ChatGPT Search Boosts Microsoft Bing as an SEO Priority

The search landscape has just experienced a significant shake-up, making it important to discuss an often-overlooked player in the search engine game: Microsoft Bing.

While Google has traditionally dominated the search market, Bing’s recent integration with ChatGPT Search has given it a fresh boost, making it more relevant than ever.

As ChatGPT Search leverages Bing’s index, neglecting this platform could mean missing out on a substantial opportunity in the evolving world of search.

Microsoft Bing’s index is a priority? Is this for real?

ChatGPT Search has recently brought significant attention to Bing’s index, prompting SEO managers to take a closer look at it in ways they may not have considered before.

So, why should you care about Microsoft Bing, and why is this the right moment to focus on it?

ChatGPT relies on Bing’s index for its search results, which means if Bing doesn’t have your page, ChatGPT won’t either. While it’s not a reason to panic just yet, it’s certainly a good idea to start paying more attention to Bing. Ignoring it could result in missed visibility opportunities.

It’s important to note that ChatGPT Search uses its own unique algorithm, meaning that Bing rankings don’t directly impact ChatGPT Search rankings. However, any URLs or page content missing from Bing’s index will likely cause those pages to be excluded from ChatGPT as well, impacting their chances of ranking there.

Should you drop everything and start focusing on Bing?

Is this a cause for alarm, or simply a “take a deep breath” moment?

Let’s set the record straight: the sky isn’t falling. However, it’s important not to dismiss this shift either.

While ChatGPT Search may not yet rival Google’s reach, this presents an excellent opportunity for SEO housekeeping and preparing for a new potential source of traffic.

For more complex websites, it’s especially crucial to ensure that Bing is properly indexing the pages that drive SEO traffic on Google. It’s better to identify any missing pages now than face the consequences when ChatGPT-powered searches gain more traction in the future.

A Bing audit doesn’t need to be a pain

Do you need an entirely new strategy, or can you fit this into a quick coffee break?

You don’t need to turn into a detective here. Bing is quite efficient at indexing, so if there are any issues, they are likely to be minor but still worth addressing.

A quick, targeted check can reveal any important gaps.

Simply open Bing Webmaster Tools, review what’s been indexed, and address any missing pages. In other words, it’s the sort of audit you can complete before your next meeting.

Bing SEO tip: Compare the URLs receiving traffic from Google with those getting traffic from Bing. This will help you focus your investigation on any issues, or reassure you that no further action is needed.

Diving into Bing Webmaster Tools: Get the goods

Where can you find the data without turning this into a week-long project?

Bing Webmaster Tools is your quick go-to for insights.

It provides a clear view of what’s indexed and what’s not, with no unnecessary details.

Check for any missing critical pages, flag potential issues, and ensure everything is running smoothly for both Microsoft Bing and ChatGPT search.

Bing SEO tip: If you’re comfortable with APIs, you can crawl your site, export all the URLs you want indexed, and run them through the Bing Webmaster API to confirm each one is in the index. This is likely the fastest way to check your Bing indexing status.

Use Bing as your ‘thought leadership’ moment

Can the ChatGPT Search-Microsoft Bing relationship actually make you look good to execs?

Absolutely!

The connection between ChatGPT Search and Bing offers a golden opportunity to position yourself as a forward-thinking SEO leader.

Take the chance to educate your leadership team about what ChatGPT Search is, how it’s disrupting the search landscape, and why it matters for your business.

By keeping them informed about emerging trends, you’ll position yourself as a proactive and strategic thinker – a quality that every executive appreciates.

Turn Bing fixes into exec-level wins

How do you make executives care about Bing when they barely understand Google?

Frame it as an opportunity:

“Hey team, here’s a chance to lead the way in new search trends, avoid potential risks, and maintain our visibility.”

If you uncover any indexing gaps, don’t just highlight the problems – focus on the solutions and their broader impact.

By showing them the potential future return on investment (ROI), as well as the risks of not addressing these issues, you’ll have them on board in no time.

Combine this conversation with specific changes you need prioritised to fix any Bing indexing issues.

Planning for 2025: Get Bing indexing on the SEO roadmap

Is this urgent? Not really.

But is it worth a 2025 line item? Probably.

While there’s no immediate need to sound the alarm, getting Bing optimisation on your 2025 SEO roadmap can be a smart move. With ChatGPT Search now leaning on Bing’s index, being proactive about your visibility could future-proof your efforts.

Mention it in your next executive update; they’ll appreciate the foresight, and you’ll come across as the strategic SEO lead thinking three steps ahead.

It’s best not to make this a presentation on its own. Instead, weave it into a regularly scheduled monthly or quarterly SEO business update.

Will Bing always power ChatGPT Search?

Could ChatGPT eventually go solo, or is Bing here to stay?

While it’s possible that ChatGPT could eventually fully index the web independently, this would be a massive undertaking – one that took both Google and Bing years to perfect.

For the time being, it’s unlikely that ChatGPT Search will detach from Bing’s index. Building a comprehensive and reliable web index is no small task, and ChatGPT’s current capabilities are more similar to Yahoo’s early efforts in search engines.

Moreover, there are no equally viable alternatives that are likely to sell their data to ChatGPT. On the other hand, selling its index to other search engines has been part of Bing’s business model for decades.

Much like how Yahoo once relied on Bing and other search engines internationally, ChatGPT Search benefits from Bing’s established index. This creates a mutually beneficial setup, allowing ChatGPT to provide valuable insights while relying on Bing’s tried-and-tested indexing power.

The key takeaway here is that Bing’s relevance isn’t just a passing trend. It plays a vital role in ChatGPT’s strategy, which makes it wise to keep Bing in your SEO playbook for the foreseeable future.

Microsoft Bing is starting to shine

As the ChatGPT Search experiment continues to unfold, Bing could emerge as the unexpected star in its future. For now, it’s important to give Bing the attention it deserves.

This doesn’t require a major overhaul; rather, it’s a simple investment with significant potential rewards. A bit of Bing-friendly auditing and perhaps some small adjustments could make a big difference in the long run.

By preparing your Bing indexing now, you’ll be well-positioned when ChatGPT Search begins to gain more traction.