Most small businesses focus all their energy on Google Business Profile and forget about Bing. That’s a mistake. Bing powers roughly 12 billion searches every month and serves as the default search engine for millions of Windows users and Microsoft Edge browsers. When potential customers search for businesses like yours on Bing, you want to show up with complete, accurate information.
Bing Places for Business gives you a free way to control how your business appears in Bing search results and Bing Maps. You can add photos, update your hours, respond to reviews, and make sure customers find the right phone number and address. The platform works similarly to Google Business Profile, so if you’re familiar with that system, you’ll feel right at home here.
This guide walks you through everything you need to know about Bing Places for Business. You’ll learn how to sign in or create your account, claim or add your business listing, verify your information, and optimize your profile to attract more customers. We’ll also cover the maintenance tasks that keep your listing accurate and effective over time.
Why Bing Places for Business matters
Real visibility with less competition
Bing captures about 12 billion searches per month globally, which translates to meaningful traffic for local businesses. While Google dominates the search market, Bing’s 12% market share in the United States represents millions of potential customers actively looking for businesses like yours. The platform reaches a unique audience through Windows computers, Microsoft Edge browsers, and devices where Bing serves as the default search engine.
Your business faces significantly less competition on Bing Places for Business compared to Google Business Profile. Many small businesses ignore Bing entirely, which means your optimized listing stands out more easily. You can rank higher for local searches without fighting through the crowded field of competitors who focus only on Google.
Setting up your Bing listing takes less than 30 minutes, yet many businesses skip this step and miss out on qualified leads.
Integration with Microsoft’s ecosystem
Bing Places connects your business to Microsoft’s entire network of services, including Windows search, Cortana voice assistant, and Microsoft Office applications. When users search within these products, your business information appears directly from your Bing Places listing. This integration extends your reach beyond traditional search engine results.
ChatGPT now pulls business information from Bing Places for local searches, according to recent updates in AI search functionality. Users asking ChatGPT for restaurant recommendations, service providers, or local stores receive results based on Bing’s business data. Your presence on Bing Places for Business positions you to appear in these AI-powered search results, which represent the future of how customers find local businesses.
Zero cost with immediate benefits
You pay nothing to create and maintain your Bing Places listing. The platform provides free tools to manage your business information, add photos, track customer engagement, and monitor how people find you. Microsoft continues investing in Bing’s local search features, adding new capabilities that help businesses attract customers without spending money on advertising.
Step 1. Sign in or create your account
You need a Microsoft account to access Bing Places for Business and manage your business listing. This account serves as your login credential for the platform and connects to other Microsoft services you might already use. If you have an email address ending in @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, or @live.com, you already have a Microsoft account ready to use.
Using an existing Microsoft account
Navigate to bingplaces.com and click the Sign In button at the top right corner of the page. You can log in with any Microsoft account, including personal accounts or business accounts connected to Office 365. Enter your email address and password when prompted, then click through the authentication steps. The system may ask you to verify your identity through two-factor authentication if you have that security feature enabled.
Use a business email account instead of a personal one to keep your business listings separate from personal Microsoft services.
Creating a new account
Click Create Account on the sign-in page if you don’t have an existing Microsoft account. Enter a valid email address that you can access regularly, create a strong password, and provide your first and last name. Microsoft will send a verification code to your email address that you need to enter to complete the setup process. Choose an email address you’ll remember and check frequently, since Microsoft sends important notifications about your business listing to this account.
After you create your account, you can immediately proceed to add or claim your business listing in bing places for business. Keep your login credentials in a secure password manager so you can access your account whenever you need to update information or respond to customer interactions.
Step 2. Claim or add your business listing
Once you’re logged in, Bing Places for Business gives you two main options: claim an existing listing that Bing already created from public data sources, or add a completely new listing if your business doesn’t appear in their system yet. The claiming process proves you own or manage the business, while adding a new listing builds your profile from scratch. Both paths lead to the same endpoint where you control how your business appears in Bing search results and maps.
Search for your existing listing
Click Get Started on the Bing Places dashboard after you sign in. The system prompts you to search for your business by entering either your business phone number or your business name and location. Type your information exactly as it appears on your storefront, website, or other public listings to get the most accurate results.
Bing displays a list of potential matches based on your search terms. Look through the results carefully to find your business. The listing might contain outdated information or incorrect details, which happens when Bing automatically gathers data from various online sources. If you spot your business in these results, click the Claim button next to your listing to start the verification process.
Bing creates many business listings automatically from public data, so you might already have a profile without knowing it.
Import from Google Business Profile
Select Import from Google on the setup screen if you already maintain an active Google Business Profile. This option saves time by copying your business name, address, phone number, hours, categories, and description directly into bing places for business. You still need to review the imported information for accuracy, but the bulk transfer eliminates manual data entry.
The import tool requires you to grant Bing temporary access to your Google Business Profile data through a secure connection. Follow the on-screen prompts to authorize the connection, then wait while the system transfers your information. This process typically completes in less than a minute.
Create a new listing manually
Click My business is not listed at the bottom of the search results if you can’t find an existing listing for your business. Bing opens a form where you enter your complete business details from scratch. Fill in your business name, full street address including suite or unit numbers, phone number, website URL, and business category. Add your operating hours for each day of the week, selecting specific opening and closing times or marking days as closed.
Step 3. Verify details and map location
Bing requires you to verify ownership of your business before your listing becomes active and visible in search results. This verification step prevents unauthorized people from claiming or editing business listings they don’t own. The process confirms you have legitimate control over the business you’re adding to bing places for business, which protects both your business information and customer trust.
Choose your verification method
Bing offers three verification options based on the contact information you provided during setup. Select the method that works best for your situation and allows you to receive the verification code quickly:
- Phone verification: Bing calls your business phone number and provides an automated verification code
- Email verification: Bing sends a verification code to the email address associated with your business
- Postcard verification: Bing mails a physical postcard with a verification code to your business address (takes 5-14 business days)
Click your preferred verification method and follow the prompts to receive your code. Enter the code exactly as provided to complete the verification process. Phone and email verification typically complete within minutes, while postcard verification requires you to wait for mail delivery.
Review your business information
Check every field in your listing for accuracy and completeness after verification. Confirm your business name matches exactly what appears on your storefront and signage. Verify your street address, suite number, city, state, and ZIP code contain no typos or formatting errors that could confuse customers or delivery services.
Adjust your map pin placement
Bing automatically places a map pin at your business address based on the street information you entered. This pin shows customers exactly where to find you on Bing Maps, but automated placement sometimes lands the pin in the wrong spot. Click Edit Location on your listing dashboard to open the interactive map interface.
Drag the red pin to the exact location of your main entrance or storefront. Zoom in close enough to distinguish individual buildings and parking lots for precise placement. Customers rely on this pin when they use GPS navigation to reach your business, so accuracy matters more than speed.
A misplaced map pin sends customers to the wrong location and damages trust in your business before they even arrive.
Step 4. Optimize and maintain your listing
Your verified listing needs regular optimization to attract customers and stay competitive in Bing search results. Optimization means filling every available field with accurate information, adding compelling visual content, and keeping details current as your business changes. A complete, well-maintained listing ranks higher in local searches and gives customers confidence in choosing your business over competitors.
Add photos and visual content
Upload high-quality photos that show customers what to expect when they visit your business. Click the Photos tab in your bing places for business dashboard and add images in these categories: storefront exterior, interior space, products or services, team members, and completed work examples. Each photo should be at least 720 pixels wide and saved in JPG or PNG format for best quality and compatibility.
Focus on photos that answer customer questions before they call or visit. Show your parking area so customers know where to park, display your menu or product selection to help them decide what to order, and include shots of your team to make your business feel approachable. Upload between 5 and 15 photos to give customers a complete picture without overwhelming them.
Businesses with photos receive 35% more clicks than listings without visual content.
Write a compelling business description
Your business description appears directly in search results and helps customers understand what makes you different. Write 150 to 300 words that highlight your specialties, years of experience, unique services, and the specific problems you solve for customers. Include your main keyword naturally, such as "family-owned Italian restaurant" or "24-hour emergency plumber," to improve relevance for local searches.
Avoid generic phrases like "quality service" or "customer-focused." Instead, mention specific details that matter to your customers: "serving authentic Neapolitan pizza since 1987" or "same-day appliance repair with a 90-day warranty." Your description should make someone want to choose you over the competitor listed right below you.
Update hours and special dates
Click Hours in your dashboard to set your regular weekly schedule and add special hours for holidays, events, or seasonal changes. Mark specific dates when you close for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or other holidays so customers don’t waste time trying to visit when you’re closed. Add temporary hours for special events like weekend sales or extended holiday shopping hours.
Check your hours monthly to catch any changes you made in your physical location but forgot to update online. Inconsistent hours between your listing and your actual operations frustrate customers and damage your reputation through negative reviews.
Monitor customer engagement
Bing Places pulls customer reviews from third-party platforms like Yelp, Facebook, and TripAdvisor rather than hosting reviews directly. Connect these accounts in your listing settings so reviews appear on your Bing profile automatically. Track your overall rating and review count through the Insights tab, which shows how customers find and interact with your listing.
Respond to reviews on their original platforms (Yelp, Facebook, etc.) since Bing displays those responses alongside the review. Thank customers for positive feedback within 48 hours and address negative reviews with specific solutions to show future customers you care about their experience.
Schedule regular maintenance
Set a monthly reminder to log into your Bing Places for Business account and verify all information remains accurate. Update your photos seasonally to reflect current inventory, holiday decorations, or new team members. Check that your business categories still match your primary services, especially if you’ve expanded your offerings or pivoted your business model.
Next steps
Your Bing Places for Business listing gives you a free way to reach customers who search on Bing, use Windows devices, or ask ChatGPT for local business recommendations. The setup process takes less than an hour, and monthly maintenance requires just a few minutes to keep your information accurate and current. Start by signing in today and claiming your listing before your competitors grab that visibility.
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