Bing Keyword Research

Key Takeaways

  • Bing Keyword Research is a free Bing Webmaster Tools feature for discovering keywords, questions, search volumes, trends, and competing URLs.
  • Filters for country, language, device, and timeframe help analyze organic search behavior across specific audiences and periods.
  • Related, question, and newly discovered keywords support topical expansion, informational intent analysis, FAQ planning, and content-cluster development.
  • The tool reports Bing Search data and does not provide proprietary Keyword Difficulty scores, organic click-through rates, or guaranteed AI citations.

Bing Keyword Research is a free search optimization tool available within Bing Webmaster Tools. It helps content creators, copywriters, website owners, and SEO professionals find keywords and questions people search for on Bing and analyze their associated search volume and trends.

The tool is designed primarily for organic search and content research. It provides related keyword ideas, question-based queries, newly discovered keywords, geographic search-volume data, and the top URLs appearing in Bing Search for a root keyword. Bing’s Keyword Research documentation also explains that results can be filtered by country, language, device, and timeframe.

Bing Keyword Research vs. Google Keyword Planner

Bing Keyword Research is primarily designed to support organic content and SEO research using Bing Search data. Google Keyword Planner is primarily built for researching keywords, search estimates, costs, and forecasts for Google Search advertising campaigns, although its keyword data is also commonly used for SEO research.

How to Use Bing Keyword Research

Bing Keyword Research can be accessed directly from a verified site inside Bing Webmaster Tools.

  1. Log in to access Bing Webmaster Tools and select the relevant verified website.
  2. Open the SEO section in the left-hand navigation and choose Keyword Research.
  3. Enter a root or seed keyword describing the topic, product, service, or market being researched.
  4. Adjust the available filters:
    • Country: Filter keyword data by a particular geographic market.
    • Language: Filter results according to the language used in searches.
    • Device: Narrow the results according to device type.
    • Timeframe: Select the period to analyze. Bing’s Keyword Research documentation describes results for periods within the previous six months and a three-month default, although available ranges may vary as Bing updates the interface.
  5. Select Get details to generate search-volume information, trends, related keywords, question keywords, newly discovered keywords, and additional keyword insights.

The filters apply across the tool’s principal data points, although the country filter does not apply to the Global breakdown.

What Is Bing Keyword Research Used For?

Bing Keyword Research can support several stages of organic keyword and content research.

Analyzing Organic Search Volume: The tool shows search volume and trend information for keywords searched on Bing. This can help determine whether a topic receives meaningful search demand and how that demand changes over the selected period.

Finding Question-Based Search Intent: The Question keywords group identifies specific questions related to keyword ideas. These queries can reveal what information searchers want and provide ideas for FAQs, supporting sections, and informational content.

Finding Newly Relevant Keywords: The Newly discovered group contains related keywords that have qualified as relevant to the root keyword within the previous 30 days. Importantly, Bing states that these are not necessarily newly created queries or terms that people only started searching for during that period.

Finding Related Keywords and Subtopics: The Related keywords group provides keyword ideas that Bing considers relevant to the root term. These ideas can uncover adjacent concepts, subtopics, and terminology that may help build more comprehensive content clusters.

Reviewing Competing Search Results: Bing provides the top 10 URLs appearing in search results for the root keyword. It also displays associated topics identified through Bing’s content-processing logic, which can provide additional ideas for expanding the scope of keyword research.

Targeting Local Geographic Markets: Country and language filters can be used to examine search behavior in particular markets. The tool also provides a Global breakdown showing the countries from which search volume originates.

Analyzing Device Search Habits: Device filtering makes it possible to compare keyword demand across different device categories and determine whether search activity varies according to how people access Bing.

Researching Conversational Queries for AI-Powered Search: Question keywords can also reveal conversational topics that may be useful when researching content for AI-powered search. However, Keyword Research does not measure AI citations. Bing Webmaster Tools provides a separate AI Performance report for analyzing how site content appears in Microsoft Copilot, Bing AI experiences, and selected partner integrations.

Critical Metrics and Data to Track in Bing Keyword Research

Bing Keyword Research helps evaluate search demand, keyword relevance, geographic interest, device behavior, and competing search results. Reviewing these data points together provides a clearer view of which keywords and topics may be worth prioritizing in an organic content strategy.

  1. Search Volume and Geographic Breakdown: Search volume indicates how frequently a keyword is searched during the selected period. The Global breakdown shows where that search demand originates geographically.
  2. Search Volume Trend: Trend data shows how search demand changes over time. The tool provides selectable periods within the previous six months, with the previous three months shown by default. This can help distinguish relatively stable demand from seasonal or changing interest.
  3. Device-Filtered Search Volume: Device filters allow keyword demand to be examined for different device categories. This provides additional context about how audiences search for a particular topic.
  4. Related Keyword Search Volume and Relevance: Related keywords are ranked by relevance to the root keyword by default. Reviewing their search volumes and trends can identify worthwhile supporting terms and subtopics.
  5. Top 10 Ranking URLs and Associated Topics: The tool lists the top 10 URLs appearing for the root keyword and identifies topics Bing associates with those pages. These results can help reveal competing content and related areas that may deserve further research.
  6. Question Keywords: Question keywords show specific questions associated with the related keyword set. They are useful for identifying informational intent, long-tail queries, FAQ opportunities, and gaps in existing content.

Bing Keyword Research does not provide a proprietary Keyword Difficulty score for estimating organic ranking difficulty.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Bing Keyword Research show search volume data for Yahoo and DuckDuckGo?

Bing’s documentation describes Keyword Research as providing keyword and search-volume information for Bing Search. It does not state that the reported Keyword Research volumes combine searches from Yahoo or DuckDuckGo, so data from Microsoft’s broader search-partner ecosystem should not be assumed to be included.

Does Bing Keyword Research show Keyword Difficulty (KD) scores for queries and keywords?

No, the tool does not show Keyword Difficulty scores for queries and keywords. Bing Keyword Research provides search volume, trends, related keywords, question keywords, newly discovered keywords, geographic information, and top URLs.

How is the tool different from Google Ads Keyword Planner?

Bing Keyword Research is designed primarily for webmasters and content creators researching organic search behavior on Bing. Google Ads Keyword Planner is primarily designed for Search advertising campaigns and provides keyword ideas, estimated monthly searches, advertising competition data, bid information, and campaign forecasts.

What is the Question keywords group used for?

The Question keywords group contains specific questions people have searched for in relation to keyword ideas found in the Related keywords group. It can help identify informational search intent and provide ideas for FAQs, article sections, and long-tail content opportunities.

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