Bing Places for Business
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Bing Places for Business: How to Get Started

Bing is the second largest search engine after Google, with a market share of almost 12.31%. It is owned by Microsft and comprises similar features and products you have come to expect from Google. One such product is Bing Places for Business. This guide will discuss what it is and why you should consider adding your business to Bing. 

Bing Places

Bing Places for Business – A Short History

In April 2013, Bing announced that they were renaming their local business listing product to simplify the user experience for businesses. It was changed to “Bing Places for Business,” and users were allowed to claim their physical location listing on Bing.com/places. The new product made it easier to claim, enhance and promote businesses on the search engine. Since then, Bing has been rolling out this feature worldwide, simplifying everything for businesses. 

How Does It Work?

Well, your Bing listing can appear in two primary places. First is the Search Results, and the second is Bing Maps. To update your business listing on Bing, you need to have the following information: 

  • Business NAP
  • Business Address
  • Phone Number 
  • Website
  • A Primary Category
  • Business Hours

Once you have put together everything in Bing Webmaster Tools, it takes anywhere from 3 to 5 working days for Bing to update your listing. However, if you have a verified Google Business Profile, you can instantly verify your listing on Bing Places for Business. 

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In that sense, it works pretty much like Google Business Profile. It displays your business info on its “Knowledge” or Local Panel. In case the search query is a broad term, your business profile can also appear on top of the organic search results. 

However, if your business has no physical location, you cannot create a BPB listing for your business. 

Ranking on Bing

Unlike Google, Bing prioritizes exact keyword matches on the title tags, meta descriptions, and web content before ranking them. That means your business listing will depend on the veracity of information across other internet citations, social media, and websites. 

For instance, if you have a pizza business, you must ensure that all your online listings display the same information. These include websites, social media pages, Google Business Profile, TripAdvisor, etc. It will signal Bing that all the information is up to date and true. 

Main Features, Notable Limitations

While it looks exactly like GBP to a cursory eye, several notable differences exist. For instance, it aggregates user review data not from a single source but from multiple sources. It automatically combines them all into a single place. No need to ask people to write you a review. Its biggest benefit is that users don’t have to search for trusted reviews from other sources. 

However, the biggest limitation of Bing Places for Business is that businesses don’t have many features to customize. You cannot post updates about your business or promote events and new offerings. Despite these limitations, verifying your Bing listing comes with several benefits.

Add Business to Bing Places

Key Benefits

2nd Most Popular Search Engine after Google

As previously mentioned, Bing is the second most widely used search engine. It’s particularly popular in the US, UK, and Europe. Therefore, if you plan to expand to these regions, Bing offers the best visibility after Google. 

Bing Maps… is Everywhere!

According to the latest Bing Maps Usage stats, 26,605 websites use this service. From navigation software to real estate and business marketing, several companies use Bing maps for accurate mapping. What’s more, you get much better visibility if your physical location is near any of these businesses. 

Bing Has A Different Target Audience

If your target audience is less tech-savvy, they will have to settle on whatever browser comes with their windows machine. For most users, it’s not Google Chrome or Opera. Because Microsoft owns Bing, it’s the default search engine for all Microsoft Edge Browsers. So, they may just be happy to browse on Bing instead. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why some SEO professionals prefer Bing’s image and video search over Google. 

Compliments Google’s SERPs too

You read that right. Bing Places for Business works like a charm with Google too. Sure they are competitors. Owning a listing on Bing also improves your ranking on Google. This is because Google considers all the listings of your business it can find. As Bing is the second largest search engine in the world, having a listing there helps you rank higher on SERPs. 

Google Business Profile vs. Bing Places for Business

Let’s compare the two search engines to see each one’s advantages and limitations. 

Google Business Profile

Undoubtedly, Google Business Profile is more effective than Bing Business Profile. It has a much bigger market share than Bing. GBP drives more traffic to your business (online and offline), offers better features to improve visibility, and gives you better control over your profile. 

Bing Places for Business

Despite a small market share, BPB provides enough visibility to your business. Small internet traffic is still “internet traffic, after all. While it has limited features, you can still get moderate visibility on its search engine and maps with your business information. Most importantly, bing places reviews are much more accurate and trustworthy, whereas Google reviews can be easily manipulated. 

You Actually Need Them Both

If you’re already working on your own GBP, that’s fine and dandy. However, BPB can help you broaden your reach. Wondering how? When you have a business listing on Bing, it complements your overall online listings. As Google considers your overall business listings, BPB listing helps improves your ranking on the Google search queries. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a Google My Business for Bing?

Yes, Bing Places for Business app is equivalent to Google My Business. It’s Microsoft’s free business directory, which also appears in the local search results. If you have a listing on Bing, you can expose your business to over 1 billion monthly users. 

How do businesses use Bing Places?

Getting started with BPB is a piece of cake. Simply create your Microsoft account, go to bingplaces.com and sign in. You can then add your business listing or claim an already existing one. You can also add a Category & Description to your listing. The final step is verification, which can take 3 to 5 working days, but it takes a blink of an eye if you already have a GBP profile. 

Where does Bing pull business info from?

Bing pulls business information from Bing Places for Business, which draws this data from various sources like Bing Maps, Bing voice devices, Bing Search results, etc. 

How do I search for a business on Bing?

To find a business on Bing, simply enter any of the business details such as: 

  • Business phone number
  • Business name
  • Business Location

Bing Places for Business free?

Yes, Bing Places for Business is an absolutely free-of-cost service.

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