When most small business owners think of search engines, Google usually takes center stage. And while Google dominates the market, neglecting Bing could mean leaving opportunities—and revenue—on the table. That’s where Bing Webmaster Tools comes in.
If you’ve invested in a professional website (like the ones we offer in our Web Design Pricing), submitting your site to Bing Webmaster Tools should be part of your SEO strategy. Think of it as unlocking a second gateway to free, organic traffic.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through why Bing Webmaster Tools is essential, how to set it up, and the benefits it brings to small business owners.
Key benefits of Bing Webmaster Tools:
- Extended reach: Gain access to an audience that Google doesn’t dominate.
- Insights into search performance: See how your website performs specifically on Bing Search.
- Indexing control: Submit your sitemap to ensure Bing crawls and indexes your content correctly.
- SEO tools and suggestions: Bing provides keyword research and on-page SEO diagnostics to improve your site further.
Why Bing Webmaster Tools Matters
Google’s dominance in the search market—holding 89.03% of the North American market as of October 2024—is undeniable. However, with ongoing monopoly lawsuits and increasing search volatility, businesses are left questioning how much they should depend on a single platform for visibility.
Relying solely on Google means putting all your eggs in one basket—a risky strategy in an ever-changing digital landscape. Bing, on the other hand, offers a valuable alternative.
With 6.74% of the market, plus control over Yahoo’s 2.18% and DuckDuckGo’s 1.65%, Bing influences over 10% of all North American searches.
Image Source: Search Engine Market Share in North America
For small businesses, that’s a sizable audience you don’t want to ignore—especially when diversifying traffic sources can help protect your visibility in the long run.
How to Set Up Bing Webmaster Tools
Setting up Bing Webmaster Tools is very easy. If you already use Google Search Console, you’ll find the process familiar. Here’s how to do it:
1. Create a Free Bing Webmaster Tools Account
Visit Bing Webmaster Tools and sign up for an account. If you have a Microsoft account (e.g., for Outlook), you can use it to log in.
2. Add Your Website
Once logged in, add your website by entering its URL. Bing offers the ability to import your site directly from Google Search Console, saving you time if you’ve already verified your site with Google.
3. Verify Ownership
You’ll need to prove that you own the website. Bing provides three verification methods:
- Add a Meta Tag: Paste the provided meta tag into the
<head>section of your website. - XML File Upload: Upload the provided XML file to your site’s root directory.
- DNS Verification: Add a custom TXT record to your domain’s DNS settings.
If you’re not comfortable handling this step, your web designer (or an web guy like me) can help! Get in touch for details on full-service website support.
4. Submit Your Sitemap
In the Bing Webmaster Tools dashboard, navigate to the “Sitemaps” section and add your sitemap URL (e.g., https://yoursite.com/sitemap.xml). This ensures Bing knows how to crawl and index your website efficiently.
Screenshot of my client‘s Bing Search performance (literally, all we did was submit their sitemap then left the rest to Bing. It’s seriously that simple to start driving new revenue opportunities to your business… assuming, you have an SEO-friendly web design!)
Real Results: Bing in Action for Small Business Websites
The benefits of Bing Webmaster Tools go beyond theory. Let’s look at two real-life examples where small business websites leveraged Bing to gain leads and drive revenue.
Case Study #1: Local Roofing Company
A commercial roofing company in Ontario hired me to build their website. While the initial launch showed promise, we struggled to gain traction in Google Search.
After reviewing their domain, it became clear that their original .com domain and brand name—using the word “Enterprises”—didn’t clearly convey they were a roofing company.
To address this, I pitched the idea of rebranding the domain to a .ca extension and including the term Roofing in the name. This change would make it crystal clear to both search engines and potential clients what the business offered, while also targeting local prospects more effectively.
The revamped site went live in February 2024, and by March 2024, traffic from Bing began to trickle in. Between May 2024 and October 2024, Bing brought 32 visitors, resulting in two event completions (form submissions).
Screenshot from Fathom Analytics (the best cookieless analytics on the interenet!)
One of these submissions turned into a roofing project worth over $20,000. This example highlights a critical lesson: small ideas can lead to big wins.
Don’t miss out on opportunities like this. Go submit your website to Bing Webmaster Tools right now; because sometimes, a few minutes of effort can yield a profitable ROI.
Case Study #2: Nutrition My Food – A Dietitian’s Blogging Journey
When Nutrition My Food, a blog by a dietitian from Illinois, first launched, it was a passion project. Over the past year, she consistently blogged while completing her studies to become a fully licensed dietitian. However, her website wasn’t something she was 100% proud of—it lacked polish and wasn’t optimized for SEO growth.
In October 2024, I rebuilt her website, giving it a fresh, professional design that aligned with her new goals. With the redesign, we also implemented SEO fine-tuning and strategic suggestions to position her site for greater visibility and traffic growth.
The results? Over the past 30 days, her site has seen 91 clicks, 5.5K impressions, and an average click-through rate of 1.65% on Bing.
But the redesign was about more than just numbers. It gave her the confidence to use her website as a tool to grow her new practice and experiment with monetization strategies, such as:
- Ads
- Affiliate offers
- Promoting her nutrition counseling services
Now, her approach is smart and focused: creating multiple streams of income while growing her client base. With her new site, she’s building a business that offers not just professional fulfillment but also the potential for more freedom in life.
I know, I know—using this image again is so freaking cringe. But, since it took me 13 minutes in Photoshop, I’m squeezing every second of ROI out of it. And who knows, maybe Bing will make me their new corporate mascot!
Final Thoughts: Don’t Miss Out on Bing’s Potential
Bing’s “Search Console” may not get the same attention as Google, but for small businesses, it’s an opportunity too good to ignore. Whether it’s driving local leads for high-ticket services or building a foundation for monetization, Bing can deliver real results—if you take the time to set it up.
Think about it: submitting your site to Bing takes only a few minutes, yet the potential ROI could be massive. Whether you’re running a small business, starting your own practice, or building a blog, Bing is one more way to secure your online visibility and create new opportunities.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you need help submitting your website to Bing Webmaster Tools, optimizing your SEO, or redesigning your website to align with your goals, I’m here to help. I specialize in building professional websites that drive traffic, generate leads, and convert visitors into customers.
Check out my Web Design Pricing or take a look at my Case Studies to see the kind of results I can deliver.
Still unsure where to start? Let’s chat about your website strategy. Whether it’s a quick tune-up or a full redesign, I’d love to help you unlock your site’s potential. Contact me here and let’s get started!
