How To Use Bing Places For Business To Improve Your Local SEO Rankings

While Bing Places may not be as famous as Google My Business, it is still a valuable addition to your local SEO campaign, mainly if you aim to increase sales and orders from potential customers in your area.

Understanding Bing Places for Business Listing: What is it?

A Bing Places for Business listing is free on Bing search results and Bing Maps for various devices. This listing provides vital information about your business, including its physical address, phone number, website URL, and opening hours, much like Google My Business.

Like Google My Business, Bing Places uses this information to return the most relevant search results to its users, making it a confirmed local ranking factor for Bing. According to Bing, your business listing helps the local ranking algorithm accurately match your listing to user searches.

You can manage Bing Places for Business through an app or online, offering several features similar to Google My Business. For instance, you can select a primary business category, upload images, share offers, and link to your social media profiles. In addition, when you verify your listing, you can access data such as search impressions, which show the number of times your listing appeared in Bing search results over 12 weeks.

Why You Should Consider Setting Up a Bing Places for Business Listing: The Importance of Bing in Local Search and Beyond

Although Google remains the leading search engine, search behavior continuously evolves, and millions of internet users rely on Bing to navigate the web. As the third most popular search engine after Google and YouTube, Bing manages billions of monthly queries. With a Bing Places listing, you can capture some of those clicks, calls, and sales.

Microsoft, Bing’s parent company, has heavily invested in new functionalities, such as the Search Entity API, which provides rich contextual information about people, places, things, and local businesses to any application or website for an enhanced user experience. Bing has also made significant advancements in visual search, including thumbnails for video results and image-based smartphone searches. 

Additionally, it has revamped its advertising offerings, acquired LinkedIn, and partnered with Amazon to power searches on Amazon Silk. According to Microsoft’s data published in March 2020, Bing handles 12.2 billion desktop searches monthly globally. Furthermore, 54% of search users conduct product research, while 43% use search for brand discovery.

Moreover, Bing is the default search engine on all Windows devices, which number over 1.5 billion worldwide. This fact means users don’t have to select Bing consciously; it’s already there, waiting on the open browser window – applying not only in domestic settings but also in the workplace, where Microsoft software and cloud solutions are prevalent.

Despite Google’s dominance, Bing still commands billions of high-intent searches monthly. Therefore, having a presence on even a fraction of those searches through a Bing Places listing could be transformational for your business.

Step-by-Step Guide: Adding Your Business to Bing Places for Business

Setting up a free Bing Places for Business listing is quick and easy. Just sign in or create an account and check if a listing exists. Then, you can claim it and fill in any missing details if it does. 

Alternatively, you can import your Google My Business listing into Bing Places with one click. Finally, you can use the wizard to input your details if neither option is available. 

This step-by-step list shows just how simple it is to create an account with Bing Places for Business: 

1. First, go to Bing Places for Business website.
2. Sign in or create a new account.
3. Check if your business has an existing listing on Bing Places. If it is, claim it and add any missing information.
4. If you’re already on Google My Business, import all the information to Bing Places with just one click.
5. If your business is not listed, simply work through the wizard and input your details as prompted.

The Widespread Use of Bing Places for Business Data

Bing Places for Business is a valuable source of data that powers Bing Maps and any Bing-powered voice device, much like how Google My Business supports Google Maps and Google Assistant. In addition, its reach is extensive, as Bing is the default voice search engine for Amazon Alexa devices, including the Echo family. 

Alexa is on the Echo line and other devices such as Fire TV sticks, Fire tablets, smart TVs, wearable devices, and over 100,000 smart home products from 9000 brands. In addition, Amazon has hinted at other partnerships in the works that would incorporate Alexa into voice search for cars, TVs, and other devices, which could prove beneficial for local businesses, given that most drivers use voice search to find local businesses on the road.

Bing also powers Cortana search, the default assistant for all Microsoft devices, including the Windows operating system and the Xbox gaming console. Moreover, Yahoo! search results make use of Bing data. Businesses can cover Yahoo! local search results by creating a Bing Places listing since Bing powers Yahoo! search results entirely. Therefore, businesses can reap twice the benefits by having just one Bing Places listing, making it an opportunity worth considering.

Where do the reviews on Bing Places for Business originate from?

Reviews are integral to local search visibility and are crucial in establishing consumer trust in digital transactions. For example, Bing Places, like Google My Business, showcases relevant reviews from trusted third-party platforms in its local search results.

Unlike Google, Bing displays reviews from multiple sources in its Explore panel. Apart from the information derived from your Bing Places listing, the local panel may feature recent reviews from TripAdvisor and Facebook, among other sources. A box displays the reviews, an average star rating, and a hyperlink to access additional reviews from each platform.

Is Bing Places for Business Significant for SEO?

Undoubtedly, Bing Places is crucial for enhanced visibility in Bing’s local search results. Bing affirms that its local ranking algorithm relies primarily on relevance, distance, and popularity. Moreover, it recommends adding detailed business information in Bing Places to help the local ranking algorithm match your business listing accurately to user searches. 

To boost rankings in local search results, Bing advises ensuring your Bing Places data is complete and accurate to provide the Bing Local database with comprehensive information about your business.

Optimizing your Bing Places listing is an essential first step to improving your rankings for any tool or search engine that uses Bing data, such as Amazon devices and Windows desktops. Conversely, if your target audience does not include the typical Bing user, optimizing for Bing may divert your focus unnecessarily from Google.

Compared to Google’s algorithm, Bing’s search ranking algorithm is generally considered less complex. In addition, it favors certain elements that Google has evolved from, such as keyword density and essential elements like H1 and H2 tags. Hence, optimizing your website for Bing to support your Bing Places listing could undo some of your Google optimization efforts and harm your rankings.

What are the Primary Differences Between Google My Business and Bing Places For Business?

Apart from the apparent distinction that Google uses Google My Business and Bing Places powers Bing local search results, there are other subtler differences:

Bing’s algorithm considers social signals such as Facebook shares as an indicator of quality, whereas Google does not. This distinction can be advantageous for highly visual businesses such as clothing designers, interior stylists, or well-established event venues on relevant social networks like Instagram.

Bing places high value on high-quality images. You can add up to 100 pictures to your listing, two of which must show the exterior of your business. Bing also recommends adding images of the interior, seating arrangements, good quality product images, images showcasing any awards your business has received, or events attended, and pictures illustrating your services and any specific equipment used. Image dimensions must be a minimum of 480×360 pixels, while Google’s minimum image size is much smaller. Additionally, Bing allows you to upload images of up to 10MB, twice the size limit of Google.

While both Google and Bing consider reviews an integral part of the local search results, Bing Places for Business displays reviews from third-party sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Facebook, while Google primarily displays Google reviews.

The layout of the search results on Bing differs from that of Google. Bing has invested heavily in visual search, resulting in a more attractive and prominent display of local business information. Bing’s display features a strip of images across the top of the listing, a box with a contrasting background, buttons with icons to request directions or go to the business website, and a scrollable carousel for information, including reviews, social media links, and popular products. On the other hand, Google’s box is usually placed to the right of the search results and is less integrated into the primary listings on desktop.

Bing Places and Data Aggregators 

Local citations play a crucial role in local SEO campaigns, as they help businesses establish a solid online presence and increase their visibility in search results. However, manually creating and managing citations can be daunting and time-consuming, especially for businesses with multiple locations – where data aggregators come into play.

Data aggregators are large-scale data gatherers that collect and distribute business information to various online directories, search engines, and other platforms. As a result, they streamline the building of accurate and comprehensive citations, helping businesses improve their local search rankings and reach more potential customers.

Bing Places is one of the most critical business information sources for data aggregators, including Localeze and Data Axle. These aggregators collect and distribute information from Bing Places to other platforms like Google My Business, Yelp, and Apple Maps.

In recent years, some data aggregators have stopped accepting individual submissions from businesses. As a result, the only way to ensure they include your information in their database is through a reliable source like Bing Places. By creating and optimizing your Bing Places listing, you can ensure that your business information is accurate and up-to-date, which can, in turn, help you rank higher in local search results.

Moreover, Bing Places also provides additional benefits for businesses beyond simply being a source of information for data aggregators. For example, optimizing your listing and providing detailed and accurate information about your business can attract more potential customers searching for local businesses like yours. Bing Places also allows you to add photos, videos, and other multimedia content to your listing, which can help you stand out from your competitors and make a strong impression on potential customers.

In conclusion, data aggregators play a crucial role in local SEO, and Bing Places is an essential source of information for many of these aggregators. By creating and optimizing your listing, you can ensure that your business information is accurate and consistent across various online directories and search engines, helping you improve local search rankings while attracting more customers to your business.

Final Thoughts

Bing Places is a valuable addition to any business’s local SEO strategy. Creating a listing on Bing Places is a straightforward process that doesn’t require a lot of effort. You can even import your existing Google My Business listing, which makes claiming your Bing Places listing a no-brainer.

While Google dominates the search engine market, it’s important to remember that Bing still handles millions of search queries daily. In addition, Bing welcomes search users from various devices, which means you can reach a wider audience through Bing Places.

Creating a listing on Bing Places can improve your company’s visibility in local search results and attract more customers to your website or physical location. With its user-friendly submission process and potential for increased traffic, Bing Places is a smart choice for any business looking to improve its local SEO efforts.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use for Bing SEO?

Optimizing your website for Bing SEO involves understanding Bing’s ranking factors, including keyword relevance, backlinks, page authority, and social signals. By creating high-quality content, building backlinks from authoritative websites, optimizing website metadata, and having an active social media presence, businesses can improve their search rankings on Bing.

Does Bing matter for SEO? 

Yes, Bing is important for SEO, as it handles millions of search queries daily and has a significant market share. Optimizing for Bing can help businesses reach a wider audience and improve search rankings.

How do I rank in Bing Places? 

To rank on Bing Places, businesses must claim their listing, ensure their information is accurate and complete, and optimize their listing with relevant keywords and images. Positive reviews on third-party sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Facebook can also improve a business’s ranking on Bing Places.

How do businesses use Bing Places? 

Bing Places allows businesses to create a free listing in Bing search results and Bing Maps. The listing provides customers with essential information about the business, such as an address, phone number, hours of operation, reviews, and photos. By optimizing their Bing Places listing, businesses can improve their visibility in local search results, attracting more customers.

What is Bing Places? 

Bing Places is a free online directory service provided by Bing that allows businesses to create a listing that appears in Bing search results and Bing Maps. The listing provides customers with information about the business, such as an address, phone number, hours of operation, reviews, and photos.

How do I add my business to Bing Maps? 

To add your business to Bing Maps, you must create a Bing Places listing, verify it, and ensure your listing information is accurate and complete. In addition, adding relevant keywords and images to your listing ensures that your business appears correctly on Bing Maps.

What is Bing My Business? 

Bing My Business is not a separate product or service but refers to using Bing Places for Business to manage a business’s online presence on Bing. By creating a listing on Bing Places, businesses can provide customers with crucial information about their business and improve their local search rankings.

Does Bing have something like Google My Business? 

Yes, Bing has a similar service called Bing Places for Business. Like Google My Business, it allows businesses to manage their online presence on Bing by creating a listing that appears in Bing search results and Bing Maps, providing customers with information about the business, such as an address, phone number, hours of operation, reviews, and photos.