In its continuing struggle to differentiate itself from Google, Bing has determined to refine local search results for its users and has replaced its existing Local Listing Centre with Business Portal which is in Beta form. It is a vital step that Bing has taken in the right direction for Bing and local search as it is intended to provide businesses a set of easy-to-use listing tools to create and manage their local business listing on Bing along with various effective ways to improve their listing in local search. It seems a big opportunity for businesses to boost their visibility and persuade their targeted audience to visit them.

“All existing listings on Local Listing Center(LLC) have already been seamlessly migrated to the Bing Business Portal(BBP),” a Bing representative tells WebProNews.

It’s obviously a good idea to have a verified business in the search engine’s listings, but as an added bonus, it can actually improve your overall search rankings as well. “The details you provide can help modify how your business appears in the Bing algorithmic search results,” Bing says on a FAQ page. “Add photos, logos, contact information, payment types, menus, and other business details that help your business stand out from other local listings.”

“The Bing Business Portal is just one of many ways Bing helps improve business rankings and local search results, and it’s a quick and easy way to help businesses improve their relevancy on Bing and increase the amount of quality traffic to their site,” the representative says.

Tools that Bing Business Portal has according to official copy include:

• Claim and verify a business listing and profile
• Listing detail/profile editor
• Photo upload tool
• Deal wizard
• Publishing tools

According to Bing, various benefits that you can incur encompass:

• Claim, create, verify, and manage local business listings
• Identify key search categories where you want your listing to appear
• Customize listings with enhanced details such as logos, photos, and more
• Create a mobile Web site (and free QR Code) so customers can learn about your business on their mobile devices
• Create a custom menu (restaurants and bars) for inclusion on a mobile menu
• Create Deals (coupons) and promote them for free on Bing (both PC and Mobile) and Facebook
• Authorize other users to manage your listings

The best part of this portal that is most interesting is that there is no charge to use Bing Business Portal, and users can also create custom deals(rebates, coupons, or special prices, etc.) for free which will appear in Bing search results as well(including mobile and desktop searches),in addition, deals can also be published on Facebook.

“Any business can claim, customize, and manage their listing via the Bing Business Portal,” Bing says. “Currently Bing Business Portal is optimized for independent, locally owned businesses where the local business owner or store manager is responsible for making local advertising and marketing decisions. Examples include restaurants, bars, spas, florists, and the like.”