Image Optimization Techniques for Bing: Best Practices and Tips

Bing’s image search operates differently from Google’s, using unique ranking factors to determine which images appear at the top. Optimizing your images for Bing can drive more traffic to your site, improve your rankings in image search, and enhance your website’s overall SEO performance.

This detailed step-by-step guide covers everything you need to know about optimizing images for Bing, including alt text, compression, metadata, structured data, and best practices to ensure your images rank high in Bing’s search results.

Step 1: Choose the Right Image Format for Faster Loading

1.1 Understand Bing’s Preferred Image Formats

Bing supports multiple image file types, but choosing the right format can impact page speed and SEO performance.

• JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg) – Best for photos and general images, offering a balance between quality and file size.
• PNG (.png) – Ideal for images with transparency, but files tend to be larger.
• WebP (.webp) – Highly recommended for Bing; supports transparency and compression while keeping quality high.
• SVG (.svg) – Best for logos and simple graphics as it scales without losing quality.

💡 Pro Tip: Convert large PNG images to WebP or optimized JPEG to improve loading speed, as Bing considers page speed a ranking factor.

1.2 Compress Images Without Losing Quality

Large images slow down your website, negatively affecting both user experience and rankings. Bing prefers fast-loading pages, so compressing images is essential.

🔧 Best Tools for Compression:

• TinyPNG (for PNG and JPEG compression)
• Squoosh (for custom compression and WebP conversion)
• ShortPixel (automated image compression for WordPress users)

💡 Pro Tip: Keep image file sizes below 150 KB whenever possible to ensure quick loading.

Step 2: Optimize Image Names for SEO

2.1 Rename Image Files with Relevant Keywords

Bing considers image file names when ranking images in search. Instead of using generic file names like “IMG_1234.jpg”, use descriptive, keyword-rich file names.

🚫 Bad Example: IMG001.jpg
✅ Good Example: best-travel-backpack-for-women.jpg

💡 Pro Tip: Use hyphens (-) instead of underscores (_) or spaces to separate words in file names.

Step 3: Add Descriptive Alt Text for Better Indexing

3.1 What is Alt Text and Why is It Important for Bing?

Alt text (alternative text) describes the image content to search engines and visually impaired users. Bing relies heavily on alt text to understand and rank images in search results.

3.2 Best Practices for Writing Alt Text

• Be descriptive – Describe the image clearly and concisely.
• Include keywords naturally – Avoid keyword stuffing.
• Keep it under 125 characters – Short and to the point.

🚫 Bad Alt Text: "image of a backpack"
✅ Good Alt Text: "Black waterproof travel backpack with multiple compartments"

💡 Pro Tip: If an image is purely decorative, leave the alt text empty to avoid unnecessary indexing.

Step 4: Use Structured Data for Image SEO

4.1 Why Structured Data Matters for Bing

Bing relies on structured data (Schema markup) to understand the context of images better. Adding image-specific structured data helps Bing display your images in rich search results.

4.2 How to Add Image Schema Markup

Use JSON-LD format (recommended by Bing) to mark up your images.

📌 Example of Image Schema Markup:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "ImageObject",
  "contentUrl": "https://example.com/images/travel-backpack.jpg",
  "name": "Best Travel Backpack for Women",
  "description": "A lightweight, waterproof travel backpack designed for women.",
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Petty Eco Explorer"
  }
}

💡 Pro Tip: Test your structured data using Bing’s Markup Validator.

Step 5: Optimize Image Captions and Surrounding Text

5.1 Why Captions Matter for Bing SEO

Captions provide context to images, improving user engagement and SEO rankings.

🔹 Best Practices for Image Captions:

• Include relevant keywords naturally
• Keep them concise (one or two sentences)
• Make them engaging

🚫 Bad Caption: "A nice backpack"
✅ Good Caption: "This black travel backpack is lightweight and water-resistant, perfect for frequent travelers."

💡 Pro Tip: Ensure that text surrounding the image also includes relevant keywords to reinforce its meaning.

Step 6: Optimize Image Placement for SEO Benefits

6.1 Use High-Quality, Relevant Images Near Important Content

Bing prioritizes images that are relevant to the page content and placed near important text.

✅ Best Practices:

• Position images close to the relevant content
• Avoid using irrelevant stock images
• Use original, high-quality images for better rankings

💡 Pro Tip: If using stock images, edit or brand them to make them unique.

Step 7: Improve Mobile-Friendliness for Image Ranking

7.1 Ensure Images Load Properly on Mobile Devices

Bing prioritizes mobile-friendly websites, and images must be responsive.

✅ Best Practices:

• Use responsive image sizes (srcset attribute for different devices)
• Enable lazy loading to improve speed
• Use AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) for fast-loading pages

📌 Example of Lazy Loading (HTML):

<img src="backpack.jpg" loading="lazy" alt="Best travel backpack for women">

💡 Pro Tip: Test your website’s mobile compatibility using Bing Mobile-Friendly Test.

Step 8: Improve Image Discoverability with Bing Image Sitemaps

8.1 Submit an Image Sitemap to Bing

An image sitemap helps Bing find and index your images faster.

📌 Example of an Image Sitemap Entry:

<url>
  <loc>https://example.com/backpacks</loc>
  <image:image>
    <image:loc>https://example.com/images/travel-backpack.jpg</image:loc>
    <image:title>Best Travel Backpack for Women</image:title>
    <image:caption>A lightweight, waterproof travel backpack designed for women.</image:caption>
  </image:image>
</url>

✅ Steps to Submit Your Sitemap to Bing:

1. Generate an image sitemap (use tools like Screaming Frog or XML-Sitemaps).
2. Submit it in Bing Webmaster Tools under the Sitemaps section.
3. Monitor for indexing errors and coverage issues.

💡 Pro Tip: Update your image sitemap whenever you add new images to ensure Bing indexes them.

Final Thoughts: Mastering Image SEO for Bing

Optimizing images for Bing requires attention to detail, but following these best practices can significantly improve your rankings.

✅ Key Takeaways:
✔ Choose the right image format (WebP, JPEG, PNG)
✔ Compress images for faster loading speeds
✔ Use descriptive file names and alt text
✔ Implement structured data for better indexing
✔ Add engaging captions and place images near relevant text
✔ Ensure mobile-friendliness and enable lazy loading
✔ Submit an image sitemap to Bing Webmaster Tools

By implementing these strategies, your images will rank higher in Bing search, driving more organic traffic to your website. 🚀

📌 Start optimizing your images today and dominate Bing’s image search results! 🎯