Local SEO on Bing: How to Get Your Business Noticed

Bing may not be as dominant as Google, but it still holds a significant share of the search market, especially among desktop users. If you’re a business owner, optimizing for local SEO on Bing can help you attract more local customers, improve visibility, and drive more foot traffic to your store or website.

This guide provides a detailed, step-by-step approach to optimizing your business for local search on Bing, covering everything from Bing Places for Business to managing reviews and improving local rankings.

Step 1: Claim and Optimize Your Bing Places for Business Listing

1.1 What is Bing Places for Business?

Bing Places for Business is Bing’s version of Google Business Profile. It allows you to create and manage your business listing so that potential customers can find your business, contact details, and location when they search for services in your area.

1.2 How to Claim Your Business on Bing Places

If you haven’t claimed your business yet, follow these steps:

1. Go to Bing Places for Business (https://www.bingplaces.com/).
2. Click on “New User” if you’re registering for the first time.
3. Select “Claim Your Business” and enter your business name.
4. If your business is already listed, you can claim ownership; if not, you’ll need to add it manually.
5. Provide accurate business details, including name, address, phone number (NAP), website, and hours of operation.
6. Verify your business through a phone call, text message, email, or a physical mail verification process.

📌 Pro Tip: If you already have a Google Business Profile, Bing offers an import option, allowing you to quickly transfer all details instead of manually entering them.

Step 2: Optimize Your Bing Business Listing for Maximum Visibility

2.1 Ensure Your Business Information is Accurate and Consistent

Bing uses NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone number) as a key ranking factor in local searches.

• Your business name should be exactly as it appears on your storefront, website, and other directories.
• Address format must be consistent across all platforms (avoid abbreviations in one place and full spelling in another).
• Use a local phone number instead of a toll-free or call center number.

2.2 Select the Right Business Categories

Bing allows you to choose one primary category and multiple secondary categories for your business.

• The primary category should reflect your core business type (e.g., “Italian Restaurant” instead of just “Restaurant”).
• Secondary categories help capture related search traffic (e.g., “Pizza Delivery,” “Catering Service”).

2.3 Write an SEO-Optimized Business Description

Your business description should be clear, concise, and optimized for local keywords.

✅ Good Example:
“Mama’s Italian Kitchen is a family-owned restaurant in Brooklyn, serving authentic Italian cuisine with fresh ingredients. Our menu features handmade pasta, wood-fired pizza, and signature seafood dishes. Located in the heart of Brooklyn, we offer dine-in, takeout, and catering services. Visit us today or order online!”

📌 Best Practices:
✔ Include city and neighborhood names to boost local relevance.
✔ Use keywords naturally without stuffing them.
✔ Keep it under 750 characters to ensure full visibility.

Step 3: Enhance Your Local SEO with Customer Reviews

3.1 Why Reviews Matter for Bing SEO

Bing prioritizes businesses with positive reviews because customer feedback signals trust and authority. The more high-quality, positive reviews you have, the better your chances of ranking in local search results.

3.2 How to Get More Customer Reviews

Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews by:

✔ Asking in person: After completing a transaction, invite happy customers to leave a review on Bing Places.
✔ Sending a follow-up email: Include a direct link to your Bing Places listing.
✔ Using signage: Place a “Review Us on Bing” sign in your store or restaurant.
✔ Offering incentives: Provide small discounts or loyalty points for customers who leave feedback (but avoid fake reviews—Bing can detect them).

📌 Important: Always respond to reviews, whether they are positive or negative. Bing values active engagement with customers.

✅ Good Review Response Example:
“Thank you for your kind words, Sarah! We’re thrilled you enjoyed our handmade pasta. We look forward to serving you again soon!”

🚫 Bad Response Example:
“Thanks.” (Too short and unengaging)

Step 4: Optimize Your Website for Bing’s Local Search Algorithm

4.1 Use Local Keywords in Key Areas

Bing relies more on exact-match keywords than Google, so make sure your website includes geo-specific terms.

✔ Page Titles: “Best Coffee Shop in Austin – Brew & Beans Café”
✔ Meta Descriptions: “Looking for fresh, organic coffee in Austin? Brew & Beans Café serves locally sourced coffee and pastries. Visit us today!”
✔ Headers (H1, H2): “Why Brew & Beans Café is the Best Coffee Spot in Austin”
✔ Content: Write blog posts about local events, collaborations, or neighborhood guides to increase relevance.

4.2 Ensure Your Website is Mobile-Friendly

Over 60% of Bing searches come from mobile devices, so your site must load quickly and display properly on small screens.

• Use a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes.
• Test mobile-friendliness using Bing’s Mobile Friendliness Test.
• Compress images and enable lazy loading to improve speed.

4.3 Add Location Pages (For Multi-Location Businesses)

If you have multiple locations, create dedicated landing pages for each, including:

✔ Unique business descriptions for each location.
✔ Address, phone number, and hours of operation.
✔ Google Maps & Bing Maps embeds for easy navigation.

Step 5: Build Local Citations and Backlinks for Authority

5.1 Get Listed on Local Directories

Bing considers citations (mentions of your business on other websites) as a ranking factor. Ensure your business is listed on:

• Yelp
• Foursquare
• TripAdvisor (if relevant)
• Chamber of Commerce websites
• Local news websites

📌 Tip: The more consistent your NAP information across directories, the better your Bing ranking.

5.2 Earn Local Backlinks

Bing values high-quality backlinks, especially from local websites.

✔ Partner with local bloggers for guest posts.
✔ Sponsor local events and get mentioned on their websites.
✔ Join business associations (they often have directories linking to members).

Step 6: Monitor and Improve Your Bing Local SEO Performance

6.1 Track Performance with Bing Webmaster Tools

Bing offers Webmaster Tools to monitor traffic, keyword performance, and indexing issues.

• Identify which keywords drive local traffic to your site.
• Fix crawl errors that may be hurting your visibility.

6.2 Adjust Strategies Based on Analytics

• If certain keywords aren’t ranking, tweak your website content.
• If reviews are low, increase engagement strategies.
• If traffic is dropping, check for algorithm updates or competitors outperforming you.

Conclusion: Mastering Local SEO on Bing

Bing is often overlooked, but it holds a powerful opportunity for businesses targeting local customers. By claiming your Bing Places listing, optimizing your website, gathering reviews, and leveraging local backlinks, you can significantly boost your rankings and attract more business.

📌 Start optimizing your Bing Local SEO today and gain an edge over competitors! 🚀