Bing SEO Checklist
A complete checklist to help you set up Bing Webmaster Tools, boost organic rankings, and capture traffic beyond Google.
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Setup & Verification
Verify & Configure in Bing Webmaster Tools
Add your site to Bing Webmaster Tools, verify ownership, and configure settings like crawl control and the robots.txt tester.
Submit & Maintain XML Sitemap
Ensure your sitemap is complete and submit it to Bing Webmaster Tools. Update whenever you add, remove, or change pages.
Use Site Explorer to See How Bing Views Your Site
In Bing Webmaster Tools, open Site Explorer to view your site’s full crawl structure, indexed pages, and excluded URLs. It helps you spot crawl gaps or orphaned content.
Monitor Crawl Errors & Indexation Issues
Use Bing Webmaster Tools to track crawl errors, blocked pages, or indexing issues and fix them promptly.
Leverage Site Explorer Metrics to Prioritize Fixes
Review Site Explorer’s crawl stats and impressions to identify low-visibility or unindexed sections. Fix those first to improve crawl efficiency and organic visibility.
Control Bingbot with Crawl Control (Not Crawl-Delay)
Instead of setting crawl-delay in robots.txt, use Bing’s Crawl Control tool to fine-tune crawl rate by time of day. This avoids server strain while keeping indexing active.
Use Temporary URL Blocking for Removals
If you remove or hide content, use Bing’s “Block URLs” feature to temporarily remove them from search results. This protects your rankings from thin or outdated pages.
Technical SEO Foundation
Ensure Clean, Crawlable HTML & Avoid Heavy JS for Core Content
Bing is less reliable at rendering JavaScript-heavy pages. Make sure important content is in accessible HTML.
Improve Page Speed & Technical Performance
Optimize for fast load times (compress assets, cache, reduce render-blocking CSS/JS). Performance is a ranking factor for Bing.
Use Clean URL Structures
Make your URLs simple, descriptive, and keyword-light. Avoid long parameter strings.
Avoid Duplicate Content & Use Canonical Tags
Consolidate similar pages or versions, and use canonical links so Bing knows which version to index.
Use IndexNow Protocol (if supported)
Use IndexNow to notify Bing (and other engines) of content changes promptly, reducing lag in crawling.
Use the Content Submission API When Needed
Instead of waiting for Bingbot, send URLs and updated content directly using Bing’s Content Submission API. It ensures faster indexing of fresh or dynamic pages.
Add an RSS or Atom Feed for Latest Updates
Provide a valid RSS or Atom feed so Bing can discover your newest content more easily. This is especially helpful for blogs, news sites, and frequent updates.
On-Page SEO
Use Exact-Match Keywords in Title & Heading Tags
Bing tends to favor more literal keyword matching—place your primary keyword exactly in the title tag and H1 without obfuscation.
Place Keywords Early in Content
Put your main keyword within the first 100 words of your page’s body. Early placement helps Bing understand relevance.
Use Meta Keywords Tag (Cautiously)
Although many engines ignore it, Bing still gives modest weight to the <meta name="keywords"> tag, so include a few relevant keywords (sparingly).
Use Descriptive Metadata for Each Section or File
Give meaningful titles and metadata to PDFs, docs, and media you publish — Bing indexes attachments, and LLMs may surface them in context.
Refresh and Update Content Periodically
Bing often rewards sites with updated, fresh content. Revisit older posts, refresh data, or add new sections.
Structured Data & Schema
Use Schema.org Structured Data to Clarify Meaning
Add schema markup (e.g., Article, Product, FAQ, Organization) so Bing understands what your content represents and can enhance its display in results.
Validate Structured Data After Deployment
After adding schema, test it with Bing’s Markup Validator to confirm it’s error-free. Properly validated markup helps Bing trust and display your rich snippets.
Add Organization, Website, and Author Schema
Use structured data (Organization, Website, Person, Author) so Bing and LLMs can verify content creators and brands — improving credibility and inclusion in AI snippets.
Off-Page SEO & Backlinks
Prioritize Backlinks from Trusted, Authoritative Sites
Bing values strong, high-quality backlinks—especially from older, reputable domains (.edu, .org, .gov).
Use Strong Anchor Text in Backlinks
Use relevant anchor texts (but not over-optimized) in your inbound links to signal relevance to Bing.
Add Citations and Outbound Links to Trusted Sources
Bing and ChatGPT weigh content higher when it references verifiable sources. Cite industry leaders, journals, or official data where relevant.
Local SEO (If Applicable)
Leverage Local SEO via Bing Places
Register your business on Bing Places and ensure NAP consistency.
Content & Media Optimization
Use Rich Media & Visual Content
Images, videos, and multimedia help — Bing gives more weight to pages with media elements. Ensure alt tags and titles are optimized
Target Bing’s Visual and Video Index
Upload descriptive alt text, captions, and transcripts. Bing’s multimodal crawling favors content it can classify by text metadata — especially for AI assistants that blend formats.
Optimize for Bing’s AI-Generated Answers (SERP “Chat” and Snapshot)
Use short, well-formatted definitions, bullet points, and clear FAQs. Bing’s AI summaries pull from pages that present concise, factual sections.
Ensure High E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust)
Add author credentials, company background, and contact info. Bing’s AI systems emphasize transparent, human-authored content.
Favor Older / Established Domains
Bing often gives more trust to domains with longevity—age and domain history matter more on Bing than some other engines.
Engagement & Social Signals
Optimize for User Engagement & Dwell Time
Bing considers signals like click-through rate (CTR), bounce rate, and dwell time. Content that keeps users engaged performs better.
Engage on Social Media & Amplify Content
Bing gives more importance to social signals (shares, likes) than Google, so active social engagement helps your visibility.
Advanced Bing & AI Optimization
Leverage Bing Chat and Copilot Prompts to Audit Visibility
Test prompts like “best CRM for small business site:”yourdomain.com” or “who offers [your service]” in Bing Chat. Note what appears and optimize for those phrasing patterns.
Analytics, Monitoring & Iteration
Leverage Bing Chat and Copilot Prompts to Audit Visibility
Test prompts like “best CRM for small business site:”yourdomain.com” or “who offers [your service]” in Bing Chat. Note what appears and optimize for those phrasing patterns.