When it comes to search engines, Google gets all the love. And that makes a ton of sense, because most of the time, people are using Google to search for things on the internet. But it’s not the only search engine that matters!
Bing is still a big deal, even if most of us aren’t using it for our everyday searching. That’s because it powers search for Microsoft Edge, Windows devices, and even AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot. Which means if you’re not showing up there, you’re missing out on traffic you don’t even realize you’re losing.
Here’s the thing: Bing runs its own index. So even if you’ve already submitted your sitemap to Google (and we hope you have), that doesn’t mean Bing knows your site exists. But submitting your sitemap to Bing? That’s the equivalent of walking up, waving your hand, and saying: “Hey, I’m over here!” to a whole crowd of new users and tools.
And it takes about five minutes. Let’s talk about how to do it.
What is a sitemap?
Think of your sitemap like the master blueprint of your website.
It tells search engines:
✅ What pages are on your site
✅ How they’re connected
✅ When they were last updated
So instead of hoping Bing or Google eventually stumble across your newest blog post or services page, your sitemap walks them in by the hand and says, “Here’s everything you need to see.”
Psst! Still need to submit your sitemap to Google? Here’s our full guide on how to do it.
Why submitting your sitemap to Bing is so important
If you’ve never thought twice about Bing, you’re not alone. But here’s why it’s worth carving out 10 minutes to get your sitemap submitted:
✅ Bing powers ChatGPT and other AI tools.
When someone asks a question in ChatGPT, the answers often come from Bing’s index. If your site’s not in there? You’re invisible. Submitting a Bing sitemap is the closest you can get for now to submitting a ChatGPT sitemap.
✅ Microsoft users = automatic Bing searches.
New laptops, tablets, and PCs all default to Bing via Microsoft Edge. That’s a lot of potential eyes on your business.
✅ Faster indexing.
Submitting your sitemap manually means Bing doesn’t have to wait weeks (or months) to find your pages. You get crawled and indexed faster, which means showing up in search sooner.
✅ It’s free, fast, and easy.
No tech headaches here. Just a quick form, a few clicks, and you’re done.
What you need before you submit
Before we walk through how to submit a sitemap to Bing, let’s make sure you’ve got your ducks in a row. Good news: You only need two things to get started (and one of them you probably already have.)
✅ A Bing sitemap (aka your sitemap URL)
This is the file that tells search engines what’s on your website and how it’s structured. If you’re using a WordPress SEO plugin like Yoast or RankMath, your sitemap is generated automatically.
You’ll find it at a URL like this:
https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
That’s the link you’ll submit to Bing. (We’ll walk you through that part in a sec.)
✅ A Bing Webmaster Tools account
This is Bing’s free tool that lets you manage how your site appears in their search engine. You can sign in with a Microsoft, Google, or Facebook login.
Once you’re in, you’ll be able to submit your sitemap, monitor indexing, and even troubleshoot any errors Bing finds when crawling your site. Think of it as your control center for Bing SEO.
Pro tip: If you’ve already submitted your sitemap to Google, you can actually import your settings directly from Google Search Console. One click, and your setup is done.
How to submit a sitemap to Bing
This whole process takes just a few minutes (and once it’s done, it keeps working for you behind the scenes.)
Here’s how to submit your sitemap to Bing step by step:
Step 1: Log into Bing Webmaster Tools
Go to Bing Webmaster Tools and sign in using your Microsoft, Google, or Facebook account.
Step 2: Add your website
If this is your first time here, you’ll need to add your website. You can do this manually or import your site settings straight from Google Search Console. That’s a huge time-saver if you’ve already set up Google SEO.
Step 3: Locate your sitemap URL
Your sitemap is usually found at:
https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
(If you’re using a tool like Yoast, RankMath, or another SEO plugin, it’s likely already live.)
This is also your Bing sitemap, aka the file that helps Bing (and tools like ChatGPT) find and understand your site’s content.
Step 4: Submit the sitemap
In the Bing Webmaster dashboard:
- Click on your site name.
- Head to the Sitemaps section in the left sidebar.
- Paste your sitemap URL into the “Submit Sitemap” field.
- Hit Submit.
Done! 🎉
Step 5: Give It a minute
It might take a little time for Bing to crawl your site and index the pages. Check back in a few days. Bing will show you if it successfully indexed your pages and flag any errors (so you can fix them, fast!)
So, what does this have to do with GEO?
GEO (aka Generative Engine Optimization) is the next big thing in search.
AI tools like ChatGPT are now pulling data from Bing’s index, which means when you submit your sitemap to Bing, you’re not just helping your site show up in search results. You’re helping it show up in AI answers.
That blog you wrote last month?
That beautifully written services page?
That FAQ you spent hours getting just right?
It’s all more likely to be referenced in AI tools when your sitemap is submitted.
Think of it like this: SEO feeds GEO.
Submitting your sitemap keeps your site in the loop for both traditional and AI-powered search.
Do you still need to submit to Google?
Short answer? Yes. Always.
Google may not be the main data source for generative AI (yet), but it’s still THE search engine. Submitting your sitemap to both Google and Bing makes sure:
- Your site shows up in traditional search results
- Your content is accessible to AI tools that rely on Bing’s data
- You’ve covered all your SEO bases like the responsible website owner you are 😌
Submitting sitemaps to Bing is easy!
Let’s be real: marketing is full of shiny new trends. And while AI, ChatGPT, and generative search sound flashy, getting your SEO and GEO ducks in a row isn’t hard.
Submitting your sitemap is a quick, essential step that helps tools like Google and Bing (and yes, even ChatGPT!) understand who you are, what you do, and why you’re worth showing in search.
Want someone to take a look and make sure everything’s working behind the scenes?
Book an SEO Strategy Session and let’s make sure your site shows up everywhere your customers are looking.
