Bing Webmaster Tools: Why Bing Still Matters in the SEO World

When we talk about search engines, Google is usually the first—and sometimes the only—platform that comes to mind. With over 90% of the global market share, Google is undoubtedly the dominant force. But what if focusing solely on Google means leaving traffic—and opportunity—on the table?

Enter Bing Webmaster Tools, a powerful and often overlooked platform that still holds significant value in the SEO landscape. In this article, we’ll explore why Bing remains relevant, how its tools can help boost your site’s performance, and how diversifying your SEO efforts can lead to measurable gains.

Why Bing Deserves Your Attention

Despite being overshadowed by Google, Bing is still responsible for billions of searches every month. It's the default search engine for Microsoft products like Edge and Windows, and it powers Yahoo Search as well. That means users of desktop systems, enterprise environments, and older demographics may be more likely to use Bing than you think.

Here's why Bing should be part of your SEO strategy:

• Microsoft ecosystem dominance (Windows OS, Edge browser)

• Default search engine in many enterprise and school settings

• Integration with voice assistants like Cortana and Alexa

• Less competition, which can mean easier wins for certain keywords
  
  

For many niches, especially those targeting business users or a broader age demographic, Bing can deliver highly qualified traffic at a lower optimization cost.

What is Bing Webmaster Tools?

Bing Webmaster Tools (BWT) is Microsoft’s counterpart to Google Search Console. It offers webmasters a comprehensive suite of features to monitor, analyze, and optimize how their websites appear in Bing search results.

Much like its Google sibling, BWT gives you access to:

• Search performance data

• Indexing status

• Crawl statistics

• SEO and keyword insights

• Backlink analysis

• Security and malware alerts
  
  

All of this comes at no cost, with a clean interface and actionable data.

Key Features of Bing Webmaster Tools

1. Search Performance Reports

Get real-time data on impressions, clicks, and click-through rates. You can filter results by page, keyword, country, or device type to analyze performance at a granular level.

2. Backlink Insights

One of BWT’s standout features is its detailed backlink analysis. Unlike many free tools that limit link data, BWT shows comprehensive backlink profiles, anchor texts, and referring domains.

3. SEO Analyzer and Site Scan

The SEO Analyzer scans your site and provides practical suggestions to fix issues like missing alt text, broken links, and improper heading structure. The Site Scan feature performs deeper crawls to detect technical SEO flaws.

4. URL Inspection Tool

Submit URLs for indexing and check if they have been crawled. The tool provides indexation status, last crawl date, and crawl errors, helping you troubleshoot indexing issues quickly.

5. Keyword Research Tool

Get insight into trending keywords and search volumes specifically within the Bing ecosystem. This is particularly useful for targeting audiences that differ from Google’s user base.

6. Mobile Friendliness and Malware Detection

Identify mobile usability issues and security threats like injected scripts or phishing attempts that could affect your rankings and user trust.

Real-World Use Case: Leveraging Bing for a Traffic Boost

Let’s consider a scenario: a news-oriented website noticed stagnating traffic growth despite ongoing content updates and regular SEO audits. While most of their effort had gone into optimizing for Google, they decided to explore other avenues.

They turned to Bing Webmaster Tools and discovered that while their content was being indexed, it wasn't ranking for many top queries in the Bing ecosystem. Using the performance data and keyword research tools in BWT, the editorial team identified high-traffic, low-competition search queries trending on Bing.

What they did:

• Optimized headlines and meta tags based on Bing-specific keyword suggestions

• Fixed crawl issues and improved site structure for faster indexation

• Added Schema Markup to enhance appearance in Bing’s rich results
  
  

The result?

A 30% increase in traffic from Bing within just two months—simply by addressing an untapped opportunity using free tools.

How Bing Ranks Sites (and How It's Different from Google)

Although both Bing and Google share many ranking factors (like backlinks, content relevance, and mobile friendliness), there are some key differences:

• Meta Keywords: Bing still gives minor consideration to the meta keywords tag, whereas Google ignores it entirely.

• Exact Match Domains (EMDs): Bing seems to favor EMDs more than Google does.

• Social Signals: Bing acknowledges that social engagement (shares, likes, etc.) can influence rankings.

• Multimedia Content: Bing tends to favor pages with high-quality images, videos, and Flash-based elements more visibly in results.
  
  

Understanding these nuances allows SEO professionals to tweak their strategies specifically for Bing.

Benefits of Using Bing Webmaster Tools

• Broaden your SEO strategy beyond Google

• Discover untapped keyword opportunities

• Access in-depth backlink reports for free

• Improve site health with real-time scanning

• Track search performance for Microsoft-powered traffic sources
  
  

Additionally, the insights from Bing Webmaster Tools can help you uncover weaknesses in your website that might also affect performance on other search engines.

Getting Started with Bing Webmaster Tools

It’s easy to set up and start using Bing Webmaster Tools:

1. Visit www.bing.com/webmasters

2. Sign in with a Microsoft, Google, or Facebook account.

3. Add your website URL and choose a verification method (meta tag, XML file, or CNAME record).

4. Submit your sitemap.

5. Start tracking and optimizing.
   
   

If you're already using Google Search Console, Bing makes it even easier by allowing you to import settings and data directly.

Final Thoughts

Bing Webmaster Tools may not have the spotlight, but it offers tremendous value. By incorporating it into your SEO routine, you're opening your site to a broader audience, diversifying your traffic sources, and gaining a competitive edge—especially in niches where competition on Google is fierce.

Ignoring Bing in your SEO strategy is like fishing in only one half of the lake. With zero cost, deep insights, and actionable recommendations, there’s no reason not to take full advantage of this powerful platform.

The search landscape is bigger than you think. Bing is still part of that picture—and it could very well be your next big growth channel.