Why It Matters and How to Do It

In today’s digital landscape, managing your business’s online presence is crucial. With the rise of Bing, fueled by its integration with LinkedIn, having an accurate and verified Bing Places listing is more important than ever. Here’s why and how you can gain control of an unverified Bing Places listing, merge duplicates, and delete outdated entries.

Why Bing Places Matters

Bing is steadily becoming a significant player in the search engine market. Its close integration with LinkedIn enhances its business visibility and networking capabilities. By ensuring your business is listed on Bing Places, you’re not only reaching Bing’s growing user base but also leveraging LinkedIn’s extensive professional network. This can lead to increased visibility, credibility, and customer engagement for your business.

How to Gain Control of an Unverified Bing Places Listing

To access Bing Places, you need a Microsoft account. Once you’ve set up your account, follow these steps to claim your business:

1. Sign in to Bing Places
   • Visit Bing Places and log in with your Microsoft account.
2. Search for Your Business
   • Use your business’s phone number, address, and name.
   • Don’t forget to check old numbers, addresses, and names to ensure you find all possible listings.
3. Claim Your Business
   • Once you locate your business, click “Claim Business.”
4. Update or Verify Your Business Info
   • On the next screen, update or confirm your business details to ensure accuracy.
5. Verify Your Business’s Location
   • Click “Next” and verify your business location on the map.
6. Enter Additional Information
   • Provide any extra details that may be necessary for your listing.
7. Verify Your Business
   • You can verify your business through several methods:
     • Email Verification
       • Enter your email address.
       • Check your email for a verification code and enter it in the pop-up box.
     • Phone Verification
       • Enter your phone number.
       • Answer the verification call and enter the provided code.
     • Text Verification
       • Enter your phone number.
       • Check your texts for a verification code and enter it.
     • Web Verification
       • Answer 5 questions that only the business owner would know. If all answers are correct, your business is instantly verified.
     • Mail Verification
       • Enter and verify your address.
       • Wait 3-5 days for a verification code to arrive by mail, then log back in and enter the code.

How to Merge Duplicate Bing Places Listings

Bing simplifies the process of merging duplicate listings. Here’s how:

1. Automatic Merging
   • Bing automatically merges duplicate listings with matching information within about 10 days.
2. Manual Merging
   • If your duplicate listings have different information:
     • Claim all listings.
     • Edit the information to match the correct listing.
     • Wait for Bing to merge the listings automatically.

How to Delete a Bing Places Listing

Removing an outdated or incorrect listing on Bing Places is straightforward:

1. Sign in to Bing Places
2. Select the Listing to Delete
3. Click “Delete”

Conclusion

With Bing’s increasing prominence and its powerful integration with LinkedIn, maintaining an accurate and verified Bing Places listing is more critical than ever. By following these steps, you can ensure your business stands out in the digital landscape, reaching more customers and enhancing your online presence.