Why Microsoft Bing Is About to Be Your New Best Buddy in SEO (And How to Make the Most of It)
In the world of search engines, everyone knows about Google, right? But it’s time to give some attention to an old friend we might have been overlooking: Microsoft Bing. Believe it or not, Bing is about to become way more important – especially if you’re into SEO and making sure people can find your website online.
Why? It all has to do with an even newer technology you might have heard about – ChatGPT Search.
In this post, we’ll explain why Bing matters now more than ever and give you simple steps to make it work for your SEO strategy in 2025.
Why Should We Start Paying Attention to Bing?
You might be wondering, “Why Bing?” Well, it turns out ChatGPT Search, a tool gaining popularity for helping people find information online, is using Bing’s index to get its search results.
This means if Bing doesn’t have your website pages indexed (which means it can’t find them), ChatGPT can’t show them either. So, even though ChatGPT has its own way of organizing information, if your important content isn’t on Bing, you might be missing out on a lot of visibility.
While you don’t need to go into panic mode, it’s definitely time to get cozier with Bing and make sure your pages are being indexed properly.
Should You Stop Everything for Bing?
Here’s the good news: there’s no need to push the panic button. But you also don’t want to ignore this.
This is a great opportunity for some SEO housekeeping. Think of it as tidying up your visibility, especially for complex or larger websites that usually rely on Google for traffic. You want to make sure that the Bing index has your most important pages listed. If any crucial content is missing, it’s better to fix it now before it becomes a bigger problem when ChatGPT-powered searches become more common.
Quick and Easy Bing Audit: Inspect Your Index
Don’t worry – this isn’t going to take you forever. A Bing SEO audit can be done in just a few quick steps. Bing is pretty good at indexing by itself, so if there are issues, they are more likely to be small gaps that can easily be filled.
Here’s how to check your site on Bing with minimal effort:
- Open Bing Webmaster Tools: This is your one-stop shop to see what Bing has already indexed.
- Look at your pages: Are there any pages that get a lot of traffic on Google that aren’t showing up on Bing? If there are, get those indexed ASAP.
Pro Tip: You can compare the URLs that are getting traffic from Google and Bing to quickly spot if any important pages are missing from Bing’s index.
Getting the Best from Bing Webmaster Tools
The Bing Webmaster Tools platform is packed with helpful information, and the best part is that you don’t have to dig through loads of unnecessary data. It gives you the essentials – what’s indexed, what’s missing, and any potential flags.
Here’s how to make the most of it:
- Identify any missing pages or critical issues.
- Keep your website running smoothly for both Bing and ChatGPT searches.
Bonus Tip: If you know how to work with APIs (or have someone who does), you can run a crawl of your website, export the list of all URLs, and use the Bing Webmaster API to check if those pages are in Bing’s index. Super fast and effective!
How to Impress Your Boss with Bing
How do you explain all this Bing stuff to executives who might only care about Google? Simple! Use it as a chance to look like the SEO hero by showing them that you’re ahead of the curve.
Let them know that ChatGPT using Bing’s index is a new and emerging trend. Educating your team about these trends not only shows that you are forward-thinking but also highlights you as a valuable asset to the company.
Turning Bing Audits into Wins
Here’s how to get the higher-ups excited about what you’re doing:
- Show them what could happen if important pages aren’t indexed on Bing – it could mean lost visibility and growth potential in the future. Make sure to focus on opportunities rather than just the challenges.
- Explain how fixing these issues now will pay off with more searches and clicks down the road, especially as ChatGPT-powered searches grow.
Planning for Bing in 2025: Add It to Your SEO Strategy
No, this isn’t an emergency. But it’s definitely worth slotting Bing optimization into your SEO plans for 2025 and beyond.
Since ChatGPT Search is using Bing’s index, it’s a strategic move to make sure you’re covered. Mention this at your next SEO update meeting, and your team will appreciate the foresight. You’ll position yourself as the one who’s always thinking ahead.
Will Bing Always Be a Part of ChatGPT?
It’s possible that ChatGPT could one day build its own index of web pages, but that’s a huge task – something even Google and Bing took years to develop. For now and the foreseeable future, ChatGPT will keep relying on Bing’s index as its backbone.
Bing has experience selling its search data to other companies for years. It’s a solid foundation, and ChatGPT benefits from this setup. It lets ChatGPT provide smart, helpful search results without starting from scratch.
Bing’s Future: More Than Just a Backup
As ChatGPT Search grows, Bing is likely to play an even bigger role. This could make Bing a surprisingly important player in the search game. That means it’s time to start showing Bing some love.
Simple actions like auditing your site on Bing, checking for missing pages, and staying on top of any changes could pay off big time.
In Conclusion: Be Ready for 2025 and Beyond
In summary, while Google still rules the search world, Bing is quickly becoming a key part of the future, thanks to ChatGPT Search.
A little attention to Bing indexing now can help you make sure you’re ready to ride the next big search wave, instead of missing out. No need for a massive overhaul – just a small Bing-friendly audit and a few tweaks can prepare you for big possibilities.
Now’s the time to get ahead of the competition!