Bing offers a unique opportunity for UK businesses to expand their digital reach. While Google dominates the search market, we marketers recognise the untapped potential of Microsoft’s search engine, Bing.
Bing SEO presents several distinct advantages for UK businesses:
- Less Competition: With fewer businesses optimising for Bing, it’s easier to achieve higher rankings.
- Different Demographic: Bing users tend to be older and have higher income levels, which can be valuable for certain industries.
- Integration with Microsoft Products: Bing is the default search engine for Microsoft products, including Windows and Office.
- Voice Search Opportunities: Bing powers voice searches on Microsoft devices and Xbox consoles.
By focusing on Bing SEO, UK businesses can reach a broader audience and potentially see quicker results compared to the highly competitive Google landscape.
Dominate Bing Search And Rank Higher With Bing SEO
How Microsoft Bing Algorithm Works?
To succeed in Bing SEO, it’s crucial to understand the factors that influence its search algorithm. Let’s explore the key elements Bing considers when ranking websites:
1. Write Quality Content
Bing places significant emphasis on content quality. It looks for:
- Relevance: Content that directly addresses user queries.
- Depth: In-depth articles that thoroughly cover a topic.
- Originality: Unique content that adds value to the web.
- Clarity: Well-structured, easy-to-read content.
2. Backlinks
Like Google, Bing values backlinks as a sign of authority. However, Bing tends to:
- Favour quality over quantity.
- Place more weight on links from authoritative .edu and .gov domains.
- Consider the context and relevance of linking pages.
3. On Page SEO
Bing’s approach to on page SEO is somewhat more traditional than Google’s:
- Exact-Match Keywords: Bing responds well to exact keyword matches in titles and headings.
- Meta Descriptions: Clear, keyword-rich meta descriptions are important.
- URL Structure: Bing prefers URLs that include relevant keywords.
4. User Engagement
Bing pays attention to how users interact with your site:
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): Higher CTRs from search results can boost rankings.
- Time on Site: Longer visit durations signal valuable content.
- Bounce Rate: Lower bounce rates suggest user satisfaction.
5. Social Signals
Unlike Google, Bing openly admits to considering social signals in its ranking algorithm:
- Social Media Presence: Active, verified social media accounts can boost credibility.
- Social Shares: Content that’s frequently shared on social platforms may rank higher.
- Author Authority: Bing may consider the social influence of content authors.
Understanding user search intent isn't just a Google thing. Bing users have goals too! Learn how to identify user search intent for Bing and tailor your content to their specific needs. By giving Bing crawlers and users what they're searching for, you'll be well on your way to ranking higher in Bing Search!
Key Differences Between Bing and Google Algorithms
While Bing and Google share some similarities, understanding their differences is crucial for effective SEO:
- Domain Age: Bing tends to favour older, established domains more than Google does.
- Exact-Match Keywords: Bing places more weight on exact keyword matches in titles, headings, and content.
- Flash Content: Bing is generally better at crawling and understanding Flash content compared to Google.
- Social Signals: Bing openly incorporates social media signals into its ranking algorithm, while Google claims not to use them directly.
- Multimedia Content: Bing seems to give more prominence to pages with multimedia content like images and videos.
- Local SEO: Bing Places for Business is less competitive than Google My Business, offering opportunities for local businesses.
How To Optimise Your Website For Bing
On-Page SEO Techniques
Use Exact-Match Keywords:
- Include your target keywords exactly as they are in titles, headings, and content. Here is how to look for keyword opportunities
- Example: If targeting “best running shoes UK“, use this exact phrase in your title tag and H1 heading.
Craft Compelling Meta Descriptions:
- Write clear, engaging meta descriptions of 150-160 characters.
- Include your primary keyword naturally.
- Example: “The best running shoes in the UK. Our expert guide helps you choose the perfect pair for comfort and performance. Free UK delivery!“
Develop In-Depth Content:
- Create comprehensive content that thoroughly answers user queries.
- Aim for at least 1,500 words for main pages or blog posts. Check our short guide to learn more about SEO content length
- Include relevant subtopics and long-tail keywords.
Structure Content with Header Tags:
- Use H1 for the main title, H2 for main sections, and H3 for subsections.
- Include keywords in these headings where natural.
- Example: H1: Best Running Shoes UK: The Ultimate Guide H2: Top 5 Running Shoes for Different Terrains H3: Best Road Running Shoes in the UK
Off-Page SEO Strategies
Acquire High Quality Backlinks:
- Focus on getting links from authoritative UK websites in your industry.
- Reach out to relevant bloggers, industry publications, and business partners.
- Create linkable assets like infographics or research studies. Here is how to get natural backlinks.
Maintain Active Social Media Presence:
- Regularly post on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
- Engage with your audience by responding to comments and messages.
- Share your content and encourage others to share it too.
Encourage Social Sharing:
- Add social sharing buttons to your content.
- Create content that’s inherently shareable, like listicles or how-to guides.
- Consider running social media contests to boost engagement and shares.
Technical SEO for Bing
Submit Your Sitemap:
- Use Bing Webmaster Tools to submit your XML sitemap.
- Ensure your sitemap is up-to-date and includes all important pages.
Optimise for Mobile First Web Design:
- Use responsive design to ensure your site works well on all devices.
- Test your site’s mobile-friendliness using Bing’s Mobile Friendliness Test Tool.
Improve Website Speed:
- Compress images and minify CSS and JavaScript.
- Use browser caching to improve load times for repeat visitors.
- Consider using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) for faster global access.
Implement Schema Markup:
- Use schema.org structured data to help Bing understand your content.
- Focus on schemas relevant to your business, like Organisation, LocalBusiness, or Product.
How To Use Bing Webmaster Tools
Set Up Bing Webmaster Tools
- Go to Bing Webmaster Tools and sign in with your Microsoft account.
- Click “Add your site” and enter your website URL or you can directly import from Google Search Console.
- Verify ownership by uploading an XML file to your server, adding a meta tag to your homepage, or using your DNS records.
- Once verified, submit your sitemap by clicking “Sitemaps” in the left menu and entering your sitemap URL.
Key Features and How to Use Them
Crawl Control:
- Adjust how Bing crawls your site.
- Access: Configuration > Crawl Control
- Use: Set crawl rate and schedule to manage server load.
SEO Reports:
- Get insights on your site’s SEO performance.
- Access: Reports & Data > SEO Reports
- Use: Identify and fix issues like missing title tags or duplicate content.
Keyword Research:
- Find valuable keywords to target.
- Access: Reports & Data > Search Keywords
- Use: Discover new keyword opportunities and track performance.
Backlinks:
- See who’s linking to your site.
- Access: Reports & Data > Inbound Links
- Use: Identify valuable link sources and potential link-building opportunities.
Monitoring and Improving Site Performance
- Regularly check your site’s performance in Bing Webmaster Tools, at least weekly.
- Use the SEO reports to identify and fix issues promptly.
- Analyse backlinks and disavow any spammy or low-quality links using the Disavow Links tool.
- Track your keyword rankings and adjust your strategy based on performance.
Case Studies and Success Stories
UK E-commerce Site Boosts Bing Traffic by 150%
A UK-based online clothing retailer, focused on optimising for Bing over a six-month period. Here’s what they did:
On Page SEO Optimisation:
- Updated product titles and descriptions with exact-match keywords.
- Created in-depth buying guides for each product category.
- Improved meta descriptions with clear, keyword-rich content.
Link Building:
- Reached out to UK fashion bloggers for reviews and collaborations.
- Submitted products to relevant UK fashion directories.
- Created a “UK Fashion Trends” infographic that earned backlinks from industry websites.
Social Media Engagement:
- Increased posting frequency on Facebook and Instagram.
- Ran a “Style of the Week” contest on Pinterest, encouraging user-generated content and shares.
- Engaged with customers by responding to comments and featuring user photos.
Technical Improvements:
- Implemented schema markup for products and reviews.
- Optimised site speed by compressing images and leveraging browser caching.
- Ensured mobile responsiveness across all pages.
Results:
- Organic website traffic from Bing increased by 150% over six months.
- Overall sales saw a 40% boost, with Bing-driven sales accounting for 25% of this increase.
- Bing shopping ads performance improved, with a 30% increase in click-through rates.
Key Takeaways and Actionable Insights
- Don’t overlook Bing – it can be a significant source of high-quality traffic.
- Focus on exact-match keywords in titles, headings, and content for Bing SEO.
- Build a strong social media presence to support your Bing SEO efforts.
- Use Bing Webmaster Tools regularly to monitor and improve performance.
- Create in-depth, valuable content that addresses user queries comprehensively.
Comparing Bing SEO with Google SEO
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How To Optimise Your Website for Both Search Engines
- Create high-quality, original content that thoroughly answers user queries.
- Build a diverse, high-quality backlink profile from reputable websites.
- Optimise for mobile devices and improve overall site speed.
- Use schema markup to help both search engines understand your content better.
- Maintain an active presence on social media platforms.
- Focus on user experience metrics like time on site and bounce rate.
- Use a mix of exact-match and semantic keywords in your content.
- Regularly monitor and improve your site using both Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
Resources and Tools
To excel in Bing SEO, you’ll need the right tools and resources. Here’s an expanded list with detailed descriptions of each:
Recommended Tools for Bing SEO
Bing Webmaster Tools
- Official tool from Microsoft for managing your site’s presence on Bing
- Key features:
- Submit and manage sitemaps
- View crawl errors and fix issues
- Analyse backlinks
- Research keyword Competition
- Set crawl rate preferences
- Benefit: Direct insights from Bing about your site’s performance
- Best for: All website owners looking to improve their Bing rankings
SEMrush
- Comprehensive SEO toolkit for keyword research, competitor analysis, and rank tracking
- Key features:
- Track rankings on both Bing and Google
- Perform in-depth keyword research
- Analyse competitors’ strategies
- Conduct site audits
- Benefit: All-in-one tool for managing your entire SEO strategy
- Best for: SEO professionals and businesses serious about their online presence
Screaming Frog SEO Spider
- Technical SEO audit tool that crawls websites to identify issues
- Key features:
- Find broken links and redirect chains
- Analyse page titles and meta descriptions
- Canonical duplicate content
- Generate XML sitemaps
- Benefit: Quickly identify technical SEO issues that could affect Bing rankings
- Best for: SEO professionals and webmasters managing large sites
Ahrefs
- Powerful SEO tool focusing on backlink analysis and content research
- Key features:
- Comprehensive backlink checker
- Content explorer for finding popular content in your niche
- Keyword explorer with Bing-specific data
- Site audit tool
- Benefit: In-depth insights into your backlink profile and content opportunities
- Best for: SEO professionals and content marketers
Bing Mobile-Friendly Test Tool
- Official Bing tool to check if your site is optimised for mobile first design
- Key features:
- Test any URL for mobile-friendliness
- Get specific recommendations for improvement
- View how Bing’s mobile crawler sees your page
- Benefit: Ensure your site meets Bing’s mobile-friendly criteria
- Best for: All website owners, especially those with a high mobile audience
BrightLocal
- Local SEO tool with features specific to Bing Places for Business
- Key features:
- Local search rank tracking (including Bing)
- Citation building and management
- Review monitoring and generation
- Benefit: Improve your local presence on Bing
- Best for: Local businesses and SEO agency managing multiple local clients
Moz Pro
- All-in-one SEO software suite with Bing-specific features
- Key features:
- Rank tracking for Bing
- Site crawl tool to identify technical issues
- On-page optimisation suggestions
- Link research tools
- Benefit: Comprehensive SEO management with consideration for Bing
- Best for: SEO professionals and businesses investing heavily in SEO
Additional Reading and Resources
Bing Webmaster Guidelines
- Official documentation on Bing’s expectations for webmasters
- Key topics covered:
- Content quality guidelines
- Technical recommendations
- Link building best practices
- Benefit: Understand directly from Bing what they expect from websites
- Best for: All website owners and SEO professionals
Bing SEO Guide
- Microsoft’s official guide to optimising for Bing
- Key topics covered:
- On-page SEO factors
- Content creation tips
- Technical SEO recommendations
- Benefit: Get SEO advice straight from the source
- Best for: Beginners to intermediate SEO practitioners
Search Engine Journal Articles
- Regular updates and insights on Bing SEO strategies
- Key features:
- Latest news about Bing algorithm updates
- Expert tips and strategies
- Case studies and success stories
- Benefit: Stay up-to-date with the latest Bing SEO trends and tactics
- Best for: SEO professionals looking to deepen their Bing SEO knowledge
Moz’s Guide to Bing vs. Google
- Comprehensive comparison of the two search engines
- Key topics covered:
- Ranking factor differences
- User behaviour variations
- SEO strategy adjustments for each platform
- Benefit: Understand how to balance your SEO efforts between Bing and Google
- Best for: SEO professionals and businesses targeting both search engines
Bing Ads Academy
- Free courses on Bing advertising, which can complement your SEO efforts
- Key features:
- Self-paced learning modules
- Covers basics to advanced topics
- Official Microsoft certification available
- Benefit: Learn how to combine SEO with paid strategies on Bing
- Best for: Digital marketers looking to expand their Bing marketing skills
Bing Places for Business Guide
- Comprehensive guide to optimising your local business presence on Bing
- Key topics covered:
- Setting up and verifying your Bing Places listing
- Optimising your business information
- Managing reviews and ratings
- Benefit: Improve your local SEO performance on Bing
- Best for: Local businesses and SEO professionals managing local clients
Bing Webmaster Tools YouTube Channel
- Official YouTube channel with video tutorials and webinars
- Key features:
- Step-by-step guides to using Bing Webmaster Tools
- SEO tips from Bing’s team
- Q&A sessions with Bing’s search experts
- Benefit: Visual learning resources directly from Bing’s team
- Best for: Visual learners and those looking for in-depth Bing SEO knowledge
Ready to Boost Your Bing Rankings?
At UTDS Optimal Choice, we’re not just a Website Design and SEO Agency – we’re your partners in digital success. With our expertise in Bing SEO and comprehensive digital marketing strategies, we can help your UK business reach new heights online.
Our team of seasoned professionals understands the nuances of Bing’s algorithm and can craft a tailored strategy to boost your visibility, drive targeted traffic, and increase conversions. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to optimise an existing website, we have the tools, knowledge, and experience to deliver results.
Don’t let the opportunity to dominate Bing search slip away. Take the next step towards digital growth – contact us today for a free consultation. Let’s work together to unlock your website’s full potential and leave your competition behind in the Bing search results.
Here are some FAQs on Bing SEO:
- Optimise title tags and meta descriptions for keywords
- Improve website crawlability and indexation
- Create high-quality, original content optimised for Bing
- Build backlinks from relevant websites
- Leverage Bing Webmaster Tools to identify issues
- Promote and optimise your Bing Places listing
- Stay updated on Bing algorithm changes
- Bing has a smaller market share, so less competition for keywords
- Bing Places is more prominent in Bing results than Google Maps in Google
- Less 3rd party SEO tools and metrics available compared to Google
- Typically easier to rank in Bing than Google for many keywords
- Bing algorithm puts more weight on links rather than content/usage
- Claim and complete your Bing Webmaster Tools profile
- Submit new or important pages to Bing for indexing
- Optimise on-page elements like title tags, headings and content
- Build high-quality backlinks from relevant sites
- Publish long-form, helpful content for UK audiences
- Add schema markup to take advantage of rich snippets
For many keywords, yes, Bing is often easier to rank for than Google. With Bing’s smaller market share, there is less competition, making it possible to rank with fewer links and optimisation signals. However, for ultra-competitive keywords, ranking still requires building substantial authority and great content.
While Google dominates search, Bing still plays an important role in SEO that businesses should not neglect. Here are some key reasons why:
- Owns over 5% search market share in the UK – amounting to millions of searches per month
- Powers search on Yahoo, AOL and other properties, expanding reach
- Much less competition for many keywords compared to Google
- Chance to reach users who prefer Bing over Google for search
- Provides another source of qualified organic traffic to websites
- Allows businesses to show up for every search, not just Google
- Opportunity to rank well for valuable long-tail keywords
- Can drive additional conversions and sales at a relatively low SEO cost
- Builds overall domain authority when combined with Google SEO
