4 things you may not know about Bing Webmaster tools and 1 about Bingbot

Keyword research tool

Our organic keyword research tool is live and a great way to do keyword research.  What makes this tool different is the data source.  Instead of pulling from the paid advertising side and their attendant tools, we’ve built ours to run on organic search query volumes from Bing.  You simply type in your phrase, determine if you want an exact match to the phrase by selecting “strict” and hit the Search button.  The results for the phrase you entered, and related phrases will appear on the page.  You can select a date ranging back 6 months from the current date, and export the data as well.  Filters exist to narrow down the information, allowing you to target down to a country/region or language as well.  There’s also a History section that allows easy access to your last 25 researched phrases.

Webmaster API

Bing Webmaster now comes in a handy API form!  Almost all of the data available through our tools is available via the API, so you can grab a copy and plug it into your favorite dashboard to view your data where you work most.  The API access point can be found near the Preferences section.

Message alert setup

You can control whether we email you alerts easily.  By allowing us permission, and specifying an email address, we can send alerts on such issues as malware detection.  You can choose whichever email address you like, specify the types of messages you’d like to get from us, and choose the frequency at which we email you.  You can access this feature from the Preferences section in your account.

Average impression as trust indicator

Inside the tools, in the Traffic section for your domain, you’ll see a list of keywords and the amount of traffic each keyword has sent you’re your site.  To the right of this is a column labeled “Avg. Impression Position”.  Keep an eye on this column.  It’s no secret that we move your listing up and down, testing you in different locations.  The key takeaway here is that as that number gets smaller, it means you’re closer to ranking at the top of the SERP.  You can use this information to understand how we view your site against that query.  If you see your impression position – where we show you in the SERP – increasing, you’re doing the right things.  If you see it decreasing, you may want to review your work, or check to see if your competition is getting ahead of you.

Bingbot’s alternate career

Bingbot is a budding thespian.  He's a bonafide actor and was an extra in Real Steel.  While he didn’t have a speaking role, he was there in the background.  He's also done stunt work for KITT, of Knight Rider fame, and actually once turned down a role as C3PO, stating C3PO was "..too prissy...".  He plans to write a memoir soon, to be titled, "Oh man, the stuff I've seen..."

…and of course, you can probably guess what time of year it is after reading #5.  The list is really only 4 items, as number 5 is pure April Fools fantasy.  In truth, Bingbot will not be allowed to write a memoir...

Source: Webmaster Center blog