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Bing reveals its ranking factors in updated webmaster guidelines

Bing reveals its ranking factors in updated webmaster guidelines
by
July 10, 2020
in Local SEO, Marketing, OFF-PAGE SEO, SEO Techniques
144

Bing, the popular search engine, recently updated its Webmaster Guidelines, which have remained the same since 2012. In this updated document, Bing shares the changes they have made to the search engine and what the modern search results look like.

Understanding Bing’s Ranking Factors

The 2020 version of the Webmaster Guidelines consists of an entire section that tells us how Bing ranks content. According to the updated guidelines, there are six main factors that Bing takes into account when ranking content:

1. Relevance

Bing considers how closely the landing page content matches the intent behind a search query. It also takes into account semantic equivalents such as synonyms and abbreviations. This means that if your website’s content matches the search intent, you will have a better chance of ranking higher on Bing’s search results.

2. Quality and Credibility

Bing evaluates the author’s or site’s reputation, the level of discourse, the completeness of the content, and transparency of authorship to determine the quality and credibility of a page. This is why it is essential to produce high-quality content that provides value to the readers.

3. User Engagement

Bing considers user engagement as an important ranking factor. It determines user engagement by analyzing whether users clicked through to search results for a given query, and if so, which results they clicked on. Bing also looks at whether users spent time on the search results they clicked through to or if they quickly returned to Bing. Moreover, Bing takes into account whether users adjusted or reformulated their query.

4. Freshness

Bing generally prefers fresh content, meaning sites that consistently provide up-to-date information. This is why it is essential to keep your website’s content up-to-date to increase your chances of ranking higher on Bing’s search results.

5. Location

Bing considers factors such as a user’s location, where the page is hosted, the language used, and the location of other visitors. If your website provides localized content that caters to specific regions, you are more likely to rank higher on Bing’s search results.

6. Page Load Time

Bing considers slow page load time as poor user experience and hence, prefers faster page loads. This is why it is crucial to optimize your website’s speed to increase your chances of ranking higher on Bing’s search results.

Bing’s Stance on Potentially Offensive or Harmful Content

Bing does not rank sites based on the characteristics of the goods or services unless the content is potentially offensive or harmful to the users. For example, sites that promote methods of suicide or purport to sell opioids or other potentially harmful drugs may get demoted by Bing.

What to Do Next

Bing’s updated search guidelines are a quick 10-minute read, and it is highly recommended that you take the time out to go through them. Unlike Google, Bing admits that User Engagement is an important ranking factor. This is why it is essential to produce high-quality content that engages your audience to increase your chances of ranking higher on Bing’s search results.

If you are a pro in SEO or know someone who is serious about marketing a website or is working on a website, ask them to go through the document as all the details shared here are must-know information.

Conclusion

Bing’s updated Webmaster Guidelines offer essential insights into how the search engine ranks content. By following the guidelines and producing high-quality content that engages your audience, you can increase your chances of ranking higher on Bing’s search results.

FAQs

What are Bing’s main ranking factors?
Bing’s main ranking factors include relevance, quality and credibility, user engagement, freshness, location, and page load times.

Why is user engagement important for Bing?
User engagement is important for Bing because it helps the search engine understand which search results are more relevant and valuable to users. By analyzing user engagement, Bing can determine which pages provide the most useful information and improve its search results accordingly.

What should I do if my website has slow page load time?
If your website has slow page load time, you should consider optimizing it to improve its speed. You can do this by compressing images, minimizing the use of plugins, and using a content delivery network (CDN) to reduce the distance between the server and the user.

Does Bing prioritize fresh content over high-quality content?
No, Bing does not prioritize fresh content over high-quality content. While fresh content is important, Bing also considers factors such as relevance, quality, and user engagement when ranking pages. Therefore, it is essential to produce high-quality content that engages your audience to increase your chances of ranking higher on Bing’s search results.

How often should I update my website’s content to rank higher on Bing’s search results?
There is no fixed frequency for updating your website’s content. However, it is recommended that you update your content regularly to keep it fresh and up-to-date. You should also focus on producing high-quality content that provides value to your audience to increase your chances of ranking higher on Bing’s search results.

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I am a PHP and WordPress web developer with over 5 years of experience in web development. I specialize in creating responsive websites for my clients. My expertise lies in various web languages including HTML, HTML5, XHTML, Bootstrap, CSS, CSS3, AJAX, JavaScript, jQuery, PHP, and SQL. In addition to my web development skills, I also have CMS skills with WordPress and can convert PSD files to HTML.

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