Bing is the Thing

Are you pouring all your SEO energy into Google while completely ignoring the search engine that could be sending you thousands of new visitors every month? If you’re like most marketers, you’ve been sleeping on Bing – and you’re missing out on a massive opportunity that’s hiding in plain sight.

Quick Answer: Why Bing SEO Matters More Than You Think

Bing powers not just Bing.com, but also Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, and AOL search results. This network reaches over 1 billion searches per month, representing roughly 33% of the US desktop search market. With less competition and different ranking factors than Google, Bing often provides faster results and higher conversion rates for businesses that optimize for it.

My Bing Wake-Up Call

I’ll be honest – I used to be a Bing skeptic. For years, I watched my analytics and saw maybe 50-100 visitors per month from Bing. “Why bother?” I thought. “Google sends me 10x more traffic.”

Then something incredible happened last spring. I started getting notifications about traffic spikes, but they weren’t coming from Google. Suddenly, Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo were sending me thousands of visitors every month. My Bing traffic had increased by 2,000% seemingly overnight!
The kicker? I hadn’t changed anything specifically for Bing. But when I dug deeper, I realized some of my content optimization strategies were accidentally perfect for Bing’s algorithm. That’s when I decided to get intentional about Bing SEO – and the results have been game-changing.

Here’s how you can do the same.

Why Bing Deserves Your Attention

Defend Your Traffic Against Algorithm Chaos

Here’s something that keeps me up at night – and it should worry you too. Google and Instagram have been rolling out major algorithm changes multiple times per year, and each update can devastate your traffic overnight. One day you’re cruising with steady organic reach, and the next day your website traffic drops by 50% because Google decided to prioritize different ranking factors.

I’ve watched businesses that relied solely on Google traffic get absolutely crushed by updates like the helpful content update, core updates, and spam updates. Meanwhile, businesses that diversified their search presence across multiple engines stayed stable and continued growing.

Bing is your insurance policy. While Google zigs, Bing often zags. Their algorithm updates are less frequent, less dramatic, and more predictable. When Google penalizes your site for reasons you can’t even identify, Bing traffic can literally save your business. It’s not about replacing Google – it’s about protecting yourself from putting all your eggs in one very unpredictable basket.

The Hidden Network Effect

When you optimize for Bing, you’re not just targeting one search engine. You’re actually optimizing for four major platforms:

Bing.com – Microsoft’s search engine
Yahoo Search – Powered by Bing’s algorithm
DuckDuckGo – Uses Bing results for most queries
AOL Search – Also runs on Bing’s infrastructure

This network collectively handles billions of searches, yet most marketers completely ignore it. That means less competition for you!

Different Audience, Better Conversions

Bing users tend to be slightly older, have higher incomes, and are more likely to convert. They’re often decision-makers in their companies and households. While Google users might be browsing and researching, Bing users are frequently ready to buy.

How to Optimize for Bing Success

1. Focus on Exact Match Keywords
   Unlike Google’s sophisticated semantic understanding, Bing still loves exact match keywords. If you’re targeting “best pizza delivery Sacramento,” make sure that exact phrase appears in your:

   Title tag
   H1 heading
   First paragraph
   URL slug

   Example: Instead of a creative title like “Delicious Deep Dish Delivered to Your Door,” go with “Best Pizza Delivery Sacramento – Hot & Fresh in 30 Minutes.”

2. Embrace Social Signals
   This is huge – Bing actually considers social media engagement as a ranking factor! The more shares, likes, and comments your content gets on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn, the better it tends to perform on Bing.
   Pro Tip: Network locally, both online and in person – if you want to improve your Sacramento SEO, you need some Sacramento signals.

   Make sure to:

   • Add social sharing buttons to every blog post
   • Share your content on your business social accounts
   • Encourage employee advocacy programs
   • Engage actively with comments and shares
3. Optimize for Bing Places

   Bing Places for Business is often overlooked, but it’s incredibly powerful for local SEO. The platform tends to be less saturated than Google My Business, meaning you can often rank higher with less effort.
   Pro tip: Bing Places integrates directly with Yelp, so maintaining an active Yelp presence helps your Bing local rankings too.

4. Create Rich, Detailed Content

   Bing rewards comprehensive, in-depth content even more than Google does. While Google might rank a 800-word article, Bing typically favors longer, more detailed pieces (2,000+ words).
   Focus on:

   • Answering every possible related question
   • Including plenty of relevant keywords naturally
   • Using clear headings and subheadings
   • Adding helpful images with descriptive alt text
5. Don’t Ignore Technical SEO Basics
   Bing is pickier about technical issues than Google. Small problems that Google might overlook can significantly hurt your Bing rankings:
   • Site speed – Bing heavily penalizes slow-loading sites
   • Mobile optimization – Essential for Bing rankings
   • Clean URLs – Avoid complex parameters and unnecessary characters
   • XML sitemaps – Submit to Bing Webmaster Tools religiously

   The Bing Webmaster Tools Advantage

   Speaking of Bing Webmaster Tools – if you’re not using it, you’re missing out on some incredible insights that Google Search Console doesn’t provide:

   • Keyword research tool – Shows exact search volumes for Bing
   • SEO reports – Identifies specific optimization opportunities
   • Crawl information – More detailed than Google’s version
   • Backlink analysis – Comprehensive link profile insights

   The best part? It’s completely free and takes five minutes to set up.

   Real Results You Can Expect

   When you start taking Bing SEO seriously, here’s what typically happens:

   Month 1-2: You’ll see gradual increases in impressions and clicks from Bing network searches.
   Month 3-4: Traffic from Yahoo and DuckDuckGo starts picking up as your Bing authority grows.
   Month 6+: You’re likely looking at hundreds or thousands of additional monthly visitors from the entire Bing network.

   The timeline is often faster than Google SEO because there’s simply less competition. I’ve seen businesses double their search traffic by adding Bing optimization to their existing Google SEO efforts.

   Your Bing SEO Action Plan

   Ready to tap into this underutilized traffic source? Here’s your step-by-step gameplan:

   ✅ Set up Bing Webmaster Tools and submit your sitemap
   ✅ Audit your current content for exact match keyword opportunities
   ✅ Optimize your top 10 pages with Bing-friendly title tags and headers
   ✅ Claim and optimize your Bing Places listing
   ✅ Develop a social sharing strategy to boost social signals
   ✅ Create comprehensive, keyword-rich content targeting Bing users
   ✅ Monitor and adjust using Bing Webmaster Tools insights

   Stop Leaving Traffic on the Table

   The biggest mistake I see businesses make is putting all their SEO eggs in the Google basket. While Google is important, ignoring Bing is like leaving money on the table – especially when that money could be thousands of new visitors and customers every month.

   Bing SEO isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore – it’s a competitive advantage that smart marketers are leveraging to dominate their industries while their competitors sleep.

   Ready to unlock the power of Bing SEO for your business? Get on the Map specializes in comprehensive search optimization strategies that don’t just focus on Google – we help you dominate across ALL search engines. Our proven Bing SEO strategies have helped businesses increase their search traffic by 200-500% within six months.

   Don’t wait until your competitors discover this opportunity. Contact Get on the Map today and let’s get your business ranking on Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, and AOL. Because when it comes to search traffic, Bing really is the thing your business has been missing.

   Get on the Map
   916-600-1033
   juliegallaher -at- gmail.com