The Platform You’re Ignoring That’s Powering AI Search (Hint: It’s Bing)
October 9, 2025
The Underrated Search Engine Behind Today’s AI Revolution
If you are like most wedding vendors, you have probably spent years hearing about Google. You have learned about keywords, analytics, backlinks, and blogging. But here is what almost nobody talks about. While everyone has been chasing Google’s algorithm, Bing quietly became one of the most important players in AI visibility.
Yes, Bing. The search engine everyone jokes about. The one you probably have not opened since your first laptop.
Here is the truth. Bing does not just power Bing.com. It powers Microsoft’s Copilot, ChatGPT’s browsing tool, and several other AI platforms that rely on Bing’s search index to generate answers. That means every time someone searches in ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot for “best Charleston wedding photographer” or “luxury planner in Florida,” Bing’s database decides which sites appear first.
Your Google strategy helps you rank on traditional search. Your Bing strategy determines whether AI engines recognize your brand at all.
This is the missing layer of visibility that most creatives never consider. It is also the one that will define who gets found in the next generation of search.
Why Bing Still Matters in 2025 and Beyond
Bing powers around 36 percent of desktop searches in the United States, but that number only scratches the surface. Behind the scenes, Bing’s infrastructure fuels:
- ChatGPT’s browsing feature, which uses Bing’s API to fetch web results
- Microsoft Copilot, which is now integrated into Word, Excel, and Windows search
- LinkedIn’s search ecosystem, since Microsoft owns LinkedIn
- Perplexity AI, a growing AI search engine that frequently sources Bing’s index
So even if you never personally search on Bing, the AI tools your audience uses rely on it daily.
That means your visibility inside Bing Webmaster Tools is no longer optional. It is essential.
Think of Google Search Console as your performance dashboard for Google. Bing Webmaster Tools is your performance dashboard for AI visibility.
How Bing Shapes AI Answers
When AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, or Perplexity browse the web, they do not crawl it from scratch. They rely on Bing’s existing index to understand which websites exist and what those sites are about.
If your site is not indexed on Bing, you are effectively invisible to AI systems that depend on Bing’s search database.
Imagine this.
A bride asks Copilot, “Who are the top Charleston wedding photographers that shoot film?” Bing’s API pulls websites that are already indexed and trusted, then passes that data to OpenAI’s system. ChatGPT reviews the content, summarizes it, and delivers a curated answer.
If your website is not part of Bing’s index, it cannot be part of that conversation. Even if your Google rankings are strong, your brand will not appear in AI-generated results.
That is why setting up Bing Webmaster Tools is a non-negotiable step in modern visibility.
How to Set Up Bing Webmaster Tools
Setting up Bing Webmaster Tools is simple and takes only a few minutes. Here is how to do it step-by-step.
Step 1: Visit Bing Webmaster Tools
Go to https://www.bing.com/webmasters.
Step 2: Sign In with Your Microsoft Account
If you already use Outlook, OneDrive, or any other Microsoft product, you can use the same login.
Step 3: Add Your Website
Click “Add Site.” You will see an option to import your Google Search Console data. This method automatically verifies ownership and saves time.
Step 4: Submit Your Sitemap
This step is essential.
Navigate to Sitemaps → Submit Sitemap, and paste your sitemap URL.
For most websites, it looks like this:https://yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml
If you use an SEO plugin like Yoast or Rank Math, your sitemap is already generated. You just need to connect it.
Step 5: Verify and Monitor
Once verified, Bing will begin crawling your website and displaying data about performance, indexing, and visibility. You will start seeing impressions and click data in just a few days.
What Bing Webmaster Tools Reveals That Google Doesn’t
Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster share some similarities, but Bing gives you additional data that is particularly helpful for AI optimization.
Here is what you can access once your site is verified:
- AI Answer Impressions: See how often your site appears in AI-generated results inside Bing’s ecosystem and Copilot.
- Keyword Insights: Discover which keywords users are typing into Bing and how those keywords connect to your audience.
- Crawl Control: Manage how often Bing crawls your site. This is useful if you frequently update blogs or add new service pages.
- Backlink Data: Get a more complete backlink overview. Bing often lists referring domains that Google does not display.
- SEO Analyzer: Run instant audits on your pages for on-page SEO, usability, and accessibility.
These features help you understand how Bing’s algorithm (and therefore many AI engines) interpret your website.
How Bing Strengthens Your AI Visibility
When someone searches for a vendor, inspiration, or service using ChatGPT or Copilot, the AI system uses Bing’s database to determine what content is trustworthy.
If your website is indexed, structured, and active inside Bing Webmaster Tools, your information becomes part of that trusted ecosystem.
This does more than improve your rankings. It strengthens your AI visibility footprint, which is the foundation for long-term digital success.
Here is what that looks like in practice:
- A couple searches in ChatGPT for “best destination wedding planner in Florida.”
- ChatGPT browses the web using Bing’s API.
- Bing pulls data from indexed sites that fit the topic.
- ChatGPT summarizes the information and lists top vendors.
If your website is verified and optimized through Bing Webmaster Tools, you are far more likely to appear in those results. That means more visibility, more credibility, and a stronger brand presence across AI tools.
How Bing Fits into Your AI Visibility Strategy
At North+South, we view Bing Webmaster Tools as one layer of what we call the AI Visibility Stack.
This stack includes:
- Google Search Console
- Bing Webmaster Tools
- Schema markup (JSON-LD)
- Blog optimization
- Google Business Profile
- Mentions and backlinks
Each element feeds the signals that AI uses to interpret your brand. Google focuses on traditional search authority. Bing fuels the AI discovery layer that powers Copilot, ChatGPT, and LinkedIn’s internal algorithms.
To integrate Bing into your AI Visibility Stack:
- Submit your sitemap regularly.
- Use the SEO Analyzer to fix on-page issues.
- Audit for crawl errors and mobile performance.
- Add structured data to your service pages and blogs.
- Monitor backlinks and build relationships with credible domains.
Together, these steps form a dual-engine visibility system that ensures your content is recognized across both Google and Bing — and, by extension, across the AI platforms built on top of them.
The Mistake Most Creatives Make
Many creatives assume that Bing traffic is too small to matter. They focus entirely on Google and skip Bing altogether.
But what they overlook is that Bing’s data powers half of the AI tools that their clients already use.
When you skip Bing:
- Your sitemap may never be crawled by AI systems.
- You miss backlinks and visibility insights that Google does not provide.
- Your brand remains invisible inside AI search engines like Copilot and ChatGPT.
- You lose valuable opportunities to strengthen your site authority.
Bing is no longer an “extra.” It is one of the simplest ways to make your business discoverable in AI-driven environments.
Why Bing Webmaster Is a Low-Effort, High-Reward Step
Adding your website to Bing Webmaster Tools takes less than ten minutes. It is free, fast, and highly effective for building authority across AI search platforms.
Once connected, it continuously monitors your site health, crawl speed, and keyword visibility (even if you rarely log in.)
When combined with blogging, schema, and Search Console data, Bing strengthens your overall visibility footprint.
For wedding vendors, the benefits are even greater. Bing favors websites with strong visual presentation, clear structure, and authentic content, all of which describe the creative industries perfectly.
Bing also integrates directly with LinkedIn data, meaning that your website authority can indirectly boost how your brand appears in LinkedIn’s search ecosystem.
The North+South Recommendation
Here is your quick checklist for staying visible across both traditional and AI search.
1. Add your website and verify it.
Import from Google Search Console to save time.
2. Submit your sitemap.
This ensures that Bing knows every page and update on your site.
3. Run Bing’s SEO Analyzer.
Check for missing titles, alt text, and mobile errors.
4. Add schema markup.
Structured data helps AI systems understand your content categories and services.
5. Review backlinks.
Remove spam links and strengthen relationships with credible wedding-industry sites.
6. Monitor performance monthly.
Check for crawl issues, new queries, and AI impressions.
This checklist forms the foundation of long-term visibility for creatives, photographers, and wedding professionals who want to grow sustainably.
The Big Picture: Bing, Google, and the Future of AI Visibility
We are no longer in a one-search-engine world.
AI platforms like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini rely on both Bing and Google data to interpret what is trustworthy, relevant, and helpful.
Visibility today means being present in both ecosystems. Not just for traditional search results, but for the AI engines that now act as digital assistants and recommendation tools.
When you submit your site to Bing Webmaster Tools, you are not simply checking a box. You are helping AI systems learn who you are, what your business offers, and how to present you to the world.
That is how you future-proof your visibility strategy.
Closing Thoughts
Bing might not have the flashiest reputation, but it is one of the most powerful tools you can use to strengthen your AI visibility today.
In an industry where clients increasingly rely on AI assistants to find and compare vendors, your presence in Bing’s ecosystem determines whether your business shows up in those conversations.
Bing is not just another search engine. It is a data source that fuels the AI tools shaping the future of discovery.
If you are ready to build visibility that lasts, start by submitting your site to Bing Webmaster Tools today.
You can also explore our post SEO Works While You Sleep for a deeper look at how long-term SEO compounds over time, our Wedding SEO Method course is here.
FAQ: Bing Webmaster Tools and AI Visibility
1. Why do I need Bing Webmaster Tools if I already use Google Search Console?
Google Search Console tracks your visibility on Google, but Bing Webmaster Tools gives you insight into how your site appears across AI-powered platforms like Copilot, ChatGPT, and Perplexity. Since these tools rely on Bing’s index, skipping Bing means missing visibility in the AI ecosystem.
2. How do I know if my site is already indexed on Bing?
You can check by typing site:yourdomain.com into Bing’s search bar. If your pages appear, your site is indexed. If not, log in to Bing Webmaster Tools, submit your sitemap, and allow a few days for Bing to start crawling your pages.
3. Does optimizing for Bing help my Google rankings too?
Yes. While each search engine has its own algorithm, the core SEO principles are the same. Clear structure, fast site speed, mobile responsiveness, and valuable content help your visibility on both Bing and Google. It will also strengthen your presence across AI platforms that pull data from both.
4. How often should I check Bing Webmaster Tools?
Once a month is perfect for most creative businesses. That cadence keeps you updated on crawl errors, backlinks, and keyword trends without overwhelming your schedule. If you post new blogs or update galleries frequently, check twice a month for the most accurate visibility data.
