Bing recently rolled out a major update to their Webmaster Tools. Some SEO experts are recommending that we take a serious look at Bing’s new tools. It’s being reported that features like disavowing backlinks along with new SEO reports and analysis features makes it a serious contender to Google’s webmaster tools. Some experts are recommending that we use both. What are your thoughts?
Webmaster Tools
For those of you not familiar with webmaster tools, they’re free tools that help: improve the visibility of your website in the search results, diagnose problems, analyze data about internal and external links and much more.
Since I haven’t started using Bing Webmaster tools in earnest yet, I don’t have screenshots to share or any personal insight to offer. What I would like to do is share some information and get your input. I’m sure there are people here who have already experimented with Bing, discovered other resources or have already formed opinions that we could all benefit from hearing.
XML Sitemaps
For starters, one of the first things that you need to do (to get the most out of these tools) is make sure that you have a search engine sitemap on your website. A search engine sitemap (in XML format) is a file that contains a list of the URLs of the website pages that you would like indexed by the search engines. Actually, it contains more than that. It also contains important metadata (an additional information layer) with information such as when the page was last modified, how frequently it changes and how it ranks in importance relative to other URLs.
If you’re using WordPress, you can install an XML sitemap plugin, or if you’re a do-it-yourselfer, you can create a sitemap file manually and FTP (file transfer protocol) it to the public folder of your website. (I use XMLSitemaps.com to generate the sitemap and Filezilla client for my FTP program.)
Disavowing Backlinks
Reading an article about Bing’s webmaster tools, I learned about the ability to disavow backlinks. The ability to do this is one of the reasons that I decided to take a serious look at Bing. Disavowing backlinks indicates that even though another site has linked to yours, you don’t endorse it and you’d rather not have that link considered. For example, a site that you consider “spammy” may be linking to you.
You may be thinking what if that site is legitimate and not shady at all? Would it hurt to disavow it? According to Bing’s senior product manager, Duane Forrester :
“This tool starts that conversation. It can help Bing understand a webmaster’s intent around links pointed at their site. Given there are hundreds of signals at play when determining rankings, telling us to ignore the value from some links, in most instances, won’t have a dramatic effect.”
SEO Analyzer
From what I’m reading, Bing is really differentiating their tools from Google’s through their new SEO reports and analysis features. For example, Bing’s tools will let you know if you’re missing meta descriptions and alternate tags on your images. (For those of you who aren’t quite sure what those are or why you need them, check out my post 4 SEO Tips to Optimize your WordPress Blog.)
Resources to Learn More
For those of you looking for more information (including screenshots), check out Google Webmaster Tools vs. Bing – Which is More Informative? by Kristi Hines. If you’re interested in a comparison of the two tools (along with some detailed insight) check out “Bing vs Google; Webmaster Tools Comparison” on Website Magazine’s website. I found both articles to be very interesting.
Now, over to you: Are you using Google webmaster tools? Bing’s? Both? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
About Sherryl PerryWelcome! If you're looking for help building an Internet presence that fits your needs and works for you, you're in the right place. I blog common sense articles about WordPress, social media and SEO. My goal is to help small business owners and entrepreneurs understand their core business. Together, we can develop and implement business strategies that make sense to you.
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I stopped using Google Analytics as it’s a nightmare to read and is constantly having problems. I now use Bing and it’s amazing — very user friendly, gives me great information and, as Bing is rising up the search engine useage charts FAST, it’s going to be well worth having.
Personally, I detest Google and everything they stand for so the less Google products I use, the better
Twitter: keepupweb
April 20, 2013 at 8:56 pm
Hi Rachel,
I’m glad to hear that you prefer Bing analytics and that you find them user friendly. Whatever tool we use, everyone should be taking a peek at our website traffic to get a picture of what is really happening. Often, I’ve discovered an unexpected resource for referral traffic. If I suddenly notice a lot of traffic coming from a particular blog or social network, I make it a point to spend more time there.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Do NOT Delete Your Google FeedBurner RSS Feed Migrate It
Twitter: prabhatrayal
March 1, 2013 at 5:30 am
WMT is awesome..it provides us all the necessary options and tools which we need to make our blog errorfree and SEO optimized. it has great tools but we should have the knowledge about using them. it can change the fate of a blog
prabhat recently posted..Free Download Temple Run for PC: iEatTraffic
Twitter: keepupweb
April 20, 2013 at 8:51 pm
Thanks for letting us know that you find Google’s Webmaster tools important to you. That’s something that some new bloggers don’t know about but they’re essential to SEO. BTW – I apologize for not replying to you sooner. Somehow, I totally missed your comment.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Friday Finds for Weekend Reading – Week 1
Excellent information. I use Google Webmaster Tools for my sites and very useful. I also use Google analitycs and access adwords. Can you confirm Bing/Yahoo webmaster submission is essential if already submitted in Google? And it will effect on Google ranking?
Twitter: keepupweb
March 5, 2013 at 10:03 pm
Hi Sujit,
It’s been so long since you left this comment on my blog, you may not remember posting it. (I’m sorry about that.) From what I’ve read, submitting your website using Bing’s webmaster tools is not essential but if you can find the time, it can’t hurt. So why not give a try is how I look at it.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..How To Set up Google Authorship & the Rel=Author Tag
As far as I knew only Google provided any real webmaster tools worth using. If Bing have als0 polished up their tracking tools then I suppose they’d certainly be worth looking into. After all, knowledge is power, right?
Twitter: keepupweb
August 24, 2012 at 12:40 pm
I agree Adam! Since checking out Bing’s webmaster tools is not that time consuming, why not check them out?
Sherryl Perry recently posted..What Impact does Social Media Have on Businesses?
Great article, I am starting to warm to Bing, at first I found it wasn’t thorough with my search requests and would forget previously found search items.
I’ve noticed Bing gets a mention in certain SEO tools like Market Samurai so it must be becoming a bigger contender in the field.
Twitter: keepupweb
August 24, 2012 at 12:39 pm
Rose,
Bing is gaining respect as more and more people start getting discouraged by the actions of Google. I have heard rumblings from people in the know that their next set of algorithm changes are going to really hurt many small businesses.
I’m finding more and more often that I’m not getting the results that I expect to see when I search in Google. I’m using Bing more often now and I believe that other people are going to start doing the same thing.
Thanks for letting me know that you liked my article and for taking the time to comment. I apologize for taking so long to reply. It’s been a month of technical glitches for me and I’m getting ready to pull my hair out!
Sherryl Perry recently posted..4 Tips You Should Know When You Start Blogging
thanks for the information that you provided. Lets see how it gonna work. I think now may it(bing) can compete with google. the traffic source will always lead in the case of google..:)
praveen recently posted..Tricks for Writing a Post People Will Study
Twitter: keepupweb
August 24, 2012 at 12:35 pm
Hi Praveen,
I agree with you. I don’t foresee Bing ever competing with Google for organic search traffic. It is nice to have options though.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..How to Grow Your Google+ Followers
I know everybody tends to lean towards Google. I haven’t spent a lot of time in Bing Webmaster Tools, but it certainly is pretty decent compared to what it used to be. Google’s is OK too, but I think Bing’s has more features now. Kind of surprises me usually it’s the other way around. Then again, Google seems to be adding more features to WMT all the time too.
Ray recently posted..Facebook Clones and WannaBe’s
Twitter: keepupweb
August 3, 2012 at 1:30 pm
Thanks for your input Ray. I think it’s great that Bing has improved their tools. It’s about time Google had a little more competition.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Content Writing: The Most Formidable Online Marketing Strategy
Twitter: husplushave
August 5, 2012 at 3:51 pm
Hi Sherryl,
Even though I welcome the things that Bing are trying to do, I honestly don’t see them as “competition”. I’ve spoken to a ton of webmasters and SEOs and none of they are paying much (if any) attention to Bing at all. Yes they have tried the new tool but that is about it.
Do you really see Bing’s new tool as “competition”?
Regards,
Mikael
Twitter: keepupweb
August 5, 2012 at 4:23 pm
Mikael,
I look at Bing as an “alternative” to Google and I’m thankful that they’re an option. Relying heavily on Google is dangerous. There are so many horror stories where small businesses that have previously ranked highly on search terms have suddenly been penalized by Google. Personally, I get very discouraged when I’m searching for information on the web and I’m not finding the what I’m looking for. Then I switch to Bing for my search and I find what I’m looking for rather than what Google wants me to see.
Webmasters are beginning to embrace Bing’s tools. Here’s a direct quote from the article on Website Magazine that I linked to: “While there is a lot of overlap between the Bing and Google solutions, using both is now mandatory if the aim is to stay competitive in search.” True, that’s the opinion of Peter Prestipino, the Editor-In-Chief of Website Magazine but I see no reason to not heed his advice.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Utilizing Social Media to Build Brand Awareness and Authority
Twitter: husplushave
August 5, 2012 at 5:15 pm
I guess some of this might be “religion” as well. Personally I don’t see Bing as an alternative. I agree that relying on Google is dangerous but there are plenty of different “traffic option” that (IMO) will do better than Bing. As least at this point in time.
If Bing manages to get users to come back, I will definitely welcome it. I wouldn’t bet on it though.
Mikael recently posted..Håndskubber – Plæneklipper til det perfekte græstæppe
Twitter: keepupweb
August 6, 2012 at 11:52 am
Hi Mikael,
I still intend to check out Bing’s webmaster tools when I get a chance. I’m interested in seeing for myself why their analytics reports are being touted as better.
I am curious (as well as some readers here may be), which “traffic options” would you recommend?
Twitter: husplushave
August 6, 2012 at 12:46 pm
My first recommendation would be to use email marketing. Now that in itself would require many blog posts to describe in detail. The easiest way to get started is to implement a simple signup form.
Then there is guest posting. Pretty hot at the moment but works wonders.
And as a third recommendation I would suggest either audio or video. Create a podcast or start a video channel. Again both of these can drive a ton of quality traffic.
Best of all is that all three do not require any search engine ranking (thereby panda/penguin etc. proof).
Mikael recently posted..Håndskubber – Plæneklipper til det perfekte græstæppe
Twitter: keepupweb
August 6, 2012 at 12:56 pm
Great suggestions Mikael! Thanks for sharing.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..The 2012 Reader’s Choice Award for Best Marketing Strategy Blog
Twitter: tbrownseo
August 1, 2012 at 3:03 pm
For almost two years, I was using Google Webmaster Tools almost exclusively. I had Bing Webmaster Tools installed client sites in case I needed it for a reference, but I was never actively using it. Now though with the remastering of the Bing Webmaster Tools, I am using about an 80/20 mix in Bing’s favor. The information that is provided in the SEO reports is ridiculously good. I get a list of actionable items that is almost already clean enough to send directly to clients. Get the list, slap on recommendations, and ship it off. It has easily become one of my favorite SEO tools.
Travis Brown recently posted..The Link — SEO.com’s Newsletter July 2012
Twitter: keepupweb
August 1, 2012 at 10:41 pm
Travis,
I really appreciate your input. Getting a list of actionable items sounds extremely valuable. After reading your comment, I’m going to make using Bing’s tools a higher priority than I had originally planned. Thanks so much!
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Top 8 White Hat SEO Tips for E-Commerce Websites
Twitter: DAMGFLORIDA
July 31, 2012 at 2:05 pm
I have never used webmaster tools on Bing. I really hope Bing unseats Google as the #1 search engine. I think Google is starting to abuse their power with all of the algorithm changes this year.
Peter Charles recently posted..Federal Court to Review Fairfield County Sexual Harassment Case
Twitter: keepupweb
August 1, 2012 at 10:35 pm
You definitely seem to be in the majority on this issue Peter.
Google Webmaster Tools all the way! Although I have a feeling it is going to be a pay service very soon…
Twitter: keepupweb
August 1, 2012 at 10:34 pm
Hi Gartenhaus,
Have you read anything about Google charging for their tools. They’ve been giving it away for so long, I can’t see that happening. I believe they would have to start offering a premium service if they were looking to charge for it.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..4 SEO Tips to Optimize your WordPress Blog
Twitter: Yuqing Wang
July 30, 2012 at 2:59 pm
Personally I haven’t had many experiences with Bing, because Google is more popular (for the obvious reason that it has been around since…a long time ago). But I’m starting to think about taking a series look at Bing. The disavowing backlinks features seem to be pretty interesting. Thanks for sharing this info with us.
Twitter: keepupweb
August 1, 2012 at 10:31 pm
You’re welcome Carrie. Thanks for letting me know that you found my article helpful.
I have never tried Bing Webmaster tools so i was a little confused and would like to learn more about disavowing backlinks, it seems to be an interesting topic.
Twitter: keepupweb
August 1, 2012 at 7:34 pm
After the Google Penguin update, many websites were penalized in the search engines because spammy sites have linked to theirs. Bing has responded by incorporating a disavow link tool in their webmaster tools. At this point (to my knowledge), Google has no immediate plans for such a tool but many of us are hoping that they will now that Bing has taken steps to include it.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..5 Tips to Develop a Successful Email Marketing Campaign
Twitter: itechcode
July 27, 2012 at 1:32 pm
I am using GWT and Bing too and I think we should focus on Bing as i am getting massive visitor from Bing too.
Thanks for this post.
Cheers.
Amit Shaw recently posted..Quick Tip: How To Know If Google Is Indexing My Articles Or Posts
Twitter: keepupweb
July 27, 2012 at 9:24 pm
That’s great Amit! Thanks so much for letting us know. Gail Gardner advised everyone here to use Bing webmaster tools but I believe you’re the first person so far to report that you get a lot of traffic from Bing. That’s very encouraging and should give others the incentive to give Bing a serious look.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Does Twitter Drive Traffic to Your Website Blog?
Well,I personally try to use all opportunities that Google offers its users)
Jessica recently posted..15 Amazing Examples Of Flash Cms Websites
Twitter: keepupweb
July 26, 2012 at 2:51 pm
Hi Jessica,
If you get a chance, you may want to read Gail Gardner’s comments below. There are inherent dangers of small business owners relying too heavily on Google.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Tips for Optimizing Photos and Graphics for Your Blog
Many thanks for the advice, and for your warnings, I will take it into account
Jessica recently posted..15 Amazing Examples Of Flash Cms Websites
Twitter: keepupweb
August 1, 2012 at 7:19 pm
You’re welcome Jessica. I’m sure there will be more comments on this post as people weigh in on this.
Twitter: hottjam
July 25, 2012 at 10:55 pm
Hello,
I read a similar article in Website owners magazine and have to say I’m sticking with just Google Webmaster Tools for now. I’m still fresh in the webmaster world and want to master one system before I start learning a new one. But I definitely noticed some options Bing has to offer I would be willing to try out. Nice article!
justine recently posted..colored pencil art gallery
Twitter: keepupweb
July 26, 2012 at 2:50 pm
Hi Justine,
If you’re new to the webmaster world, it makes sense to go slow and Google is definitely the place to start. For me, it makes sense to try Bing’s tools and then report back when I learn whether or not I find any benefits from it.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Does Twitter Drive Traffic to Your Website Blog?
Twitter: berget
July 25, 2012 at 6:19 am
Hi Sherryl,
I have actually never used Bing and it’s been a long time since I used Google webmaster tools as well. I have mostly been focusing on content and my new business, but reading your post makes me wonder why I have stopped doing one of the most important things in marketing
Thanks a lot for the reminder, and I’ll be sure to check out Bing.
Jens P. Berget recently posted..Freemium – Why This is a Great Business Model
Twitter: keepupweb
July 25, 2012 at 12:10 pm
You’re welcome Jens. It’s so easy to focus on content and new business and let some of the tactics that we should be keeping an eye on fall by the wayside. I have to admit, I set up a monthly appointment (with a reminder) to check out my analytics because I was beginning to neglect them. There’s a lot of insight that can be gleaned by taking a peek behind the scenes from time to time.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Do you Brand Yourself, Your Company, or Your Product on Social Media Sites?
Bing webmaster tools do contain some good and the enhanced features and some of the SEO experts are using those tools. But mostly are using the Google tools because they are much comfortable to those webmaster tools.
Twitter: keepupweb
July 25, 2012 at 12:07 pm
Being more comfortable using Google’s tools is a rut that many of us are falling into. I’m guilty of that myself. If you haven’t already read Gail Gardner’s comments (below), she has raised some very good points on why small business owners should seek alternatives to Google and be prepared in case we suddenly find ourselves losing traffic and page rank because of them.
Thanks for taking the time to join the conversation!
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Is Your Email Address Part of Your Brand?
Though Google’s webmaster’s tool is most widely used but Bing has showed what features Google still needs to incorporate in their software. Now that a lot of hiatus has been raised over black SEO we don’t find adequate tools in Google’s Webmaster which can help us reverse the things we did in the past which have proven harmful to our sites with changes in Google’s algorithm.
Ruth Williams recently posted..Let’s compare ecommerce software available in the market
Twitter: keepupweb
July 25, 2012 at 12:04 pm
Hi Ruth,
It’s good to have alternatives to Google’s tools. One of the things that stood out to me when I was researching this topic is that there are benefits to using both Google’s webmaster tools and Bing’s. So, in my opinion, the answer to the question I’ve posed here is to use both.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..4 SEO Tips to Optimize your WordPress Blog
The disvaowing links feature is a must that Google needs to add to its webmaster’s tools.
There’s been lately a lot of noise around negative SEO and its impacts, if you could only “accept” a backlink and “deny” the ones you dont like, that’d be wayy easier.
Twitter: keepupweb
July 24, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Hi Jennyfer,
I think most of us are hoping to see Google incorporate this feature. Hopefully, they will incorporate it in response to Bing’s new updates. If a lot of us start using Bing’s tools, maybe they’ll listen. We can always hope.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Thanks to SEO a Newspaper Reporter in Pennsylvania Found my Blog
Twitter: khajamaoin1
July 23, 2012 at 3:31 am
Good going Bing!
Hoping will improve its SERPs also.
khaja moin recently posted..Creative and Funny 404 Error Pages
Twitter: keepupweb
July 24, 2012 at 12:09 pm
It will be interesting to find out. It’s good to have options!
Sherryl Perry recently posted..4 SEO Tips to Optimize your WordPress Blog
Sorry, for the wrong comment earlier! This is what I actually intended to type.:(
I’m one of those people who blindly trust and rely on Google for nearly everything, including webmaster tools. I agree with Steve, that Bing has a very tiny market share, so it is basically pretty useless for me to spend my time on it, as of now. I mean, I don’t even bother about anything that isn’t from Google, considering is titanic market share and standing. But there’s always some room for change, right? I’m looking forward to your experience with the whole thing. Maybe that will help me make the switch.
Twitter: GrowMap
July 23, 2012 at 11:16 am
Wayne,
You are going to be so destroyed if you rely totally on Google and they slap you as they have done to so many others before you. Just last night I was reading a post about a small business that is closing their doors because Google took away their traffic and that happens ALL THE TIME!
We have collectively handed Google a virtual monopoly and the power to kill any site at their whim – and they have abused that power by announcing to the world their intention to “clean up” the “Internet cesspool” by favoring their big brand buddies.
I have personally seen ecommerce sites lose 1/3 of their business from the MayDay update. After Panda they were down by half. Then Penguin was even harder on them. We MUST get traffic elsewhere – as hard as that can be – and even MORE IMPORTANTLY we must STOP using Google everything.
Find and use alternatives like DucKDuckGo.com and NowRelevant.com and for shopping TheFind.com and ShopWiki.com and then tell all your friends, family, co-workers and anyone else you can about them. Take the power to destroy small business out of Google’s hands.
Gail Gardner recently posted..Small Biz Trends Small Business Influencer Awards: My Recommendations ~ Links for Easy Daily Voting
Twitter: keepupweb
July 23, 2012 at 1:20 pm
Gail,
Thank you for weighing in on this and reminding us that it’s not good to rely on any one vendor. I agree with you that we’re too dependent on Google.
For those of you who don’t know Gail, I highly recommend following her. (She’s a great resource.) We have her to thank for G.A.S.P., the “Growmap Anti-Spamware Plugin” (that’s available as a free stand-alone WordPress plug-in and also as part of CommentLuv Premium). Gail has other credits to her name as well but you can find those out by following her yourself.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Do you Brand Yourself, Your Company, or Your Product on Social Media Sites?
Twitter: GrowMap
July 23, 2012 at 3:27 pm
Thanks for the intro, Sherryl – and for using GASP here in your comments. That lets me know that I’m not wasting my time commenting because Akismet threw what I wrote in with 1000s of spambot comments and you probably won’t even see it. I linked the name field to details on the free plugin in case any of your readers want more information. It is also incorporated into the paid version of CommentLuv Premium.
I HAD to comment because more and more small businesses are failing and bloggers are losing their PageRank and traffic with every new update – and Google says they’re now doing 100s or even 1000s of updates a year!
Yes, having only one search engine to optimize for is “easy” – but “easy” is the trap that far too many are going to find themselves caught in.
Bloggers need to remember we have a way to greatly increase traffic to our blogs: CommentLuv. Follow the comment links from blog to blog, commenting in an sharing those blogs and their content that most interest you and you can easily double your traffic or more.
Create relationships and collaborate and you can multiply your audiences so all the bloggers involved have an audience greater than the size of each of your individual followings. I am happy to mentor and the post I’ll put in CommentLuv has additional information on how to create your own collaborations.
Gail Gardner recently posted..Blogging Collaborations and Best Practices
Twitter: keepupweb
July 25, 2012 at 11:41 am
Hi Gail,
I always recommend G.A.S.P. whenever someone mentions how much spam they’re getting. It’s a great plugin.
I completely agree with you that we’ve become too dependent on Google and that we need to seek and implement alternative solutions.
Like you, I’m a huge advocate of CommentLuv. It’s a terrific tool for building a community and cultivating relationships. Thanks again for taking the time to weigh in on this discussion. We needed your input!
Twitter: yeremiakpan
July 22, 2012 at 3:17 am
I have never used Bing’s webmaster tool, but reading this post, I am sure going to check it out. As you say, it can’t possibly add too much time to my existing process.
Thanks Sherryl for this use hint.
Twitter: keepupweb
July 22, 2012 at 8:32 pm
Great! I’d love to hear back from anyone who experiments with this. It’s not like this should be a time consuming task. I’m interested in seeing what it is that people like about Bing’s reports too.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Tracking Changes to Your Website Blog and Social Media Strategy
Twitter: Steve_Hippel
July 20, 2012 at 6:22 pm
Hello Sherryl.
I tend to agree with Ivan and some of the other commentators above. I see little point in using SEO tools from a search engine that has such a tiny market share.
When Microsoft bring out a decent browser and a search engine that people use, I’ll sit up and take notice. I have to wonder if they are just trying to get in with the in crowd.
Given that most web professionals hate Internet Explorer with a vengence, I think they would do well to get their act together there.
Nothing against Microsoft. I feel exactly the same about Yahoo and Ask.
The fact is, nearly 98% of my search traffic comes from Google and working to what Google likes seems to give similar search results in Bing etc anyway.
Adding yet another set of SEO tools seems like another learning curve and more work for a tiny little potential return in this case. Me thinks I won’t be wasting my time on this one Sherryl. Well at least not yet
Steve Hippel recently posted..Hide A WordPress Page
Twitter: keepupweb
July 20, 2012 at 9:24 pm
Hi Steve,
Thanks for weighing in on this. The general consensus seems to be to stick with Google. I have to admit though, my curiosity has been piqued and I am going to invest an hour or two into Bing Webmaster tools and track what happens. My gut feeling is that it won’t have any impact on my website traffic but wouldn’t it be interesting if it did? Don’t expect me to try this right away though. I’ve pretty much got my hands full the next couple of months. I do see another one of my unscientific experiments in the near future though.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..The 2012 Reader’s Choice Award for Best Marketing Strategy Blog
Twitter: Steve_Hippel
July 21, 2012 at 1:39 am
I look forward to hearing how you found it Sherryl. Be careful though. Don’t forget what curiosity did to that poor cat
Steve Hippel recently posted..Hide A WordPress Page
Twitter: keepupweb
July 22, 2012 at 5:55 pm
I’ve already signed up. I plan on spending an hour or two max setting them up and checking out the tools. In a month or so, I’ll see if anything has happened. I have low expectations but I’ve been surprised before by boosts of traffic from unexpected sources.
Twitter: GrowMap
July 23, 2012 at 11:19 am
Steve, Steve, Steve,
And what do you think you will do if Google decides to take that 98% of your traffic away? How can you not see the obvious danger in relying on ONE source – especially when that one source is famous for removing PageRank and slapping sites and continually tweaking their algorithms and favoring big brands over all competitors?
Gail Gardner recently posted..Twitter Resources for Bloggers, Awesome Tweeps to Follow, Twitter Chat Recap #BlogEngage
Twitter: Steve_Hippel
July 23, 2012 at 1:16 pm
Gail it’s not all about Google. It’s all about now.
Google has not just got the largest market share of search but nearly the whole market. Working to Google’s requirements gives me similar results in all other major search engines. It’s not even something that bares thinking about.
I get traffic from other sources but Google search traffic is my most valuable. I could work to please another search engine but most of my traffic would still come from Google. There is nothing that I can do about that.
I could use another search engine but Google is the one that is most important to my business. It makes sense to use it, understand it and stay up to date with it.
Like it or not, they have the market cornered right now. I have a duty to my clients to bring them traffic. As far as organic search is concerned, Google is where the party is at. I might not like it but that’s how it is.
Thank’s for bringing another angle and some good discussion to Sherryl’s post Gail. That makes great blogging.
Steve Hippel recently posted..LSI Keywords Simple Yet Very Powerful
Twitter: GrowMap
July 23, 2012 at 3:18 pm
Yes, Steve, but then you are putting all your client’s eggs into one very fragile basket and risking them in an all or nothing bet that you get to be lucky and Google doesn’t decide to favor big brands in their niches next.
I’m not saying don’t take all the traffic they’ll send you or don’t stay on top of what works there. I am saying that if we don’t start taking power away from them we are riding that Google train off an inevitable cliff. It is not a matter of IF they will take your traffic – it is a matter of who is next and when they’ll come for you.
If none of your clients are competitors of Google products or any big brand they will favor over them and none care about any keyword phrase that big brands want they are probably ok for now – but more and more businesses are NOT going to be immune from Google intentionally taking their traffic selectively and specifically on their converting keywords AND hiding their products on Google Shopping / Base for the money phrases!
For screen captures and insights into how I know that IS what they’re doing see the post I’ve put in the name field. Pay special attention to the red text. Also read the many posts and see the infographics that Aaron Wall has published over the years about Google’s CEO’s now infamous “Internet cesspool” quote. I can share links if anyone wants them.
Gail Gardner recently posted..Economic Reality: Time to Wake Up
Twitter: DerekMaak
July 20, 2012 at 5:34 pm
Hi Sherryl,
I haven’t ever used Bing Webmaster Tools and I only use Google Webmaster tools for a couple of my websites. I mostly just have it set up so I can be alerted if they notice something going wrong with my site. I don’t find myself logging in very often. It’s easy to get addicted to checking stats 100 times per day, so I try to keep my focus on other things.
Derek Maak recently posted..What Men Secretly Want • Does Love Or Respect Matter Most?
Twitter: keepupweb
July 20, 2012 at 9:19 pm
Hi Derek,
I feel the same way about webmaster tools and analytics. I used to keep a better eye on my analytics when I first launched this site. I pretty much check analytics when I’ve been experimenting with a tactic and I want to check my results to see if I should continue, adjust or abandon it.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Tracking Changes to Your Website Blog and Social Media Strategy
one year before I signed up with Bing Webmaster just to give it a try, after using it for 6 month i personally didn’t find it good so i stop using it but after reading your post I will give it on more try. I really find Disavowing Back links feature interesting hope Google will also come up with this feature soon.
Twitter: keepupweb
July 20, 2012 at 12:58 pm
Thanks for letting us know Mike. Everyone is welcome to come back and update us if you test Bing’s tools. I plan a follow up post at some point after I test Bing’s webmaster tools this Fall.
I’ve set up a bing webmaster account a while ago, but I’ve never got the chance to check it out. But if it is really that good, maybe I will.
Thanx for the info!
Memey recently posted..Beware of spammers and referral whores in HYIP investing …
Twitter: keepupweb
July 19, 2012 at 11:51 pm
You’re welcome. Feel free to come back here and let us know your thoughts after you check it out. I won’t be using Bing’s tools soon but I will probably write a follow up post when I do.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..How to Add Follow Buttons to WordPress without a Plugin
I use both of them, but I attach Google a way bigger importance.
Twitter: gogetfunding
July 19, 2012 at 8:31 am
Have never actually thought about using Bing’s webmaster tools – it has always been all about Google. I guess things like this are helping them shake things up!
Nice to see some innovation from them – will defo be checking it out.
Twitter: keepupweb
July 19, 2012 at 11:50 pm
Hi Sandip,
It sounds like all of us here primarily use Google’s tools. It is good that Bing is giving them a little competition. I intend to check them out more too.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Tracking Changes to Your Website Blog and Social Media Strategy
Twitter: MairajPirzada
July 19, 2012 at 5:39 am
Hi Miss,
I didn’t know that the Bing has updated their Webmasters Tools, and are now going good. I will now check, what they added new and awesome. Actually I love Google Webmasters Tools.. That’s really works and can be said the GURU of Search Engine.
I’ve added my site to both Webmasters tools but, uses on Google. And don’t prefer Bing so much, as I believe Google is the best and most used search engine in this world.
Anyway, I enjoyed reading your informative post, and will read others too..
Twitter: keepupweb
July 20, 2012 at 12:53 pm
Hi MairajPirzada,
Thanks for dropping by and joining the conversation. I love Goggle Webmaster tools too. I think some of it has to do with my comfort level with all things Google. As you say, they are the “GURU of Search Engines”.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..The Powerful WordPress Text Widget
Twitter: MairajPirzada
July 23, 2012 at 12:25 am
Yup! Sherryl, You’re absolutely right.. MASTER, GURU and other awesome and great words are always for Google.
Thanks for this one and awesome post. I enjoyed reading it.
Twitter: buddyblogger
July 19, 2012 at 5:29 am
one year before i signed up with Bing Webmaster just to give it a try, after using it for 6 month i personally didn’t find it good so i stop using it but after reading your post i’ll give it on more try. I really find Disavowing Backlinks feature interesting hope google will also comeup with this feature soon.
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Twitter: keepupweb
July 19, 2012 at 11:48 pm
Hi Tauseef,
From what I’ve been reading, Bing’s webmaster tools were lacking before but this update does sound promising.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..The 2012 Reader’s Choice Award for Best Marketing Strategy Blog
Hi Sherryl,
Awesomne info.I was not aware of Bing webmaster tool.
I use Google webmaster tools,Google Adwords Tools and Analitycs.
Thank for exposing what it is and providing a better alternate.Awesome post..Here is some great information for bloggers and small business owners alike.it’s intresting and new.I found your post informative and thought provoking.
Bhushan recently posted..ERP Software Development Companies
Twitter: keepupweb
July 19, 2012 at 11:47 pm
Thanks you so much for the kind words Bhushan. I appreciate it. I like learning new information too.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Do you Brand Yourself, Your Company, or Your Product on Social Media Sites?
Twitter: clickfire
July 18, 2012 at 10:53 pm
It’s nice to see the underdog Bing get a leg up on Google for once.
Twitter: keepupweb
July 19, 2012 at 11:45 pm
Google will probably take the cue from Bing and incorporate some of the same features. (Thanks to Bing.) It will be interesting to watch. People have been asking for a way to disavow backlinks for a long time now.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Top 8 White Hat SEO Tips for E-Commerce Websites
Twitter: m4bmarketing
July 18, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Hi Sherryl,
I use Google webmaster although not to the extent I should. Still trying to understand some of it. One thing I find useful is Fetch as i have been updating some old posts and being able to resubmit them has helped. I have read a little about Bing but i haven’t used it yet.
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Twitter: keepupweb
July 19, 2012 at 11:42 pm
Thanks for mentioning Fetch Susan. I do use that but there are still features of Google webmaster tools that I haven’t used too.
Twitter: SusanPCooper
July 18, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Thanks Sherryl,
I currently use Google analytics plus their Keyword tools and that is about as far as it goes. I am still learning and find all your information VERY helpful. You can count on my reaching out to you when I get really stuck.
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Twitter: keepupweb
July 19, 2012 at 11:41 pm
That’s great that you use Google Analytics and their keyword tool. If you haven’t already checked out Google’s webmaster tools, you should check them out. (I wouldn’t worry about Bing if I were you.) The tip I gave you about having an XML sitemap is important. There are other options in those tools that you should check out too.
Thanks for the informative article. I was not aware of Bing webmaster tool. I will definitely check out. BTW Does Bing provide analytics tool? I am looking for new analytic tools. I guess my Google analytics is not proving the right numbers. Thanks.
Twitter: keepupweb
July 19, 2012 at 11:36 pm
Mil Kom,
I honestly am not that familiar with Bing tools but according to the article that I linked to on WebsiteMagazine.com, “Web marketers now have access to a wide range of tools such as the new Link Explorer and SEO Analyzer/SEO Reports, as well as updates to current tools like the Keyword Research Tool and URL Removal Tool and more.”
Sherryl Perry recently posted..The Powerful WordPress Text Widget
Twitter: wonderoftech
July 18, 2012 at 12:19 pm
Hi Sherryl, This is very helpful. I love the ability to disavow backlinks because some spammers use these against us. Thanks for this very informative article!
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Twitter: keepupweb
July 19, 2012 at 11:26 pm
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks for letting me know that you found my post informative. Disavowing backlinks was new to me too.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Do you Brand Yourself, Your Company, or Your Product on Social Media Sites?
I currently only use Google webmaster tools but am considering trying out Bing as well.
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Twitter: keepupweb
July 19, 2012 at 11:25 pm
You and I are in the majority here Ciara.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Can Your Small Business Compete with the Big-Box Stores?
Twitter: catarinaalexon
July 18, 2012 at 10:18 am
Only use Google Analytics.
Agree with you Sherryl that the ability of getting rid of backlinks is a good feature of Bing Webmaster tools.
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Twitter: keepupweb
July 19, 2012 at 11:24 pm
Hopefully, Google will pay attention and incorporate the ability to disavow links in the future.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..The 2012 Reader’s Choice Award for Best Marketing Strategy Blog
I only use google analytics at the moment but your post has made me want to take a closer look at Bing. The fact I never use it as a search engine has mostly led me to ignore it. Certainly if a had a business I think it would be important to make an informed decision as to whether or not to use both. Sometimes too much information is off- putting but if you feel there’s something missing in your online presence Bing may help to find what that is.
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Twitter: keepupweb
July 19, 2012 at 11:23 pm
Hi A.K.,
).
I can’t promise when but I intend to do a little testing on my site to see what sort of traffic I get from Bing after using their webmaster tools. I don’t plan on doing this for a while and it will be my usual unscientific testing but I should be able to get some insight from it (and a blog post
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Thanks to SEO a Newspaper Reporter in Pennsylvania Found my Blog
I am not familiar about webmaster tool. But I know about backlinks and SEO. But I didn’t know that Bing is differentiating their tools from Google’s!!
Twitter: keepupweb
July 19, 2012 at 11:19 pm
Kate.
If you’re the webmaster for your site, you may want to familiarize yourself with Google webmaster tools. As I mentioned in my article, it’s important to have an XML sitemap for your site. You should also designate a preferred domain name too. (Search engines look at your domain name with and without the “WWW” as being different sites.) You can also use the webmaster tools to test for crawl errors and the “Fetch” option helps to get your site indexed.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Is Your Email Address Part of Your Brand?
Twitter: antonrsa
July 18, 2012 at 4:10 am
Hi Sherryl,
Personally – It all depends on the time you have available. Running Bing and Google can be quite time consuming – Especially when it comes to solving issues with the search engines (most experienced webmaster will tell you they have constant issues with the metrics and setting up of data and properly monitoring your campaigns. And one has to keep in mind that Google still owns a large share of the search queries above Yahoo and Bing.
Anton Koekemoer recently posted..Focus on quality over quantity with social media
Twitter: keepupweb
July 19, 2012 at 11:01 pm
Hi Anton,
Out of curiosity, I just Googled to see what percentage of search traffic comes from Bing. According to an article on thesearchguru.com, Bing accounted for 10.73% of the searches in June 2012. (Yahoo accounts for 10.01% and Google 65.09%)
The article goes on to say that “It is worth noting, however, that Bing traffic has grown 43.2 percent, from 60.7 million users in June 2009 to 86.9 million users in December 2010, according to comScore. Searches have grown from 1 billion to 1.7 billion over the same period.”
That’s an interesting statistic. Even though, Bing is responsible for a small percentage of the total searches, that’s still a hefty number. (And no, it’s not lost on me that I “Googled” instead of “Binged”.
)
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Do you Brand Yourself, Your Company, or Your Product on Social Media Sites?
Twitter: hanginghyena
July 18, 2012 at 1:01 am
I’m registered with both – however… while Bing is trying really, really hard, the battle is already lost. The public statistics about Google vs. Bing traffic make no sense to me – for all of my sites, Bing is a trivial sideshow – if I gain and hold rank on Google, I get traffic. Anything else is pretty much a non-starter.
The other really good thing about Google’s toolkit is the degree to which the different elements are integrated – Webmaster Tools and Analytics talk, Adwords & Analytics talk, Analytics and Adsense supposedly talk (struggling to get this to work, hasn’t really been a priority for various reasons).
I do wish Google would be more forthcoming about the value of backlinks… it would really help if their backlink tool updated in closer to real time and had a better level of insight into what mattered…
HangingHyena recently posted..Fun Family Game Nights
Twitter: keepupweb
July 19, 2012 at 11:13 pm
I’m a big fan of Google tools too but I’m a little concerned that I’m too dependent on them. I know several people who use Clicky Web Analytics. My “to-do” list is pretty full right now. So, I don’t foresee trying Clicky soon. It could be fodder for a future post though.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..How to Add Follow Buttons to WordPress without a Plugin
I think Bing is worth setting up and checking in on once in a while. But it really depends on if you get or are trying to get traffic from Bing. Google is where the party is at. Most people focus on Google, and let Bing work itself out. Google’s Webmaster’s tools provide a lot of insight to what is going on with your site in Google.
Twitter: keepupweb
July 19, 2012 at 11:08 pm
LJ,
I think it’s worth testing Bing’s Webmaster tools to see if it has any impact on traffic. I’ll run one of my “unscientific” tests sometime after Labor Day. Right now, with so many people taking vacations (and those of us who are working taking occasional time to catch some rays), I don’t think it’s the best time to test any new strategies. (Well, I am testing one but I sort of fell into it. I didn’t actually plan to test Twitter traffic again so soon.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Does Twitter Drive Traffic to Your Website Blog?
Twitter: Robertabud
July 17, 2012 at 8:55 pm
I noticed some stats the other day that Bing is now second most used search engine moving ahead of Safari. Poor Internet explorer is just about dead.
Yes I use some google tools but not nearly as well as I should but now bing….too much info or is it just too much choice. One or 2 good things. I think I may need to up my VAs hours
Roberta Budvietas, recently posted..No Posts Were Found!
Twitter: keepupweb
July 18, 2012 at 3:55 pm
Internet Explorer – may it rest in peace. I for one would be thrilled if people didn’t use it any more. The vast majority of issues with people viewing websites usually comes from using IE as their browser.
(I sent you a DM about your VA Roberta. I need to hire someone.)
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Do you Brand Yourself, Your Company, or Your Product on Social Media Sites?
Hi Sherryl,
Very interesting and helpful article. I have been so busy with my day job that I’ve fallen behind tool knowledge. I set up bing webmaster tools some time ago and haven’t been back since. Hopefully I’ll find time to get back there soon.
Have a great week my friend!
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Twitter: keepupweb
July 18, 2012 at 2:07 pm
Hi Kathleen,
It’s so easy for all of us to fall behind. Life happens! I only checked this out because I’ve been seeing so much about it. I’m interested in hearing from everyone. I haven’t used Bing tools either but it looks like they’re worth taking a look at now.
You have a good week too!
Sherryl Perry recently posted..How to Add Follow Buttons to WordPress without a Plugin
My goal is to get back there within two weeks and do some learning Sherryl. Hoping you will do a follow up after taking a look
Twitter: keepupweb
July 20, 2012 at 12:56 pm
Hi Kathleen,
I do plan a follow up post but it won’t be for a while. I’m really backed up with projects and I don’t honestly believe the summer months are the best time to experiment with tracking traffic. (I still owe everyone a follow up to my “unscientific” Twitter experiment too.)
Twitter: jepaladino
July 17, 2012 at 8:26 pm
Sherryl — I have SMLSitemaps on my computer. I must confess ignorance about the Bing Webmaster Tools. I guess one question I have is do you need to have the webmaster tools from both Google and Bing to maximize your search results?
Jeannette Paladino blogging, branding recently posted..Are You Thinking of Switching to a WordPress Website?
Twitter: keepupweb
July 18, 2012 at 1:56 pm
Jeannette,
After reading the article in Website Magazine, I believe there’s value in using both. From what I’ve read, there’s different insight that you can cull from each. Since I only look at my analytics monthly, I don’t think it would be adding a significant amount of time to add Bing to what I’m already doing. I plan on setting it up soon. In addition to additional information, I’m curious if it will have any impact on the amount of traffic I get from Bing.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..SEO Should Be A Habit Not A Headache
Twitter: jepaladino
July 18, 2012 at 2:28 pm
Thanks for the advice. Let us know if you get more traffic!
Jeannette Paladino blogging, branding recently posted..Engaging Your Employees on Social Networks
Twitter: realizzaresito
July 17, 2012 at 4:32 pm
Hello,
I use only Google Webmaster Tools… and I use it a lot. I also use Google Adwords Tools and Analitycs.
I don’t care much about Bing because it… doesn’t drive any traffic to my website, even if score a very high position in Bing and Yahoo for my keywords.
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Twitter: keepupweb
July 18, 2012 at 1:51 pm
Thanks for letting us know what you’re doing Ivan. I’ve never tried Bing tools but I’m wondering if it would have an impact on the amount of traffic that I get. I plan on trying them.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Tracking Changes to Your Website Blog and Social Media Strategy
Twitter: SusanPCooper
July 17, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Althought i am unable to offer any significant value to your question, I still found your post informative. I will be doing some research on Bing to see how it may fit in to my strategy. I will let you know what I do or what my perspective is when I do. Thanks so much for bringing this to the forefront.
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Twitter: keepupweb
July 18, 2012 at 1:39 pm
Hi Susan,
If you’ve never used any webmaster tools before, I’d suggest starting with Google’s tools. That’s where you’ll get the most benefit. If you have any questions, you know how to find me.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Tips for Optimizing Photos and Graphics for Your Blog