Microsoft has launched a redesigned Bing Places for Business platform, now accessible at bing.com/forbusiness, aimed at helping business owners manage their listings more effectively on Bing search results and Bing Maps. This update is based on extensive user research focused on simplifying the experience, improving discoverability, and enabling seamless import of business listings.
Key Improvements and Features
Unified Experience on Bing.com: The entire business management experience has been migrated from www.bingplaces.com to www.bing.com/forbusiness, consolidating all listing management activities such as claiming listings, updating hours, and uploading photos into one trusted, cohesive platform aligned with the Bing ecosystem.
Smarter Imports and Easier Management: The new import workflow from Google listings is faster and more reliable, preserving critical business details like name, hours, and contact info. Enhanced dashboards, bulk editing tools, and real-time status updates make managing listings smoother.
Recommendation Tool: A new feature designed to help business owners optimize their listings by suggesting high-impact additions based on listing health and business segment. Suggestions include adding photos, key missing details (website, hours, social media), and segment-specific options like menus or online ordering links for restaurants. This tool is particularly valuable for those new to local SEO.
Background and User Insights
Microsoft’s redesign was driven by months of listening to business owners who expressed the need for:
- Better discoverability of Bing Places for Business to encourage claiming listings.
- A simplified portal consistent with other Microsoft products.
- Seamless import processes to avoid manual entry of multiple businesses.
Future Plans
The rollout is ongoing, with automatic migration of existing users and listings to the new platform. Microsoft plans to continue enhancing Bing Places for Business with deeper integrations with Bing Maps and Copilot, as well as expanded support for agencies and partners.
Business owners are encouraged to explore the new platform and provide feedback through support channels to help shape future improvements.
