Bing for local business is a set of powerful and free online marketing tools. Unfortunately, with so much attention going to Google, many businesses miss out on the free tools provided by Microsoft. Let’s start using them to grow your business!
Here’s how to submit your business website to Microsoft Bing, get your local business listed on Bing Places, and see how people engage your website with Microsoft Clarity.
1) BING WEBMASTER TOOLS
Of course, this list has to start with getting your local business website on the number 2 search engine in the world.
To do that you need to submit your website to Bing Webmaster Tools. And Microsoft has made this super easy by simply importing your properties from Google’s Webmaster Tools, aka Google Search Console.
You can sign up using your already existing Microsoft, Google or Facebook account. After signing in, you’ll be prompted to add your already verified site from Google Search Console.
Need help adding your site to Google Search Console? Watch this video for step-by-step instructions.
After importing your site from Google Search Console into Bing Webmaster Tools, there’s just a few more steps to make sure your site gets indexed.
- Add your Sitemap
- The sitemap typically lives at the root of your domain, so if your domain is www.yourdomain.com, the sitemap location is likely at http://www.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml.
- Configure a Bing Site Scan
- Bing’s Site Scan is a site audit tool that checks for common technical SEO issues to help you improve the overall qualify of your site.
- Create an SEO plan
- Inside Bing’s Webmaster Tools are several utilities to investigate backlinks, and conduct keyword research. Create a plan to use, review, and respond to what they report back, and improve your website’s overall health.
The second tool from Microsoft is very powerful and will help you keep track of your visitor’s overall experience using your website.
2) MICROSOFT CLARITY
The second tool is a new Microsoft property that is still in Beta called Microsoft Clarity.
WHAT IS MICROSOFT CLARITY?
Microsoft Clarity is a free-to-use web analytics tool designed to help website owners improve the visitor’s experiences by better understanding their behavior.
HOW MICROSOFT CLARITY HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND VISITOR BEHAVIOR
By showing you parts of your website that get the most and least engagement through heat maps and visitor recordings. The more visitors click on a link, the hotter that appears in a heat map.
Microsoft is promising to keep Clarity free forever, so it makes sense to use this free local marketing tool to improve your website visitor’s experience.
Remember, that all visitors are recorded, not just the visitors that come from Bing.
This last tool is specifically designed for local searches in Bing, and it can also impact the overall authority and reputation of your business online.
3) BING PLACES FOR BUSINESS
Just like Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business), Bing Places for Business is a free local business listing that helps Bing users find businesses in proximity to their location.
Searches on Bing that have local search intent will show businesses who have a Bing Places for Business listing before the organic search results.
Claiming your Bing Places for Business listing, updating it with accurate information, and uploading lots of real (not stock) photos, will help make your business more visible.
If you have already claimed your Google Business Profile, you can import your listings directly into Bing Places for Business without any further verification process.
After you have claimed and updated your Bing Places for Business listing, remember to promote your listing by linking to it from your website, and encouraging customers to leave feedback.
HOW BING PLACES FOR BUSINESS LOCAL RANKINGS WORK
Bing’s local ranking algorithm is based primarily on the three factors. Those factors are search relevance, business distance, and popularity.
- Relevance: This has to do with what the Bing user is searching for, and if it has local intent. For example, your auto repair shop business that conducts oil changes is relevant for listings ‘oil change near me’ searches.
- Distance: Of course this has to do with the proximity of the searcher at the time they’re searching, and if your business is close by. Users can modify their search by adding city and state like, ‘mechanic in Stafford Springs, CT’.
- Popularity: This is the most complicated to explain. Bing looks for ‘web signals’ like links, reviews, and mentions. All the more reason to have a website, and claim your online listings.
Work hard at keeping your profile up-to-date and accurate, as this is the most important part of having a business listing.
4) DUCKDUCKGO
Another benefit to using Microsoft Bing’s suite of Webmaster Tools is the ability to improve your online presence in other search engines like DuckDuckGo.
DuckDuckGo is a unique search engine because they provide a search results without tracking your searches and retargeting your sessions with advertisements.
Instead, they are focused on keeping your searches anonymous by not collecting or sharing any personal information, including your IP address or location.
How does DuckDuckGo build an index of websites?
DuckDuckGo creates its index from over four hundred sources. These sources include DuckDuckBot, their web crawler), Wikipedia, and multiple other partners, including Bing.
They don’t build the index on any data provided by Google. ????????????????????????
When you add your website and submit your sitemap to Bing Webmaster Tools, DuckDuckGo will automatically see and index your website.
IMPROVE LOCAL SEARCH
Each of these tools is designed to improve the quality of your website and increase your visibility in local search.
Being found online by local consumers will help your local business reach the people who live, work in, and visit your community.
And by reaching local consumers, your business will grow, allowing you to impact your community by providing jobs, partnering with other businesses, and promoting local events.
