Hey there, WordPress user! Is your site showing up in Bing searches? If not, you could be missing out on valuable traffic. While Google dominates the search market, Bing still holds a significant share, especially on desktop.
Consider these recent Bing statistics:
- Bing processes over 1 billion searches per month worldwide
- Bing accounts for 36.7% of the US desktop search market (Source: Statista)
- 93% of Bing‘s US users are over 25, and 50% have a household income over $75k (Source: Catalyst Blog)
So how can you tap into this audience and make sure your WordPress site is optimized for Bing? The answer is Bing Webmaster Tools – a free platform that helps you monitor and improve your site‘s presence in Bing search results.
In this guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly how to add your WordPress site to Bing Webmaster Tools and leverage its key features to boost your Bing SEO. Let‘s get started!
What is Bing Webmaster Tools?
Bing Webmaster Tools is a free service provided by Microsoft that allows website owners to submit their sites to the Bing search engine and access a variety of tools and reports to optimize their visibility and performance.
It‘s similar to Google Search Console, but specific to Bing. With it, you can:
- Submit your sitemap to ensure Bing can find and index all your important pages
- Monitor your site‘s search performance, including clicks, impressions, and keyword rankings
- Identify and fix technical issues like crawl errors and mobile usability problems
- Analyze your backlinks and internal linking structure
- Receive alerts about potential security issues, such as malware or spam
Basically, it‘s your command center for controlling how your WordPress site shows up in Bing search.
Why Use Bing Webmaster Tools for WordPress SEO?
Now, you might be thinking, "I already use Google Search Console and rank well on Google. Do I really need to bother with Bing?"
The answer is yes! Here‘s why:
Bing powers search on many platforms: In addition to Bing.com, Bing also powers searches on Yahoo, AOL, DuckDuckGo, and Siri. So optimizing for Bing extends your reach across multiple search engines.
Bing has a unique audience: While there is overlap, Bing‘s user demographics differ from Google‘s. For example, Bing users tend to skew older and more affluent. If your WordPress site targets these groups, Bing traffic could be especially valuable.
Bing SEO is less competitive: Because most sites focus on Google, there‘s less competition for rankings on Bing. With a little Bing optimization, you could see your WordPress site rise to the top more quickly.
Bing has special features: Bing offers some unique SERP features that Google doesn‘t, like the "Page Preview" hover view. Optimizing for these can help your site stand out and earn more clicks.
So while Google may be #1, Bing is still a crucial part of a comprehensive WordPress SEO strategy. And the best way to optimize for Bing is through Bing Webmaster Tools.
How to Add Your WordPress Site to Bing Webmaster Tools
Ready to get started with Bing Webmaster Tools? Follow these steps:
Step 1: Sign up for Bing Webmaster Tools
First, go to Bing Webmaster Tools and click the "Sign in" button in the upper right corner.
Bing Webmaster Tools shares Microsoft‘s login system, so you can sign in with a Microsoft, Google, or Facebook account. If you don‘t have any of those, click "Create one" to set up a free Microsoft account.
Step 2: Add your WordPress site
Once you‘re signed in, you‘ll see the Bing Webmaster Tools dashboard. Click the "Add a site" button in the main menu.
Enter the full URL of your WordPress site‘s homepage, including https:// and www if applicable. Bing sees each variation as a separate site, so use the version that matches your main site URL.
Step 3: Verify site ownership
After entering your URL, Bing will prompt you to verify that you own the site. This is an important security step that proves you have the authority to make changes to the site in Bing Webmaster Tools.
Bing offers three verification methods:
| Method | Description | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| XML file | Upload a special XML file provided by Bing to your site‘s root directory | Medium |
| Meta tag | Add a unique meta tag provided by Bing to your site‘s <head> section | Easy |
| CNAME record | Create a CNAME record with a value specified by Bing in your domain‘s DNS settings | Hard |
For most WordPress users, I recommend the meta tag method. It‘s quick, easy, and doesn‘t require server access.
Here‘s how to do it:
- In the verification window, select the "Meta tag" option
- Copy the full meta tag code that Bing displays
- Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard
- Install and activate the free Insert Headers and Footers plugin
- Go to Settings > Insert Headers and Footers
- Paste the Bing verification code into the "Scripts in Header" box
- Click "Save"
- Back in Bing Webmaster Tools, click "Verify"
Alternatively, if you use an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO or All in One SEO, you can paste the code into the Webmaster Tools verification section of the plugin settings.
Screenshot of adding the Bing verification meta tag in Yoast SEO
After you click "Verify", Bing will check for the meta tag on your WordPress site. If found, you‘ll see a success message. You‘re all set! Your WordPress site is now connected to Bing Webmaster Tools.
Using Bing Webmaster Tools to Improve Your WordPress SEO
Okay, your WordPress site is added and verified. Now the real fun begins! Let‘s dive into some of the key Bing Webmaster Tools features you can use to gauge and improve your site‘s Bing SEO:
Submit Your Sitemap
An XML sitemap is a special file that lists all the important pages on your site you want Bing to crawl and index. You can find your WordPress sitemap URL in your SEO plugin‘s settings. It typically looks like yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml or yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml.
In Bing Webmaster Tools, go to "Sitemaps" under "Configure My Site" and enter your sitemap URL. Click "Submit" to send it to Bing for crawling.
I recommend re-submitting your sitemap whenever you publish a new blog post or make significant changes to your site structure. Bing will process your sitemap and begin indexing the included pages.
Screenshot of sitemap submission in Bing Webmaster Tools
Track Your Search Performance
Want to know how much traffic your WordPress site gets from Bing? The "Search Performance" report under "Reports & Data" shows you metrics like:
- Clicks: How many times Bing searchers clicked through to your site
- Impressions: How many times your site appeared in Bing search results
- CTR: The percentage of impressions that resulted in a click
- Average Position: The average position of your site in Bing search results for different queries
You can view these metrics over custom time periods and segment them by page, query, country, and device type. Use this report to track how your Bing presence and traffic evolves over time.
On my own WordPress sites, I‘ve found that Bing typically accounts for 10-20% of my total organic search traffic. How does that compare to your sites? Keep an eye on these numbers to identify opportunities to capture more Bing clicks.
Screenshot of the Search Performance report in Bing Webmaster Tools
Monitor and Fix Crawl Errors
In an ideal world, Bing‘s crawler (Bingbot) could smoothly follow links to discover and index all the content on your WordPress site. But sometimes things can go wrong and cause crawl errors that prevent your pages from being indexed.
Common crawl errors include:
- 404 errors from broken internal links or deleted pages
- 500 errors from server timeouts or other issues
- Blocked URLs from robots.txt rules
- Pages timing out or taking too long for Bingbot to load
The "Crawl Information" report under "Reports & Data" shows any crawl errors Bing encountered on your site. Use this to identify and fix technical SEO issues that could be hindering your performance.
For example, if you see 404 errors, update any broken internal links and consider setting up 301 redirects from deleted pages to relevant live pages. If you see 500 errors, work with your WordPress host to troubleshoot server problems.
The goal is to minimize crawl errors as much as possible so Bing can fully index your content.
Analyze Your Backlinks
Backlinks (links from other sites to your site) are one of the strongest ranking factors in Bing‘s search algorithm. Generally, the more high-quality, relevant sites that link to you, the better you‘ll perform.
The "Backlinks" report under "Reports & Data" shows a list of external domains linking to your site. Use it to:
- See who‘s linking to you and assess the quality and relevance of the linking sites
- Identify any spammy or low-quality links you may want to disavow
- Find linking opportunities by reaching out to sites that have mentioned you without linking
You can also use a tool like Ahrefs or Majestic to get a more detailed look at your backlink profile.
On the "Inbound Links" report, you can check your site‘s internal linking structure. Make sure your high-priority pages have contextual internal links pointing to them with optimized anchor text.
Screenshot of the Backlinks report in Bing Webmaster Tools
Get Alerts for Site Issues
Under "Settings", you can configure Bing Webmaster Tools to send you email alerts when it detects certain issues on your site, like:
- Crawl errors
- Sudden drops in clicks or impressions
- An increase in pages infected with malware
- An increase in pages marked as spam
I recommend setting up alerts so you can take rapid action if Bing notices anything wrong with your WordPress site. The sooner you can resolve issues, the less impact they‘ll have on your Bing search performance.
Bonus Tips for Bing SEO with WordPress
In addition to using Bing Webmaster Tools, here are a few more tips to optimize your WordPress site for Bing:
Use Bing-friendly WordPress SEO plugins: Plugins like All in One SEO, Yoast SEO, and Rank Math make it easy to optimize your content and technical SEO for both Google and Bing. They help you set custom title tags and meta descriptions, generate sitemaps, and more.
Focus on your content: Bing‘s ranking algorithm places a strong emphasis on content relevance, quality, and freshness. Make sure your WordPress site publishes in-depth, well-written content that comprehensively covers your key topics. Update older posts with new information to keep them current.
Build quality backlinks: In addition to on-page optimization, building high-quality backlinks from relevant websites is crucial for Bing SEO. Use the WordPress research to find sites that are likely to link to your content, and promote your posts to attract editorial links.
Optimize for Bing‘s SERP features: Bing offers several unique SERP features like "Page Previews" and "Explore Further". Optimize your WordPress content to earn these features for extra visibility. For example, include high-quality images that could be displayed in page previews.
Follow Bing‘s guidelines and best practices: Bing provides a set of Webmaster Guidelines that outline its recommended best practices for SEO. Follow these closely on your WordPress site to avoid any issues. You can also check Bing‘s Webmaster Blog for the latest news and tips.
Wrap Up
Adding your WordPress site to Bing Webmaster Tools unlocks a powerful set of features to help you optimize for Bing SEO – and it only takes a few minutes to set up.
Whether you verify with a meta tag, XML file, or DNS record, the important thing is getting your site connected so you can start monitoring its performance and identifying areas for improvement.
Use Bing Webmaster Tools to:
- Submit your sitemap to speed up indexing
- Track your organic search traffic and rankings
- Monitor crawl errors and other technical SEO issues
- Analyze your backlinks and internal linking
- Get alerts for major problems like malware infections
When you combine these insights with WordPress SEO best practices like publishing great content, building quality links, and staying up-to-date with Bing‘s latest guidance, you‘ll be well on your way to dominating Bing‘s search results.
Your WordPress site may get most of its traffic from Google, but optimizing for Bing is still a critical part of a holistic SEO strategy. Every click counts, and you never know when that one Bing visitor could turn into a loyal reader, lead, or customer.
Additional Resources
- Bing Webmaster Guidelines
- Bing Webmaster Blog
- Bing Webmaster Tools Help & How-To
- How to Optimize Your Website for Bing
- 18 Ways to Optimize for Bing
Now it‘s your turn – go add your WordPress site to Bing Webmaster Tools and start optimizing! And if you have any questions along the way, feel free to leave a comment below. I‘m here to help you boost your Bing search visibility.
