Bing Places for Business is the Microsoft equivalent of Google Business Profile. It controls how your business appears on Bing search results and Bing Maps, and because Microsoft's search data is used in other places too, a correct Bing listing reaches further than most owners assume.
It is also one of the easiest local SEO jobs you can tick off. If you already have a verified Google Business Profile, you can often import it and be done in half an hour.
Why bother with Bing?
Google is by far the dominant search engine in the UK, and we would not pretend otherwise. But Bing is the default search engine in Microsoft Edge and on many Windows PCs, including plenty of office and work machines. Bing's index also feeds Microsoft Copilot, and other search and AI products draw on Bing results or maps data to varying degrees.
More practically, if your details are wrong on Bing, some customers will see an old phone number or the wrong hours, and you will never know. Claiming the listing costs nothing and removes that risk.
- Customers using Edge, Windows search or Bing directly.
- Microsoft Copilot answers that draw on Bing search and maps.
- Consistency: one more authoritative source showing the same name, address and phone number as everywhere else.
Option 1: import from Google Business Profile
The quickest route. Bing Places offers an import from Google Business Profile that pulls across your name, address or service area, phone, hours, categories, photos and description.
- Go to bingplaces.com and sign in. You can use a Microsoft account, and Bing has also offered sign-in with other accounts; use one you will keep.
- Choose the option to import from Google Business Profile.
- Sign in to the Google account that manages your profile and grant access.
- Select the location or locations you want to import.
- Review every field before confirming. Bing's category list is not identical to Google's, and descriptions or hours may not come across perfectly.
- Imported listings from a verified Google profile are often verified automatically. If not, complete the verification method offered.
Option 2: add your business manually
- On bingplaces.com, search for your business by name and location to see whether a listing already exists. If it does, claim it rather than creating a duplicate.
- If not, choose to add a new business and enter your name exactly as it appears on your signage and website.
- Enter your address. If customers do not visit you, look for the option to hide the address and show a service area instead.
- Choose your categories, starting with the most specific one that describes the business.
- Add phone number, website, opening hours, a description and photos.
- Verify using the method offered: phone, email or postcard to the address.
What to fill in, and how
| Field | What to enter | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Business name | Your real trading name, nothing added | Adding the town or a keyword |
| Address or service area | The address customers visit, or a hidden address with service area | Showing a home address as a shop |
| Phone | The number customers call, same as your website | An old mobile or a tracking number that changes |
| Website | Your home page or the relevant location page | A Facebook page or a directory link |
| Categories | Most specific first, then a few genuine extras | Picking every loosely related category |
| Hours | Regular hours plus bank holiday changes | Leaving placeholder hours from the import |
| Photos | Your own photos of work, premises, team | Stock images |
Keeping Bing up to date: sync, locations and Webmaster Tools
The biggest risk with a second listing is that it drifts out of date. You change your hours on Google for Christmas and forget Bing. You move premises and update Google but Bing still shows the old address.
Keep a simple list of every place your business details live: Google, Bing, Apple Maps, your website, social profiles and the main directories. When anything changes, work down the list the same day. Where Bing offers ongoing sync from Google, it can reduce the effort, but check the result rather than assuming it has worked.
Bing Places supports multiple locations under one account, and the Google import can bring across several at once. Check each location individually after import, especially categories, hours and the website link, which should go to that location's own page on your site rather than the home page.
Bing Places controls your map listing; Bing Webmaster Tools is Bing's version of Google Search Console for your website. It is free, and it can import your site and sitemap from Google Search Console in a couple of clicks. Once set up, it shows which searches your site appears for on Bing, flags crawling problems, and lets you submit pages for indexing.
Doing both takes under an hour and means Microsoft's search has an accurate picture of your business and your website.
Writing a description and choosing photos
Your description on Bing does the same job as on Google: it tells a customer, in a few sentences, what you do, where and for whom. Write it for a person skimming on a phone, not for a search engine.
A good structure is three sentences. What the business is and where it is based. The main services or specialities, in plain words. One thing that sets you apart, such as years trading, a qualification, a guarantee you genuinely offer, or the areas you cover. For example: 'Family-run dental practice in Newton Abbot, taking NHS and private patients. General dentistry, hygienist appointments and Invisalign. Step-free access and evening appointments on Thursdays.'
Avoid keyword lists, capital letters, links and phone numbers in the description. Bing, like Google, is looking for an accurate summary, and customers trust plain descriptions more than stuffed ones.
- A clear shot of the outside of your premises, so people recognise it when they arrive.
- The inside: reception, dining room, treatment room, showroom or workshop.
- Your work: finished jobs, dishes, haircuts, products, with permission where people are shown.
- Your team, if you are comfortable with it. Faces build trust quickly.
- Your logo, sized cleanly, for places where Bing shows a small image.
Common problems
- Duplicate listings: search thoroughly before adding a new one, and claim or report duplicates.
- Verification postcards not arriving: check the address format matches Royal Mail's, including the postcode, and request again.
- Changes not appearing: edits can take time to show publicly. Avoid making repeated changes while waiting.
- Wrong category after import: Bing's category names differ from Google's, so pick the closest match manually.
Bing is a half-hour job that pays back quietly for years. While you are at it, claim your Apple Maps listing too, since iPhone users see Apple Maps by default. We set up Google, Bing and Apple listings for clients as part of our local SEO pack, which is £49/month, but every step above is something you can do yourself this afternoon.