Bing might not grab the headlines like Google, but it still handles billions of searches each month.
And with Microsoft continuing to expand its ecosystem, from Windows 11 to AI-powered search, Bing has become a quiet powerhouse that too many marketers overlook.
As of early 2023, Bing surpassed 100 million daily active search users, and it holds between 9% and 12% of global search share.
That’s not a niche, it’s a massive segment of searchers that you’re missing if your strategy revolves around Google alone.
And in a Search Everywhere Optimization framework, ignoring Bing means leaving real visibility on the table.
This guide breaks down what makes Bing unique, what ranking factors still matter in 2025, and how to refine your SEO playbook so your content shows up wherever your audience is searching.
TL;DR
- Bing isn’t dead—it’s different. With 9–12% of global search share and deep integration into Microsoft’s ecosystem (Windows, Edge, Cortana), Bing is still a high-volume search engine—especially among older, affluent users.
- Ranking factors differ from Google. Bing gives more weight to exact-match keywords, total backlinks (especially from .edu and .gov), and meta tags. It also rewards structured data and social media signals.
- Social media matters. Unlike Google, Bing considers likes, shares, and engagement as ranking signals—so active distribution helps boost visibility.
- Technical SEO still counts. Bing is more “literal” than Google—titles, meta descriptions, site structure, and clean HTML are essential. JavaScript-heavy content can be missed.
- Less competition, higher reward. Most marketers overlook Bing, which means there’s a visibility gap waiting to be claimed—especially as part of a “Search Everywhere” strategy.
Why Bing SEO Still Matters
Bing SEO still matters because the platform powers far more searches than most people realize.
In the United States, Microsoft’s search network handles roughly 28% of all queries. Globally, Bing serves about 9.4% of searches.
These aren’t small numbers. They represent millions of users who are searching daily, and most SEOs aren’t competing for their attention.
In fact, Bing has its own user base that’s different from Google’s.
Around 60 million searchers rely on Bing exclusively and don’t use Google at all.
Many of these users fall into demographics marketers often prioritize: college-educated professionals between the ages of 35 and 54 with household incomes above $75,000.
This group tends to have strong intent and high purchasing power, making Bing an attractive platform for traffic that converts.
Bing also benefits from deep integration into Microsoft’s ecosystem.
It’s the default search engine on Windows PCs and the Microsoft Edge browser. It powers the Start menu, Cortana searches, and even voice assistants like Amazon Alexa.
Because of this, Bing is present on millions of devices by default, and many users end up using it without even realizing it. This level of built-in visibility means that Bing has a consistent and loyal audience.
And that’s where your SEO efforts come in.
Optimizing for Bing gives you a competitive edge because fewer brands actively target the platform.
This translates to lower competition, more organic visibility, and often higher click-through rates.
Bing also tends to show fewer ads at the top of search results, which means organic listings get more space and attention.
Key Differences Between Bing and Google SEO
Understanding how Bing SEO differs from Google is key if you want to rank on both platforms. While their goals are similar, delivering relevant, high-quality results, the way they evaluate and rank content isn’t identical.
How Bing Weighs Backlinks and Domain Authority
Does Bing use backlinks like Google?
Yes, Bing uses backlinks as a core ranking signal, but not the same way they do on Google.
While Google puts more emphasis on link quality and contextual relevance, Bing puts notable weight on the total number of links pointing to a web page.
That means volume can matter more, especially when combined with age and authority.
Bing also tends to favor older, more established domains.
A site that’s been online for years and has earned a steady backlink profile often gets a boost in Bing’s eyes. If your domain is brand new, it may take longer to build trust.
Another Bing-specific factor: domain extensions like .edu and .gov carry serious weight. If you can earn backlinks from educational or government sites, Bing is more likely to trust your content.
That said, spammy links still hurt your Bing rankings.
Content, Keywords, and Technical SEO Differences
Bing’s algorithm still rewards many of the classic on-page SEO techniques that Google has started to move away from.
Let’s break it down.
First, keywords matter more literally on Bing. While Google focuses on user intent and semantic context, Bing still gives extra weight to exact-match keywords, especially when they appear in your title tag, H1, and first paragraph.
That means if you want to rank for “best budget travel tips,” you should include that exact phrase in your title and on-page copy.
Meta tags still matter on Bing. Unlike Google, which often rewrites your meta descriptions, Bing is more likely to use your meta exactly as written. It also still recognizes the meta keywords tag, though it carries minimal weight.
On the technical side, Bing’s crawler isn’t quite as sophisticated as Google’s. It still leans toward a desktop-first indexing model, although it does consider mobile performance.
Your site should be fully responsive, and your content should be accessible without relying on JavaScript for critical rendering.
If you’re running a single-page app or a JS-heavy site, make sure key content is exposed via HTML or server-side rendering. Bing is improving, but it can still miss content that isn’t clearly visible in the source.
Finally, site speed and structure matter. Bing has confirmed that slow-loading pages can get demoted in rankings. Your site hierarchy also needs to be clean and crawlable.
The Role of Social Signals in Bing Rankings
One of the biggest differences between Bing and Google? Social media signals matter on Bing.
While Google has said for years that likes, shares, and followers don’t influence search rankings, Bing has been clear: social engagement is a factor when ranking web pages.
Suppose your content gets a lot of traction on platforms like Facebook, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, Pinterest, Bing notices this.
A page that’s shared, liked, or retweeted can gain an edge in Bing’s search results. This works because Bing treats strong social signals as a vote of confidence.
If lots of real people are talking about your content, Bing assumes it’s useful, relevant, and trustworthy.
Core Bing Ranking Factors in 2025
Google and Bing both reward relevant, high-quality content, but how they evaluate that content differs.
If you want to rank on Bing in 2025, you need to understand which signals matter most.
Bing’s ranking algorithm prioritizes four main areas: content quality, on-page optimization, technical performance, and user experience.
While they may look familiar to anyone optimizing for Google, Bing evaluates them with its own twist.
Content quality is at the center. Bing prefers pages that are well-written, trustworthy and focused on a single topic. It looks for content that satisfies user intent and avoids fluff.
On-page signals like keyword usage, meta tags, title tags, and headers still play a significant role. Bing values clear keyword alignment more than Google and leans on explicit relevance indicators.
Technical performance also plays a crucial role. Bing leans desktop-first and struggles more with JavaScript-heavy sites, so clean code and minimal reliance on dynamic scripts can help.
And while mobile optimization is table stakes for Google, it’s becoming just as critical for Bing, especially as mobile usage continues to rise.
HTTPS is another non-negotiable. A secure, encrypted site isn’t just best practice, it’s now a trust signal both engines expect to see.
Structured data also matters. While Bing doesn’t rely on schema markup as heavily as Google does for rich results, it still uses that information to better understand page content.
User satisfaction signals, such as click-through rate, dwell time, and bounce rate, are important ranking factors.
Bing monitors how users interact with your content to judge whether it answered their query.
Together, these elements form the foundation of how Bing ranks content in 2025.
Submitting and Monitoring Your Site on Bing
Getting results from Bing SEO starts with making sure Bing knows your content exists, and that it can crawl and index it effectively. This is where Bing Webmaster Tools becomes crucial.
Bing makes it easy to onboard, if your site is verified in Google Search Console, you can import everything in one click.
The first step is verification. Bing allows several options, including uploading a verification XML file, adding a HTML meta tag to your homepage, or confirming via DNS.
Once your site is verified, head to the Sitemaps section and submit your XML sitemap. This helps Bing discover and crawl all your pages faster.
After submission, Bing may take up to 48 hours to process your site.
In short, Bing Webmaster Tools is your control center. Use it to submit and monitor sitemaps, review crawl activity, troubleshoot SEO issues, and refine your Bing strategy.
The more you check in, the more you can fine-tune what’s working, and fix what’s not.
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How to Optimize Your Website for Bing SEO
Bing SEO optimization isn’t wildly different from optimizing for Google, but to win, you need to focus on the details Bing cares about most.
These are the kinds of tweaks that can make the difference between page two and a top-three result.
Applying On-Page SEO Best Practices for Bing
When optimizing for Bing, your on-page content needs to be clear, keyword-aligned, and well-structured. While Google’s algorithm often interprets context, Bing prefers a more literal approach, so clarity wins.
Start with a targeted title tag and H1 header that include your main keyword exactly. If your page is about “best office chair reviews,” use that full phrase at the beginning of your title tag and once in the H1.
Repeat the keyword naturally a few more times throughout the content, especially in the opening paragraph. Bing responds well to exact match keywords used in meaningful ways.
Your meta description also matters more on Bing than it does on Google. Bing still uses it to help determine ranking relevance, so write a compelling summary that includes your target keyword.
Page structure is another key element. Use subheadings (H2s and H3s) to break content into logical sections. Keep your paragraphs short and digestible.
Bing rewards straightforward layouts that make content easier to crawl and understand.
Don’t forget about internal linking. Use keyword-rich anchor text to link from related pages to the one you want to rank. This tells Bing that the page is important and helps it understand the relationships between your content.
Multimedia can give your page an edge. Bing favors pages that include rich media like images and videos, especially when they are relevant and well-labeled. If you embed visuals, add descriptive alt text to every image.
Include keywords where appropriate, but don’t overdo it. For example, an image of a product might use alt text like “Ergonomic mesh office chair for comfort”, which gives Bing helpful context and improves your chance of ranking in Bing Image Search.
The goal is to make your page easy for both users and search engines to understand. Use a clean structure, specific keywords, and multimedia to signal what the content is about. Bing isn’t guessing, it’s looking for pages that spell things out clearly.
Using Structured Data and Schema
Structured data is one of the most direct ways to help Bing understand your content, and rank it more effectively.
Unlike Google, which treats schema as a helpful hint, Bing actively relies on structured data to parse your pages and decide what qualifies for rich snippets in search results.
That means implementing schema markup isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s essential if you want to appear in Bing’s enhanced listings.
Use JSON-LD or microdata formats, and tag relevant sections of your page with Schema.org vocabulary.
If you have an FAQ section, wrap it in FAQPage schema. If you’re selling products, use the Product and Offer schema to highlight key details like price, availability, and ratings.
Structured data doesn’t just improve indexing, it can also earn your content rich results in Bing’s SERPs. This includes visible features like review stars, quick-answer FAQs, or enhanced breadcrumbs.
Bing explicitly supports markup for common entities like products, events, recipes, articles, and videos. If your page includes this content, markup gives Bing the context it needs to surface it properly.
To make sure your schema is working correctly, use Bing’s markup validator or Google’s Rich Results Test to check for errors.
A broken implementation won’t help, and in some cases, it might be ignored entirely. You want clean, valid code that clearly matches the visible content on your page.
Beyond SEO, good schema helps clarify your content for other platforms too. It makes your site easier to parse by AI models, chatbots, and screen readers.
Leveraging Social Media for Visibility
Bing is one of the few search engines that treats social media engagement as a ranking factor. If your content is being shared, liked, or talked about on platforms like Facebook, Twitter (X), or LinkedIn, Bing sees that activity as a vote of confidence.
This makes your social presence directly relevant to your Bing SEO strategy.
To take advantage, start by ensuring that your content is easy to share. Include social sharing buttons on key pages, and post your new content consistently across your brand’s social accounts.
But don’t stop there, engage with your audience. Likes and retweets matter, but comments and shares from real users, especially from high-authority profiles, carry more weight.
It’s not just social sharing that matters. Bing watches on-site behavior too.
If social traffic lands on your blog and users stay to read, explore other pages, or convert, you’re feeding Bing important signals. That kind of traffic doesn’t just improve bounce rate, it boosts dwell time and depth of engagement, both of which can improve rankings.
Bing vs Google SEO: Should You Optimize for Both?
A common question in SEO strategy is whether you need separate approaches for Bing and Google.
The truth is, most optimizations overlap, and if you’re already following best practices for Google, you’re well on your way to succeeding on Bing.
Both search engines prioritize relevance, authority, and user experience. Strong content, credible backlinks, and a fast, mobile-friendly site will help you rank on both platforms.
So if you’ve nailed your fundamentals, keyword targeting, clean structure, technical SEO, you’ve already covered the core.
That said, Bing has a few quirks that make it worth a second look.
For example, it places more weight on exact-match keywords in the URL, domain name, and meta description.
While Google tends to ignore the meta description as a ranking factor, Bing uses it to assess relevance.
It also explicitly values social signals like shares and engagement, which Google claims not to count in the same way.
To fully optimize for Bing, tweak your approach slightly. Be more deliberate about including your target keywords in meta tags. Take your social promotion seriously, engagement can push your content higher in Bing’s results. These adjustments are small, but they stack up quickly, especially when competition is low.
From a business perspective, optimizing for Bing just makes sense. While it doesn’t dominate the search market, it still handles over 10% of desktop search traffic globally. That translates to millions of potential visits from users who are often older, more affluent, and more likely to convert.
And here’s the best part, you’re not starting from scratch. Your existing SEO work carries over. You’re not creating a new strategy. You’re extending reach. For a few extra optimizations, you capture an entirely new segment of searchers.
At SEO Sherpa, we call this Search Everywhere Optimization. It’s about showing up across every platform your audience uses, not just Google, but Bing, YouTube, Reddit, TikTok, Pinterest, and beyond.
If your audience is broad, your niche is active on Bing, or your traffic could benefit from even a small bump in reach, it’s worth the effort.
Tools To Help You Win at Bing SEO
Optimizing for Bing doesn’t require starting over with your tech stack.
In fact, most SEO tools already support Bing-specific tracking and analysis, you just need to use them intentionally.
First and foremost, Bing Webmaster Tools, itself is your best friend (as discussed).
This is Microsoft’s official SEO platform, and it gives you direct insight into how your site performs on Bing.
Source: Bing
From crawl stats and indexing data to keyword performance and backlinks, it’s your central dashboard for everything Bing-related.
To understand how Bing users interact with your site, use Microsoft Clarity.
This free analytics tool offers session recordings, click maps, and heatmaps. It helps you visualize user behavior and refine your UX for lower bounce rates and higher engagement, signals Bing pays attention to.
For keyword research, use Microsoft’s Keyword Planner, part of the Microsoft Advertising platform. It works similarly to Google Ads Keyword Planner, but it uses Bing search data.
This helps you find search terms that might not show up in Google tools, giving you a strategic edge.
You can also rely on general SEO platforms that support Bing. Tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, Moz, and SE Ranking let you choose Bing as a search engine when setting up rank tracking or keyword audits.
This allows you to monitor your Bing SEO progress separately from Google and identify gaps where your content can gain traction.
On the technical side, tools like Screaming Frog and Sitebulb help ensure that your site structure, crawlability, and indexing follow best practices. They simulate search engine crawls, catch broken links, and identify issues that might be holding you back in Bing’s index.
If you’re running WordPress, plugins like Yoast SEO and Rank Math handle sitemap generation, meta tag setup, and schema markup for both Bing and Google. These tools also make it easier to implement IndexNow, so Bing gets notified the moment your content changes.
And while Google Search Console isn’t built for Bing, it’s still helpful for identifying site-wide SEO issues that affect both engines. Tools like GTmetrix, PageSpeed Insights, and Microsoft’s Mobile Friendliness Test give actionable speed and usability data that improve your performance across all platforms.
Finally, if you have a physical location, Bing Places for Business is a must. This dashboard lets you manage your local listing, respond to reviews, and boost your visibility in Bing’s local pack.
Final Thoughts: Is Bing SEO Worth It in 2025?
In 2025, investing in Bing SEO is one of the easiest ways to gain extra visibility without reinventing your strategy.
Bing remains the second-largest search engine in several key markets like retail, healthcare, ecommerce, and finance, and it draws a unique audience that many brands overlook.
The good news is, you’re not starting from zero. Bing SEO builds on the same core practices as Google SEO.
If your site already follows SEO best practices, has clean architecture, is fast loading, and is mobile responsive, you’re most of the way there. What’s left is a light layer of Bing-specific tweaks.
So, take the time to align your content with Bing’s preferences. Monitor your progress with the right tools. And position your brand where people are actually searching.
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