Why Bing is Crucial for Your GEO Strategy

In the world of digital marketing, we talk a lot about Google and ChatGPT. And rightly so. But I still too often see another player, who is at least as important for your Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategy, being overlooked: Bing. By doing so, you are unknowingly missing a huge opportunity to be found by both Bing’s AI (Copilot) and ChatGPT.

Bing’s Indispensable Role in the AI Era

While we focus on the latest Google updates and ChatGPT’s quick answers, Microsoft has built a powerful system that forms the basis for many AI-driven searches. The AI integration in Bing (known as Copilot) is a direct example of this. These AI systems increasingly base their answers on current and reliable web data. And that’s where your website needs to come into play.

The big revelation for many marketers: For current information, ChatGPT sources a large part of its knowledge from Bing’s index. When someone asks ChatGPT to search for a recent topic (“Search with Bing”), ChatGPT uses the data that Bing has collected. If your website is not in the Bing index, the chance that ChatGPT will mention your brand as a source is very small. You are simply not findable for those specific AI search queries.

This means that your optimization for Bing is not only crucial for visibility within Bing itself but also directly impacts your visibility within ChatGPT. You are optimizing for two important AI platforms at once. This is the “AI backdoor” you absolutely want to use.

Concrete Steps for GEO Optimization via Bing

So, how do you ensure these AI systems see you as an authority and mention your brand in their answers? It all starts with Bing:

1. Sign up for Bing Webmaster Tools: This is your direct line to Bing and, by extension, to ChatGPT. Here you submit your sitemap and tell Bing exactly which pages you have. This is the basis for being crawled and indexed at all. Without this, the chance of AI visibility is minimal.
2. Utilize IndexNow: This is a protocol that allows you to directly notify Bing (and other search engines that support IndexNow) that you have updated or published new content. Instead of waiting days or even weeks for a crawl, your content can be available for AI answers within minutes! Speed is a big advantage here to be the first to claim authority on a topic.
3. Optimize your Structured Data (Schema Markup): As I often explain in my workshops, Structured Data helps AI systems understand the context of your content. Use specific schemas like Organization, Person, Product, Service, or FAQPage to clearly communicate your expertise. Bing Webmaster Tools offers extensive reports on this, so you can see exactly if the AI is interpreting your information correctly. This is essential for citations. If you have a WordPress website you can use Rank Math to implement schema into your website. In my other blog I explain about structured data.
4. Don’t forget Bing Places (for local visibility): If you have a local business, your Bing Places profile (similar to Google My Business) is crucial. AI systems extract data from here when users ask questions about services in their area.

Gain Your Advantage Now

By taking a targeted approach to Bing, you gain an advantage over competitors who are solely focused on Google. You ensure that you are found not only through Bing’s own AI answers but also through the billions of questions asked daily via ChatGPT. It’s an efficient strategy that gives you a dual advantage in the new era of Generative Engine Optimization.

Want to dive deeper into the practical application of GEO for your marketing strategy? My online course and in-company workshops will guide you through the steps to make your business AI-proof. Learn how to open the “AI backdoor” for Bing and ChatGPT, and how to optimize your content for the new search engines.

View the GEO course here: https://futuremarketingacademy.com/geo-course/.