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Bing’s Topics Portfolio Boosts Local Business AI Citations
Microsoft’s Bing Webmaster Tools now groups AI search queries into topics, revealing where your site is cited or missing. Local businesses can use this data to target high‑impact topics and improve AI visibility. Learn how to leverage the new Topics Portfolio for better discovery.
Key Highlights
- ✓Bing’s Topics Portfolio groups AI queries into broader topics
- ✓Highlights grounding queries where competitors are cited but you’re not
- ✓Only available to sites with sufficient Bing data
- ✓Provides data‑driven content gaps for local businesses
What Happened\nMicrosoft announced a beta feature called **Topics Portfolio** in the AI Performance report of Bing Webmaster Tools. The feature groups the AI search queries that bring your site into Bing’s AI answers into broader topics, and highlights the grounding queries where competitors are cited but your site isn’t.\n\nThe tool was unveiled on the Search Engine Journal and is currently in beta. It is available only to sites that have enough data in Bing’s index. Smaller sites may see fewer topics or none at all.\n\n## Key Details\n- **Where it lives**: The Topics Portfolio tab sits next to Citations & Pages in the AI Performance section.\n- **What it shows**: For each topic, Bing lists:\n - The number of AI answers that mention your site.\n - The number of competing sites cited.\n - A list of *grounding queries* where your site is missing.\n- **Grounding queries**: These are the specific search terms Bing’s AI uses to find content. If your site isn’t cited for a grounding query, it won’t appear in the answer.\n- **Data limits**: Topics with insufficient presence are omitted. This means the dashboard can look empty for very small businesses.\n- **Actionable insights**: By identifying gaps, you can create or optimize content to target those grounding queries and increase your chances of being cited.\n\n## What It Means For Your Business\n- **Visibility in AI answers**: Being cited in Bing’s AI responses can drive traffic that bypasses traditional SERPs. The Topics Portfolio lets you see exactly where you’re already present and where you’re not.\n- **Targeted content strategy**: Instead of guessing which topics matter, you now have a data‑driven list of high‑impact topics and missing grounding queries. Focus your SEO and content teams on these gaps.\n- **Competitive advantage**: If a competitor is cited for a grounding query that you’re missing, that’s a clear opportunity. Prioritize content that addresses that query.\n- **Budget planning**: The report can inform your 2027 budget decisions. If you’re already cited in a topic, investing further may yield diminishing returns. Conversely, a topic with many gaps but high search volume can justify a fresh investment.\n- **Local relevance**: For local businesses, grounding queries often include location‑based terms (e.g., “best coffee shop in Austin”). The Topics Portfolio shows whether your local content is being used by Bing’s AI.\n- **Measurement and reporting**: Use the dashboard to set quarterly goals: increase the number of AI citations in a target topic by X%.\n\n### Quick Tips\n- **Check your presence**: Log in to Bing Webmaster Tools, navigate to AI Performance → Topics Portfolio. Review the list of topics.\n- **Prioritize gaps**: Sort by the number of missing grounding queries. Those with the most gaps are the highest‑priority content opportunities.\n- **Optimize content**: Ensure your page titles, meta descriptions, and on‑page copy include the grounding query naturally. Use schema where appropriate.\n- **Leverage local signals**: Add local business schema, Google Business Profile, and citations to strengthen your local authority.\n- **Track changes**: Re‑run the report every 3–6 months to see if your citations improve after content updates.\n\nBy embracing Bing’s new Topics Portfolio, local and small businesses can transform AI visibility from a mystery into a measurable, actionable metric. Start exploring today and turn those missed grounding queries into new traffic streams.
Why This Matters For Your Business
In the age of AI‑powered answers, being cited by Bing’s AI can bring a steady stream of traffic that bypasses traditional search results. For small and local businesses, this means a new, high‑intent audience that may never click on a search engine result page. The Topics Portfolio turns this opportunity into a measurable KPI: you can see exactly which topics you’re already cited in and, more importantly, which grounding queries you’re missing.\n\nBy targeting those gaps, you can create highly relevant content that Bing’s AI will reference, boosting your visibility and driving qualified traffic. This data‑driven approach also helps you prioritize limited marketing budgets, focusing on topics that promise the highest return on investment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a grounding query?
A grounding query is the specific search term Bing’s AI uses to locate content for an answer. If your site isn’t cited for that query, it won’t appear in the AI response.
Do all websites get the Topics Portfolio?
Only sites with enough data in Bing’s index will see the feature. Smaller sites may see fewer topics or none at all.
How can I use this data to improve my SEO?
Identify topics with many missing grounding queries, then create or optimize content that naturally includes those terms, add relevant schema, and strengthen local signals.
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