Bing SEO offers businesses a unique opportunity to increase their visibility and traffic by more than 10%. Bing has a global market share of 10.51% in the desktop search engine market. With around 100 million users searching on Bing daily, optimizing for this platform is crucial to reaching a wider audience.
While many may focus primarily on Google, understanding the nuances of Bing SEO can provide a competitive advantage. In this article, we will discuss about Bing SEO and how to optimize it!
Understanding Bing SEO & difference with Google
Bing is Microsoft’s search engine platform, launched in 2009 as a successor to MSN Search and Live Search. It’s notably the default search engine for Microsoft Edge browsers and powers many of Yahoo’s search results through a partnership agreement.
While they have their market share, several things differentiate between Bing and Google SEO regarding several factors, including.
Keywords:
- Bing heavily emphasizes exact-match keywords, focusing on direct relevance between search queries and web page content
- Google prioritizes understanding user intent, looking beyond keyword matches to deliver relevant results
Algorithm complexity:
- Bing’s algorithm is generally considered less complex than Google’s. This can make optimization easier and potentially make it easier to achieve higher rankings.
Content optimization:
- Bing favors authoritative/established content, focuses on on-page SEO elements, and rewards longer content.
- Meanwhile, Google emphasizes E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), matches user desires, and rewards new and updated content.
In addition to the above, key ranking factors differ from Google, which we will discuss in more detail afterward.
Key ranking factors in Bing search engine
If you want to optimize Bing SEO, you must know the key ranking factors that will affect the Bing search engine, including the following.
Content quality and relevance – Imagine looking for a fried rice recipe. You can find an article that provides complete information about the ingredients and how to make them. The same goes for Bing – they will display genuinely useful content relevant to users’ needs. So, ensure your content is high quality and relevant to your readers’ needs.
Updated and fresh content – A site needs quality and relevant content as well as fresh content. Bing likes websites that actively update their content, especially for fast-changing topics like news or technology. This shows that your website is still “alive” and cares about the latest information.
Local SEO and translations – Let’s say you own a restaurant in New York. Of course, you want people in the neighborhood who are looking for restaurants to be able to find your place. Bing pays close attention to local content and proper translations. The better you optimize your content for your local audience, the higher the chances of your website appearing in search results.
High-quality backlinks – Think of backlinks as recommendations from friends. The more trusted websites that “recommend” your website (by providing a link), the more Bing believes your content deserves to be displayed in the top search results.
Well-structured site code – make no mistake, websites have their structure, and the neater and more organized your website code is, the easier it is for Bing to “wander around” and understand your content. Make sure your website code is clean and well-organized.
HTTPS is not required as a Bing ranking factor – Unlike Google, which requires HTTPS for better ranking, Bing is more relaxed about this. While using HTTPS is still recommended for website security, the absence of HTTPS will not affect your website’s ranking on Bing.
The competitive edge of Bing optimization
You should know that Bing optimization provides several advantages for those who want to try optimizing the web there, including the following.
- Less competition: Most SEO has been focused on Google for decades, making competition on Bing much lower. This opens up a huge opportunity for websites that want to optimize specifically for Bing.
- Simpler guidelines: Bing Webmaster Guidelines are much shorter and easier to understand than Google. You can quickly learn the dos and don’ts of SEO on Bing.
- Responsive technical support: Unlike Google, Bing has a webmaster team that can be contacted directly if a website is experiencing problems. This makes the optimization and troubleshooting process easier.
- Advertising bonus: Bing provides $100 worth of free ad credits for new Webmaster Tools users. This can be an added value to your digital marketing strategy.
Optimizing your site for Bing SEO
For those looking to optimize their website on the Bing search engine, here are some essential optimization tips to get started.
#1 Conduct thorough keyword research
Keyword research forms an essential foundation for an effective Bing SEO strategy. This process helps us understand how the target audience searches for information and navigates the internet. Unlike Google, Bing interprets keywords more literally, making choosing keywords crucial.
Tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Bing’s Keyword Research Tool can help identify keywords with high-traffic website potential and lower competition. To maximize the ROI from SEO efforts, it’s important to pay attention to metrics such as search volume, keyword difficulty, and cost per click (CPC).
For a balanced strategy, focus on a mix of short-tail and long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords might have lower search volume but often have higher conversion rates because they are more specific to the user’s intent.
#2 Create high-quality content
Once you’ve identified the right keywords, focus on creating quality content. Good content should provide real value to readers, answer their questions comprehensively, and offer practical solutions to their problems. Bing highly values in-depth content supported by valid data or research.
When crafting content, consider these important aspects:
- Use short paragraphs
- Informative subheadings
- Supporting visuals to aid the reader’s understanding
- Regularly updated to keep the information relevant and accurate
- Use digestible formats like lists or tables for easier reading
- Include a CTA to encourage reader engagement
#3 Optimize On-Page SEO
On-page SEO optimization for Bing differs significantly from Google. Bing emphasizes exact keyword usage and strategic placement in page elements. Meta tags and descriptions should be written to reflect the page’s content accurately.
Additionally, a readable URL structure is a critical factor in Bing optimization. Use short, descriptive URLs that contain target keywords. Use schema markup to help search engines understand content context. Proper schema implementation can enhance visibility in Bing’s search results. Be sure to optimize internal linking with relevant anchor text, for example like below.
#4 Build Quality Backlinks
High-quality content often leads to website recommendations, making quality backlinks crucial. Bing values authoritative and relevant domain backlinks more than overall quantity. Focus on building relationships with reputable websites in the same niche. Here are some tips to build quality backlinks on Bing SEO:
- Create effective guest posts. Choose host websites with good metrics and a relevant audience. Guest post content should add real value for readers.
- Network with influencers and thought leaders in your industry for natural backlink opportunities.
- Regularly monitor your backlink profile
- Avoid black hat SEO techniques
#5 Implement multilingual SEO
Implementing multilingual SEO helps your multi-language website appear in Bing search results. Each language version should have content specifically optimized rather than just directly translated. This includes keyword research tailored for each target language.
Tools that support these features are essential to implement multilingual SEO and web translation easily. Linguise automatic translation, for example, supports not only automatic translation but also URL structure, hreflang tags, image and media translation, and URL slugs. It also includes a live editor for collaborative translation adjustments with translators.
#6 Optimize for image and voice search
Bing can perform searches through images and voice. However, optimizing for image and voice search on Bing requires a different approach than regular text search. For images, focus on using descriptive alt text and relevant file names. Bing also considers the context of images within surrounding content.
Content should be conversational and address common questions, like FAQs, that users may ask via voice search. Technical media optimization, including proper image compression and suitable formats, is also important. Ensure loading time remains optimal while maintaining good visual quality.
#7 Optimize technical setup
The technical setup for Bing SEO is foundational to ensuring the website can be indexed and ranked well. Proper technical configuration also helps Bing understand and crawl the website more efficiently while providing a safe and smooth user experience.
Technical optimization helps build Bing’s trust in your website. With correct implementation, the website is perceived as more credible and has a higher potential for better ranking in search results. Here are some key points:
- A well-structured XML sitemap helps Bing understand the website’s content hierarchy.
- Mobile optimization is important, considering the growing number of mobile users. The website should be responsive and provide a good experience across all devices.
- Security setup, such as SSL certificates and proper robots.txt configuration.
- Regular technical audits, including checking for broken links, auditing URL structure, and ensuring no duplicate content.
#8 Enhance website loading speed
Website loading speed has a direct impact on SEO and user experience. A slow website can increase bounce rates and lower rankings in search results. Thus, server and hosting optimization are needed to improve website speed. Some areas to optimize include:
- Image optimization
- Minification of CSS and JavaScript code
- Proper caching implementation can significantly enhance website performance.
- Use speed monitoring tools to identify bottlenecks and areas needing improvement.
- A Content Delivery Network (CDN) can help improve loading speed, especially for visitors from various geographic locations. Make sure to choose a reliable CDN that suits your website’s needs.
#9 Leverage social media marketing
In addition to optimizing the website, social signals have a more significant influence on Bing than on Google. Consistent social media activity and high engagement can help increase visibility in Bing search results.
Therefore, social media content should be integrated with overall SEO. This includes:
- Responding to user comments
- Running engaging campaigns like giveaways
- Collaborating with influencers
- Creating content that suits each platform’s characteristics
- Sharing website content on relevant social platforms
- Building an active community around the brand or expertise topic
- Monitoring engagement metrics
- Optimizing social media sharing elements
#10 Utilize Bing webmaster tools
Bing Webmaster Tools provides valuable insights into a website’s performance on the Bing search engine. This tool monitors traffic, tracks keyword rankings, and identifies technical issues that may affect SEO.
Features like crawl control and URL submission help index new content quickly. Regular monitoring through Webmaster Tools can help identify and resolve SEO issues before they have a significant impact.
Utilize the reporting features to analyze trends and identify opportunities for improvement. Data from Webmaster Tools can support more informed decisions in your SEO strategy.
Conclusion
Optimizing for Bing SEO presents a significant opportunity for businesses looking to expand their digital presence and increase website traffic. Key strategies for optimizing Bing SEO, such as exact-match keyword optimization, high-quality content creation, proper technical setup, and leveraging Bing Webmaster Tools, can help websites achieve better visibility in Bing search results.
Remember that Bing places significant emphasis on social signals, quality backlinks, and local SEO optimization, making it essential to develop a well-rounded strategy that incorporates these elements for achieving higher rankings and driving more targeted traffic through Microsoft’s search engine platform. To further expand your reach, consider using a create Linguise account and enjoy the feature to make your website multilingual and accessible to a global audience.
