If you don’t know already it is very important to setup your local business listing on local and mainstream search engines. Well since Bing came out I thought I would go there and get StepForth’s listing. So I visited the Bing Local Listing Center and tried to add my company’s local listing but I ran into an annoying wall a little ways into the process that was a real let down; they didn’t bother to tell me that only the USA is supported at the moment.
January 30th, 2013 Update: Great news! You can now add your Canadian business easily and free to Bing Local via Nokia.
If you are in the USA the process to get your local listing is straight forward – at least as far as I got. Just go to the Bing Local Listing Center and log in with your Microsoft Passport (or create one) and if the system does not find a current listing it will allow you to create one. Well StepForth does not have one yet according to their system so I was directed to the listing local listing creation page. When I got to the creation page and began to fill out the submission form I was rebuffed by a big pet peeve of mine… the system knew I was Canadian (it is noted in the header of the page) and yet the only way to add a listing was to enter a State and Zip (see screenshot).
I realize this is a nitpicky post but I am fed up with oversights in this regard. I mean how hard can it be to say “I am sorry but Bing Local Listings is not supporting Canada right now – click here to be notified when it becomes available” instead of finding out later on that it only supports the States? Thankfully the form is not long, so I don’t discover this fact after entering a ton of information, which I have experienced all too often. Come on Microsoft! Get with it!
Mini-rant complete. Thank you for listening.
Getting a Business Listing in Bing Canada – Update – July 2nd, 2010
Hi everyone, when I was at SMX Advanced a few weeks back I spoke with Eric Gilmore from Bing and asked him what was happening with Bing Canadian listings. Unfortunately, his answer was not positive. What I interpreted from his round-about explanation was Canada would only have access at the same time the rest of the world was and that it was all a matter of priorities (they are focused on a new roll out of Bing Webmaster Tools right now). That said, he was sure we would be happy when it did come – gee thanks. A VERY displeasing answer in my opinion, but it is what it is. – Ross Dunn
Article History: Originally posted June 26, 2009
Update #1: July 2, 2010
Nice piece of information, realy useful……
Thanks buddy!
Please Help I cant Understand. how I Serch a perticular state for listing
Please Help
Thanks
Hi Ranjan, if you are in the USA you will have no problem setting up your local listing – at least in context to my article. If you are looking to add your business to a particular state the physical location of your company needs to be in that state. Just go to https://ssl.bing.com/listings/BusinessSearch.aspx and search for your listing. After that Bing does a decent job of walking you through the process. – Cheers, Ross
Hi Ross
I’m with you all the way. I just spent an intensely frustrating 15 minutes trying to list our business on Yahoo local listings, then a happy few minutes updating our listing on Google, and now an annoying minute-and-a-half on Bing (at least Yahoo taught me what to expect!) It’s really not that hard for them to support other countries! And if they can’t do that, yes, they could have some kind of statement at the top: “US only, rest of world don’t bother to try.”
Linda
Amen, Linda!! I can’t stand shortsightedness like that – especially from massive companies like Microsoft who should know better. Ug
Thanks for commenting on the site, I hope to hear more from you! Cheers. Ross
Hey Ross,
Good post – thanks, I’ve just been trying to add our Canadian business to Bing and Yahoo – very frustrating!
Google was so easy – it can’t be that hard for Bing/Yahoo to do the same can it?
Yahoo’s site tool me through so many dead ends and loops, that I’ve given up! And for Bing to only support the US is very short sighted!
Cheers,
Nick
I know, it’s strange because there are some Canadian companies listed if you search for web design, victoria, bc but it’s impossible to create a listing if you’re in Canada. They must have autogenerated those…*sigh*
Actually if you dig really deep (i mean i spent an hour on this), you can find information that the Bing local results shown in Canada, are actually pulled from the Yellow Pages. So to get a Bing local listing, you have to have a yellow pages ad!
I have had same issues with Yahoo maps and Bing, but i see local Canadian listings , so i don’t understand am i missing something???
Hi Mike,
What we are talking about is the submission process of adding Canadian businesses. Perhaps the landscape has changed though… are you seeing Canadian fields now? (I hope they did make the change but I haven’t been there to look)
Pretty lame huh? Yeah I came across that as well but it is obviously an oversight or… well I guess this is Microsoft… blatant collusion
Anyway, here’s to hoping they get their act together in this regard. Thanks for your post John, much appreciated!!!
What I want to know is why, if the “canada” option is not available, do I see all my competitors in the results?!?! How did they get on?
Ive just messed around for an hour trying to see how to submit my business to Bing Canada. Then i found this blog, thanks guys for all the info. They should make the business listings free like Google does. What have they got to loose?
It’s so stupid you have to have a yellow pages ad, whats the big deal with bing not allowing us to ad ourselves. I also know a MS insider who said BING is going to change a lot for Canadians and become a lot more like the american site. Whatever that means.
Hi Julia,
I would imagine your competitors got onto Bing by having a YellowPages listing and perhaps other Internet Yellow Page (IYP) listings.
It is pretty frustrating, however, that we have to take a back-route to getting into Bing. Very lazy of Microsoft if you ask me.
Cheers
Ross
I have a 411.ca listing, and still can not get intoi Bing, but my competeors are all there. I’ve been sending help requests to Bing about it, several times a day, still no response
Even for US businesses, BING IS A FAILURE.
It’s so hard just to find the page to set up a listing. I couldn’t find it within Bing, so I GOOGLED IT!
Wait a second…I have had a yellow pages listing; both on paper and online for ove 4 years and still don’t show up on bing’s local business center…
Retarded.
So any solution yet? After a less then 2 minutes process of posting my business listing on Google (for 3 business non-the-less), I’m beyond frustrated with yahoo and Bing.
I thought I was completely retarded. Apparently not completely. Thanks very much for the info.
Hi Arie, you know, I haven’t revisited this but I did get a request for that very same information the other day. I guess the universe is telling me to go and try try again. Thanks for the poke. I will be sure to post the info when I know. Just keep your eye on the blog and thanks for reading!
Ross it used to be possible thru market location but that does not work no either. Do let me know if you find a solution.
Ahhh, this is the support group I needed. Have been trying to list my business on yahoo and Bing for months now! In both cases, I appear to be thwarted by this relationship with Yellowpages. I advertise in YP, and my info in my YP add is correcct, but for some reason it has not translated properly to Bing (my push pin is out by abour 10kms) and in the case of Yahoo, it would appear that I don’t exist at all. My organic listings are great, but I can’t take advantage of Yahoo!Local or Bing Local Listing Center…so frustrating!
Fascinating! I am sorry that you have to be a guinea pig here, but the fact is there are very few Canadians talking about this issue. I will connect with you via email and although my next couple of weeks are insane, I will see if I can help at all in exchange for making this into an article – if it fits.
A year later, and still no way to list on Bing. Very frustrating.
Ross,
Like you I am in Victoria BC so our search results should come up the same. I searched on Bing for Victoria bed and breakfasts and saw a local listing for a Victoria, ie Canadian B&B, Amore by the Sea adjacent to the map in the organic results. They do have a yellowpages.ca listing.
With the Yahoo & Bing search arrangement on the horizon in Canada I have tried several times to get the Bing local search set up. Still no joy: you are right to rant!
Please keep us posted.
Thank you Martin, I will definitely keep you up to date as best I can! Cheers, Ross
Thank you Ross for posting this useful article and piece of information. I am from Australia and would like to add my website in local searching at Bing. Today, I found this post and got really too much help about the Bing local search listing.
You are most welcome Gloria. Hopefully Bing will get its butt in gear and open local to the rest of the world. Cheers, Ross
So since we (Canadians) can’t add our business listings directly, how/where is Bing getting/showing the current business listings for Canada?
This link is for Mortgages in Vancouver and its showing “local business results” http://www.bing.com/local/default.aspx?what=mortgages&where=Vancouver%2c+BC&s_cid=ansPhBkYp01&mkt=en-ca&ac=false&qpvt=mortgages+in+vancouver&FORM=LARE
So they’re getting them from somewhere.
I agree with Ches. If we cannot list Canadian businesses to bing, how the hell some businesses are showing up in the bing’s local directory? Apparently, a lot of computer repair services are listed on it but how did they do it?
Can you tell me if there is a bulk upload for Bing? I can’t for the life of me find one, and I have many locations to upload. Same question for Yahoo if you have the knowledge!
Thanks!
Zac
Hi Zac, where are you submitting from (nationale). Thanks
Still no way to put Canadian info there! Guess I should never have bought that copy of Windows a quarter century ago…
I was trying to add our Winnipeg web design office to Bing maps and found that the maps search was also broken for Canada. We add all of our customers to Google maps and it is really easy. Bing is a real disappointment.
Bing started out great, with a huge hype and all. But it never really delivered. And now I hear about this, they need to put more effort into it. It’s a simple flaw they could correct.
I guess there is a reason I use Google for my everything. Everyone wants a piece of the Google pie but never deliver the goods like Google does. People say Google wants to rule the world and I say let them.
Another frusterated Canuck!!! Goggle was super easy to upload to, spent hours navigating in circle around Bing & Yahoo and nothing.
Glad I stumbled across this post and will definitely bookmark you for updates Ross!
Hi Jenn, thanks kindly for the comment and I am glad this put some confusion to rest…. Canada = Limited Functionality
Anyway, if I hear anything of great benefit I will let you know.
Great source of info Ross, glad to see I am not alone! I have been chasing Bing & Yahoo for 2 years to list my Canadian site listed, how frustrating. Canadian business does not matter to Bing or Yahoo but Goggle gets it and I guess that is why they are number 1 in my books.
Great job, I’ll stay tuned!
I had a Dalmatian named Bing that was famous for opening refrigerators and stealing food (or scooping food off of counters). Sounds as if Bing Maps are trying to steal Google’s business with a crappy product. I’m in Canada and my business would be better off with just Google instead of an inaccurate Bing location I cannot change.
Microsoft is lame so Bing will be too. Google is my main listing, but I want to get citations from the other listings. I don’t care about people finding the business in Bing or Yahoo, I just want Google to find them.
John
Amen J! Amen! Bing’s local system is highly inadequate for Canadians.
I found out the hard way that Yahoo was in bed with the yellowpages extortionists when I couldn’t list on Yahoo local. Now same thing with Bing… LAME. So I have to pay $600+ a month to yellowpages just so I can list on Yahoo and Bing…. Ummm how about NO?
Die yellowpages DIE already !!!! And stop phoning me!
ROFL! Love that post
I am in complete agreement!!
This is insane! According to your string, this conversation has been going on since June 26th 2009!!!!! and this still hasn’t been fixed?? (It’s only been an issue for me for a couple of days…but this is getting incredibly frustrating. Every where I look tells me that to rank in local search, I need to have a presence in google, yahoo and bing local. How can I rank if I can’t post a profile? ughhhh.. so frustrated.
Hi there, yes, you are correct… this has been going way too long. If only we had something of significance to hold over their head to get this done. Right now, Bing simply doesn’t care about Canadians. It is clear and as is typical with Microsoft… stupid.
Ok…I’m back and may have figured it out!
I was able to input all my info here…www.bingbusinessportal.com
It let me put the full address in, including Postal Code. I left the US as the country, but on the map it shows up properly. They mail out their verification and say I should have it in 7-10 days.
I’ll update then if it works :0
Jenn
Tried the same trick with Yahoo, but wouldn’t go past the 5 digit Zip Code
I had the same question for the longest time! why Microsoft doesn’t let Canadian business be listed on Bings business portal. I have a feeling they will put a listing price on this service, so users have to pay to get listed. Just like other Microsoft products for instance XBOX LIVE or Microsoft Anti Virus….
Wow, still won’t let me claim the Canadian business. Get with the times Bing! I have a Microsoft account, like Google Adwords. They can take your money for bidding on keywords, but won’t let you claim your location in CANADA…. eh