities to acquire new links.

4. IndexNow and URL submission

Adopting IndexNow has made indexing on Bing faster and more efficient. This protocol allows websites to directly notify the search engine of any new publication, modification or deletion of a page, reducing the waiting time necessary for the detection of updated content.

Implementing IndexNow is particularly useful for sites that frequently update their catalog, publish articles frequently or need changes to be implemented in the shortest time possible. Integration with CMSs and hosting platforms has simplified the adoption of this technology, allowing the system to be implemented without having to intervene manually.

For less critical pages, the platform still offers the possibility to send URLs individually to speed up the scanning, maintaining flexibility in the indexing management.

5. Site Explorer

The Site Explorer tool provides a detailed representation of the site structure, allowing users to explore how pages are interpreted by the Bing crawler. The hierarchical display of URLs allows you to identify any breaks in internal links, navigation errors or sections of the site that are less accessible to scanning bots.

A particularly useful option is the segmentation of pages based on indexing status and their scanning frequency. In this way, it is possible to quickly identify if a section of the site is ignored by search engines due to incorrect configurations or technical problems.

6. Robots.txt testers and advanced configuration tools

Analyzing the robots.txt file allows webmasters to check in real time for any accidental blocks that could prevent the correct reading of the contents. The system verifies the validity of the instructions in the file and shows any errors that could affect the indexing of entire directories or sections of the site.

Advanced configuration options also include tools for managing scanning rules and the possibility to establish exclusion parameters for pages without SEO relevance. The possibility to test customized regulations reduces the risk of incorrect settings that could compromise organic visibility.

7. Copilot and AI in Bing Webmaster Tools

The integration of generative artificial intelligence through Copilot has introduced an additional level of automation in SEO performance analysis. The platform is now able to suggest strategic changes based on data trends, helping users identify opportunities for improvement and critical issues without having to perform advanced manual analysis.

The suggestions generated by Copilot include recommendations on search terms in growth, variations in traffic volumes and possible optimizations to improve rankings based on the current preferences of the Bing algorithm.

Practical applications in different sectors

The usefulness of the platform varies according to the sector of the site, offering specific opportunities to optimize visibility and improve positioning in Bing search results, but above all allowing SEO strategies to be adapted to the needs of different realities, such as eCommerce, editorial sites and local companies.

For online sales activities, for example, the ability to speed up indexing through IndexNow is an essential support, as it allows you to quickly update product data sheets, ensuring that changes in price, availability and description are reflected by the search engine without delay. This aspect is particularly useful when managing stock with variable availability, preventing sold out products from continuing to be visible in search results or new offers from taking a long time to appear. Analyzing search queries helps to intercept the purchasing intentions of Bing users more precisely, as they often behave differently compared to Google users.

For editorial sites too, the speed with which content is updated is crucial, operating in a context in which new news and trending topics are constantly emerging and therefore having tools that improve the speed with which articles are included in the Bing index is a strategic advantage. This aspect integrates with the possibilities offered by Bing Webmaster Tools in monitoring the trend of the most visited pages and in evaluating the relevance of keywords that are generating residual traffic, in order to do content curation and identify existing content to optimize before it loses relevance.

For local businesses, visibility in search results is closely linked to the correct optimization of their online presence, and the Microsoft platform offers useful tools to strengthen their positioning in geolocalized searches. The combination of technical audit, backlink analysis and scanning tools allows a site to be optimized so that it appears in response to queries from users looking for services in their area of reference.

These examples show that the use of Bing Webmaster Tools is anything but generic and can be specifically adapted to the characteristics of each sector, exploiting the peculiarities of the search engine to create a competitive advantage.

How to configure Bing Webmaster Tools and verify a site

Using Bing Webmaster Tools starts with a configuration process that allows you to link your website to the platform and verify ownership securely; the procedure does not require any special technical skills and can be completed in a few steps, thanks to different authentication methods.

After adding a site and confirming ownership, you can access data relating to search performance, indexing and diagnostics. Microsoft has also made the transition easier for those who use Google Search Console, allowing you to import information directly from that system without having to repeat the entire configuration process.

Creating an account and first login

To start using Bing Webmaster Tools you need to have a Microsoft account or register using your Google or Facebook credentials. Unified login simplifies account management without having to create an additional dedicated registration.

After logging in, the platform asks you to add a website by entering the exact URL of the homepage, which will serve as the main reference for scanning and reports. At this point, you are asked to complete the ownership verification, an essential step to allow access to sensitive data related to indexing and search queries.

Account registration is immediate, but to unlock all the platform’s features, verification of the site is an essential step. This authorizes Bing to collect data on organic traffic, diagnose any problems and provide SEO-optimized suggestions.

Site verification methods

Like GSC, the Microsoft platform also offers various verification options, allowing users to select the method that best suits their technical needs. All available methods guarantee the same effectiveness, so the choice depends on personal preferences and the possibilities of modifying the site.

1. Verification via XML file

One of the most common methods is to upload an XML file to the root of the domain. After downloading the file provided by the platform and uploading it to the server, Bing will be able to detect it automatically and confirm ownership of the site. This solution is recommended for those who have full access to the files of their web infrastructure.

2. Verification via meta tag

Alternatively, you can verify your site by inserting a specific meta tag in the <head> section of your homepage. This method is useful for those who don’t have FTP access or can’t upload files to the server, but can modify the site’s HTML code. After saving the changes, the meta tag will be detected by Bing and the verification will be complete.

3. Verification via DNS

For those who prefer a more advanced configuration, Bing allows you to add a CNAME record to the domain’s DNS. This solution is ideal for large sites with infrastructures managed by several people, as it allows you to verify ownership without having to directly intervene on the site code or system files.

Each method is equally valid for verification purposes and, once completed, allows the platform to collect data and provide a complete picture of the site’s organic metrics.

4. Importing data from Google Search Console

For those who have already set up a site on Google Search Console, Bing simplifies integration by offering an automated import option. This feature allows you to quickly synchronize a site’s registration without having to repeat the verification process.

The import process requires authentication via the Google account associated with Search Console, which allows Bing to obtain essential information regarding site ownership. After confirming the requested permissions, the platform automatically imports the domain and activates the scanning controls, without the need to manually repeat the other procedures.

Importing offers the advantage of eliminating possible configuration errors and makes access to the platform’s analytical reports more immediate, allowing webmasters to immediately start analyzing performance and SEO optimization for Bing.

Optimizing a site for Bing: SEO best practices

Optimizing for Bing requires a specific approach that, while sharing several principles with Google, differs in some key aspects. Microsoft’s search engine tends to value more traditional SEO factors, such as the quality of backlinks and the consistent use of keywords, while giving less weight to more modern ranking signals such as user experience based on behavioral metrics.

Understanding these differences allows you to develop targeted strategies to improve your ranking on Bing without making ineffective optimizations. A site that is well optimized for this search engine can take advantage of the lower competition compared to Google, intercepting qualified traffic with an often higher conversion rate in certain sectors.

Best practices for improving ranking on Bing include a focus on well-structured content, particular attention to semantic meaning and an indexing process that can be accelerated using specific tools. The link building strategy also has unique characteristics, making a more strategic management of inbound links necessary.

Which ranking factors are most relevant for Bing

Compared to Google, Bing seems to attribute greater importance to some traditional ranking elements, emphasizing aspects that, in recent years, have been reconsidered by the Mountain View algorithms. One of the fundamental points concerns the exact interpretation of keywords, which on Bing is more direct and literal. While Google has refined its algorithms for semantic understanding through machine learning, Microsoft’s search engine continues to give significant weight to the specific and consistent use of keywords in content and meta tags.

The age of the domain is another factor that Bing considers more relevant than Google. Sites with an established history and continuity in terms of content tend to obtain a better ranking, confirming how much the algorithm rewards reliability and stability over time.

As far as technical SEO is concerned, Bing values a clear structure of the site, rewarding pages with well-formatted HTML markup and correct use of headers. Optimizing images with descriptive ALT attributes and the correct use of structured data help improve the search engine’s understanding of the content.

Social media signals also seem to have more relevance on Bing than on Google, with a direct influence deriving from engagement on platforms such as LinkedIn and X. Although it is not a direct officially confirmed ranking factor, the Microsoft ecosystem uses these signals to identify reliable and relevant content for certain users.

How to improve indexing on Bing

The indexing of pages on Bing follows criteria that are similar to Google’s, but with some differences that can influence the speed and efficiency with which a site is analyzed and included in the search engine index. The traditional method of scanning content based on periodic visits by crawlers can be supported by more efficient systems that Microsoft has introduced to make the process faster.

One of the key tools for speeding up indexing is IndexNow: unlike passively waiting for the crawler to pass, IndexNow transmits a direct signal that reduces the time it takes to recognize new pages.

The management of XML sitemaps is particularly important to ensure that Bing can correctly identify and understand the hierarchy of a website’s content. Microsoft provides advanced tools in its platform to monitor the status of submitted sitemaps, offering the possibility to analyze the number of scanned URLs and those that have access problems.

To avoid indexing obstacles, it is advisable to verify that the robots.txt file is not accidentally blocking important sections of the site. This aspect can be checked using the appropriate tester integrated in Bing Webmaster Tools, which allows you to simulate the behavior of the crawler and identify any limitations in the scan.

In addition to technical aspects, external factors such as the presence of relevant backlinks contribute to improving the frequency of Bingbot scans. Sites that receive links from authoritative sources tend to be visited more regularly, accelerating the indexing phase and improving the distribution of new pages in search results.

Link building for Bing: differences with Google

Acquiring external links is an essential part of the SEO strategy for any search engine, but Bing’s approach emphasizes some distinctive aspects compared to Google. While the Mountain View algorithm has progressively reduced the importance of backlinks alone in favor of a more complex evaluation of content quality, the Microsoft platform continues to consider inbound links as a highly influential signal for positioning.

Bing tends to give greater weight to links from historically reliable domains, rewarding links obtained from sites with a consolidated structure and a long online activity, which are perceived as indicators of authoritativeness. The quality of a backlink is evaluated not only on the basis of the reputation of the source site, but also in relation to the semantic relevance to the content of the destination page.

Another significant difference concerns the importance of optimizing anchor text. Bing uses anchor text even more rigorously to understand the context of the link, therefore a balanced distribution of optimized anchor text, without excessive abuse of artificial keywords, can improve ranking.

On a strategic level, obtaining links from sites with an audience specifically oriented towards the Microsoft world can favor a better positioning on Bing’s results pages. Presence on authoritative industry directories, government or academic sites, and institutional sources continues to be a strong positive indicator for the algorithm, which attributes value to backlinks from highly credible entities.

Finally, unlike Google, which has introduced more restrictive policies on the evaluation of nofollow links, Bing continues to consider some nofollow links as potentially useful signals in determining the relevance of a site. Although they do not directly transfer value in terms of link equity, such links can help improve the perception of the site’s reliability in the context of its sector.

Statistics and Bing’s impact on search marketing

Bing has consolidated its presence in the online search sector, recording constant growth over the last few years. Although Google remains the dominant search engine, Bing has carved out a significant market share on desktops, above all thanks to its native integration with Windows and Microsoft Edge.

Today, the innovations progressively introduced by Microsoft, including Copilot and IndexNow, have increased the interest in this search engine, making it an increasingly relevant platform for users and companies. The ability to intercept a different type of traffic compared to Google, with a generally higher conversion rate in some sectors, has led many marketing professionals to consider Bing a strategic channel not to be overlooked.

Bing’s market share

According to Statcounter, in January 2025 Bing will hold almost 12% of the global desktop search market. This value represents growth compared to previous years, driven by several factors, including forced adoption on Windows 11 and continuous integration with Edge.

At a regional level, there are some interesting variations. Statcounter indicates that in some European countries, including Italy, Bing reaches a share of almost 9% of desktop searches, a value that tends to increase in companies and in B2B sectors, where the use of company devices preconfigured with Microsoft software favors the use of the default search engine.

The situation is different for mobile searches: Bing still struggles to compete with Google, which maintains a dominant position thanks to the spread of Android. However, the growing integration of Copilot within Microsoft applications could change this scenario in the coming years.

Reasons for the growth of interest in Bing

The increase in Bing’s market share is not accidental, but the result of a series of strategic factors that have strengthened its presence among private users and companies. One of the key elements is the increasingly deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem, which has favored the increase in searches performed through Edge and devices equipped with Windows 11.

A decisive element has been Copilot, the artificial intelligence integrated into Microsoft products, which has driven the adoption of Bing for searching for information directly within business applications. The search engine has become the natural access point for those who use tools such as Office, Teams and Outlook, creating new habits among professional users.

From a technical point of view, Bing’s growth was boosted by the implementation of IndexNow, which accelerated the content acquisition process compared to traditional methods based on periodic site scanning. Many webmasters and SEOs have started to exploit this technology to obtain a more rapid and effective presence in the SERP, especially in sectors where the speed of updating is crucial, such as news publishing and eCommerce.

Another structural element that has influenced Bing’s growth has been the expansion of the adoption of Microsoft Edge, which has recorded a growing market share among browsers, partly thanks also to the restrictions imposed by Google on an advertising level. Users who use Edge are more inclined to search without changing their default engine, contributing to the increase in queries processed by Bing over the last few years.

How traffic from Bing changes compared to Google

The differences between Bing and Google are not limited to market share, but also concern user behavior and the type of traffic generated. According to the analysis of SEOToolLab and data collected through Google Trends, there are clear variations in the search habits of users of the two search engines.

One important aspect concerns the conversion rate for commercial keywords: some studies indicate that users who search on Bing have a greater propensity to purchase, particularly in the technology, financial and B2B sectors. This is due to the type of audience that uses Bing the most, often users with company devices or with a slightly higher demographic profile in terms of age and economic availability.

From a demographic point of view, Bing users tend to be more mature than Google users, with a higher concentration between the ages of 35 and 55. This aspect influences the marketing choices of companies, which can optimize different strategies based on the reference platform.

Analyzes of search behavior show a higher interaction with organic results compared to Google, which instead has a high traffic absorbed by advertisements. This leads to a higher CTR for non-sponsored searches on Bing, making it an interesting option for those who focus on organic SEO rather than PPC campaigns.

Another distinctive element concerns geographical impact. In different regions, Bing has a higher penetration than other markets, particularly in the United States and in some European areas where the use of Microsoft solutions is widespread among companies and institutions. This creates strategic opportunities for sites operating in specific markets, where optimizing for Bing can guarantee a competitive advantage over Google.

Bing Webmaster Tools: FAQ and main questions

The Microsoft platform is therefore more than just a simple alternative to Google Search Console, because it represents a choice for diversifying organic traffic and above all a means to obtain exclusive data on SEO performance, with information that is not always available on GSC.

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Furthermore, the attention that Microsoft is giving to the development of new technologies for research, such as Copilot and IndexNow, shows how Bing continues to evolve, offering significant opportunities for those who want to optimize their online presence.

Integrating different tools and understanding the differences between search engines is a strategic advantage for any digital project; monitoring performance on Bing can open up new possibilities for growth, ensuring greater visibility and a greater ability to react to the evolution of search algorithms.

In conclusion, we’ll try to clarify the most common doubts related to the use of Bing Webmaster Tools, collecting the answers to the most frequently asked questions and providing practical information and useful insights for those who want to make the most of the platform.

1. What is Bing Webmaster Tools and what is it for?

Bing Webmaster Tools is a free Microsoft platform that allows you to monitor, analyze and optimize the visibility of a website in Bing search results. It offers advanced tools to check indexing status, analyze organic performance and receive SEO suggestions based on concrete data.

Users can check which pages are indexed, identify any errors, monitor the backlink profile and take action to improve ranking on Bing. The platform also helps manage Bingbot’s crawl of the site and optimize the speed with which new content is detected by the search engine.

2. What are the advantages of using Bing Webmaster Tools?

Using the platform offers numerous benefits for webmasters, SEOs and site owners:

• Monitoring search performance → Allows you to analyze the queries that bring traffic, the CTR and the site’s position in Bing results.
• Indexing management → Allows you to check the status of pages and send sitemaps or URLs to speed up scanning.
• Analysis of backlinks → Provides detailed data on inbound links, referring domains and comparison with competitors.
• Advanced technical tools → Includes tools for debugging the robots.txt file, managing the crawl budget and accessing insights based on artificial intelligence.
• Integration with IndexNow → Accelerates the indexing of new content, reducing the waiting time for it to appear in search results.

Using Bing Webmaster Tools allows you to optimize your pages for Bing, improving your ranking and intercepting qualified traffic that diversifies your organic visibility beyond Google.

3. Is Bing Webmaster Tools really useful if your main traffic comes from Google?

Even if Google dominates the online search market, focusing exclusively on one search engine can limit growth opportunities. Bing represents a significant slice of desktop traffic, with an audience often more prone to conversion in certain sectors, such as B2B and eCommerce.

Diversifying your SEO strategy by monitoring your performance on Bing allows you to obtain additional traffic, optimizing your site to take advantage of an algorithm with different criteria compared to Google. Furthermore, the adoption of technologies such as IndexNow allows you to accelerate the indexing process, an advantage especially for those who manage sites with frequent updates.

4. How do I install and configure Bing Webmaster Tools?

Installing Bing Webmaster Tools is simple and can be completed in just a few steps. To get started, you need to:

• Access the platform.
• Log in using a Microsoft, Google or Facebook account.
• Add the website by entering the homepage URL.

At this point, the platform will ask you to verify ownership of the site before you can access the organic performance data.

5. How do I verify a site on Bing Webmaster Tools?

After adding a site, it is essential to complete the verification of ownership. Bing offers three verification methods:

• XML file → The system provides a file to be uploaded to the root of the domain. Once the upload is complete, Bing will automatically detect it and confirm ownership.
• HTML meta tag → You can copy a unique code and paste it into the <head> section of the site’s homepage. After saving, the platform will detect the tag and proceed with verification.
• DNS record → For those who prefer a more technical approach, Bing allows you to add a CNAME record to the DNS of the domain. This option is useful for those who manage large sites and do not have direct access to editing the site files.

Once ownership has been verified, Bing Webmaster Tools will begin collecting data on the website’s performance.

6. How do I add a site to Bing Webmaster Tools?

To register a site on the platform, the first step is to access the dashboard. Once you have logged in, you can:

• Click on “Add a site”.
• Enter the full URL of the main domain.
• Verify ownership using one of the provided methods.

Alternatively, if you have already connected your site to Google Search Console, you can use the automatic data import option to avoid repeating the manual verification.

7. How do I install Bing Webmaster Tools on WordPress?

Integration can be done through dedicated WordPress plugins, such as Yoast SEO and Rank Math, which simplify the site verification process without requiring direct access to the configuration files.

With Yoast SEO, for example, the process involves these steps:

• Access Google Search Console and copy the Bing Webmaster Tools verification code.
• Open the WordPress dashboard and select “SEO > General”.
• Enter the Bing verification code in the “Webmaster Tools” section.
• Save changes and complete verification through the Bing platform.

Rank Math follows a similar procedure, also offering automatic integration of data from Google Search Console for those who want to synchronize metrics between the two platforms.

8. How do I submit a URL to Bing for indexing?

If a page does not appear in Bing’s results, you can submit it manually for faster indexing. To do so:

• Log in to Bing Webmaster Tools.
• Select the registered site and go to the Submit URL section.
• Enter the page link and confirm submission.

Bing allows you to submit a limited number of URLs per day. To make monitoring more efficient and ensure constant indexing, it is advisable to also submit an XML sitemap, so that Bingbot can detect new pages automatically.

For those who manage websites with frequent updates, integration with IndexNow is an even more effective solution, as it communicates content changes directly to the search engine in real time.

9. How long does it take for a website to be indexed on Bing?

The time needed for indexing varies according to several factors, including the structure of the website and how often the content is updated. Under normal conditions, it can take Bingbot anywhere from a few days to several weeks to detect and include a new page in the index.

To speed up the process, Microsoft offers IndexNow, a protocol that allows you to directly notify the search engine of new publications or changes, significantly reducing waiting times.

Sending the XML sitemap through Bing Webmaster Tools and the presence of backlinks from sites that are already well indexed also help to speed up the detection of pages, improving the scanning frequency.

10. What are the main differences between Bing Webmaster Tools and Google Search Console?

The two platforms share many features, but they have specific characteristics that make them complementary.

Although both tools are designed to offer webmasters and SEO professionals a detailed picture of a website’s visibility in search engines, Bing Webmaster Tools and Google Search Console have significant differences in both functionality and approach to data analysis. One of the most obvious aspects concerns backlink management. While Google Search Console provides only a subset of the detected inbound links, Bing Webmaster Tools offers a more detailed analysis of backlinks, allowing you to view a wider range of external references and compare a site’s link profile with that of its competitors. This makes the Microsoft platform particularly useful for those who want to evaluate the authority of their domain more precisely.

From the point of view of keyword analysis, Bing Webmaster Tools stands out for the integration of a keyword search tool based on real data from organic queries. This allows you to obtain insights directly from searches carried out on Bing, without having to rely on external tools. Google Search Console, on the other hand, does not provide this functionality, making it necessary to use Google Ads Keyword Planner or third-party SEO software to obtain similar information.

Another significant difference concerns the page indexing process. Google still mainly relies on a programmed web scan using Googlebot, while Bing has introduced IndexNow, a system that allows website owners to immediately notify the presence of new content or updates, speeding up the search engine’s recognition process. This approach considerably reduces waiting times compared to the traditional periodic scanning adopted by Google.

The management of the frequency of scans is also more flexible in Bing Webmaster Tools. Users can set specific parameters to adjust the speed with which Bingbot visits the pages of the site, offering more granular control compared to Google Search Console, which leaves less room for customization in this area.

Finally, Bing values signals from social networks more than Google. Although not a direct ranking factor, Bing’s algorithm tends to consider engagement on social platforms as an indicator of the reliability and popularity of a piece of content.

These differences show how each tool has specific strengths and why integrating them both can offer a more complete picture of a website’s SEO performance.

11. Is Bing Webmaster Tools free?

All the platform’s features are available for free. Bing Webmaster Tools allows you to access backlink reports, SEO diagnostics and organic performance analysis at no cost. This accessibility makes it particularly useful for companies that want to integrate additional insights into Google Search Console data without extra investment.

12. Is it necessary to use Bing Webmaster Tools if you already have Google Search Console?

Even if Google is the main source of organic traffic for most websites, Bing Webmaster Tools offers a set of complementary data that can reveal strategic insights not available on Google platforms. Those who only use Google Search Console risk neglecting a segment of users who use Bing, especially in contexts where corporate devices and B2B searches have a significant weight. Furthermore, Bing’s specific features, such as IndexNow, Site Explorer and detailed backlink analysis, provide additional tools to improve positioning on the Microsoft search engine.