Optimize your Bing Places listing
Optimize your Bing Places listing
1. Log in to Bingplaces.com to claim and verify your listing if you haven't done so already.
This protects your account from unauthorized access and gives you full editing rights to optimize your listing.
2. Complete all the basic Bing Places profile information, such as your business’ phone number and address.
This creates a full picture of your brand story and what your business has to offer. The more complete your profile, the higher your business will rank when someone searches Bing for your product or business category. Double-check that the time sensitive information that local searchers need most, such as your business hours or holiday closures, is up to date. If you operate in service areas and don’t have a physical location where you serve customers, use your business’s mailing address. Bing still requires an address for business verification.
3. Add secondary business categories to your Bing Places profile that your target audience might use to describe your business in their own words.
For example, if you’re a restaurant, you may have restaurant in your primary category, but you might want to pick cafe, takeout, and bistro as secondary categories. Refer to your competitive analysis or if you don’t have one, look up 5-10 of your local competitors on Bing Places, and check to see what secondary business categories they use, so you can compete with them in those areas. You can also refer to your buyer personas and identify how they would refer to you, as well as any marketing messages you put out there.
4. Add simple, specific keywords to your Bing Places business overview that your target audience would use when searching for your product.
This improves your rankings for both web search and Microsoft’s Cortana voice search. For example, a local gym might use the words bootcamp, fitness, 24-hour gym, workout classes and personal trainer in its Bing Places overview. Use a tool like Google’s Keyword Planner and Bing’s Keyword Research to find keywords related to your business. Then, use the keywords throughout your business overview, your list of services, and your image file names.
5. Correct your business location in Bing Places by clicking Edit > Move Map Pin, then drag the pin to your exact location and save your change.
Bing Places automatically bases your map location on your address, which is unhelpful for your audience if you’re located in a shopping mall, strip mall, or office complex.
6. Add images that increase conversion and give users helpful clues about your business, your location, and your products.
For example, include exterior photos to help customers locate your store, photos of specific products, such as a restaurant menu or list of spa services, and any social proof photos, such as images of awards you’ve won. Consider factors that are important to your customers, which you can identify through surveys of your target audience, industry reports and trends, feedback from recent customers, and your buyer journey. For example, restaurant owners may want to include images of the restaurant interior. This gives your target audience an idea of your restaurant’s layout, ambiance, and décor.
7. Add links to your website and social media platforms to give local searchers easy access to additional info and more social proof.
Consider using UTMs in your links so you can track referral traffic from Bing using your current website analytics platform. If your business receives user reviews on third-party platforms like TripAdvisor or Yelp, link to those specific review pages too.
8. Create an announcement by clicking Announcements > Create a New Announcement whenever you’re running a special promotion or doing an update that will appeal to your core audience.
Announcements get their own callout in your Bing Places listing and can boost audience engagement. For the best results: Ensure it’s a true announcement, and not mentioning an evergreen product price or a basic business status. Focus on timeliness and seasonality, such as a COVID-19 update for concerned customers, or a Christmas sale during the holiday season. Include a deadline to hype up time sensitivity and drive business traffic, such as a coupon expiration date.
9. Ask your customers to leave reviews on your Bing Places listing.
Highly reviewed businesses are featured higher in Bing results. For example, you could link to your Bing Places listing in order confirmation emails and offer a 10% discount on the customer’s next purchase if they leave you a review. Don’t manipulate reviews with false positive comments, but you can increase the likelihood of customers leaving authentic, positive reviews by: Asking loyal, long-term customers to leave you a review. Sharing screenshots of past positive customer reviews on social media, and ask your followers to leave a review. When someone comments something positive about your products, express gratitude and ask them to leave a quick review. Leveraging personal contacts by reaching out to those in your personal network who use your product and ask them to leave a review.