Microsoft has recently updated Bing Webmaster Tools with new features that aim to provide valuable insights and reports to help improve site performance within Bing and Search in general. The updates include the IndexNow Insights report and the top SEO insights report.
The IndexNow Insights report provides actionable insights on URLs submitted to IndexNow, allowing users to boost their visibility and rankings. The report offers both top-level metrics and detailed reports, giving users a comprehensive understanding of their submitted URLs. Unlike the previous report, which only showed URLs submitted in the past 24 hours, the new report includes URL count trends and additional insights. It also highlights URLs that were discovered through crawling or other means rather than IndexNow.
The new features available in version two of the IndexNow report include the ability to learn about issues with crawled URLs and the status of submitted URLs. Users can receive detailed reports on the number of URLs submitted, crawled, and indexed. The report also provides information on the latest 1,000 submitted URLs, including their index status, first indexed date, and whether they were submitted late. Additionally, users can gain insights into the source of their URL submissions and export indexing trends for further analysis or reporting.
The top SEO insights report is another valuable addition to Bing Webmaster Tools. This report offers a curated and prioritized list of the top SEO issues found for a user’s website. It provides personalized recommendations to help webmasters identify and focus on the most impactful tasks for website optimization. The report covers various aspects, including content quality issues, improving indexing coverage, tracking progress and impact, and optimizing structured data and backlinks.
In addition to these new features, Microsoft has also made some updates to the Bing Webmaster Tools navigation. The SEO section has been removed, and the main section now lists out the items. There have also been minor navigation tweaks, such as the removal of Bing URL submission from the navigation if not in use.
It is recommended for website owners to adopt IndexNow and explore its benefits. If using Cloudflare or CMS platforms that support IndexNow, the implementation process is relatively simple. Users should also take advantage of the new tools within Bing Webmaster Tools to enhance their site’s performance.
IndexNow is a ping protocol that enables website owners to inform search engines about the latest content changes on their site. By instantly notifying search engines, the changes can be quickly reflected in search results. The co-sharing of IndexNow went fully live in January 2022.
The protocol is straightforward to use. Users need to generate a key using the online key generation tool and host it in a text file at the root of their website. When URLs are added, updated, or deleted, users can submit them to participating search engines using a simple HTTP request containing the URL and key.
Overall, the updates to Bing Webmaster Tools provide webmasters with valuable insights and reports to improve their site’s performance. With the new IndexNow Insights report and top SEO insights report, users can take actionable steps to enhance their visibility and rankings in search results. It is recommended for website owners to explore these new features and adopt IndexNow for efficient communication with search engines.
