Copilot answer process: Bing query, indexed pages, source reading, and linked answer.
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AI platform guide · Microsoft Copilot

Reach the answers in Microsoft Copilot

Copilot is built into Windows, Edge and Microsoft 365, and it draws its web answers from Bing. Many sites have never been set up for Bing at all. We fix that and prepare your pages to be cited.

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  • Bing indexing fixed first
  • IndexNow set up
  • Tested in Copilot
How it answers
Copilot grounds its web answers in Bing search results and cites the pages it used.
Where it gets pages
The Bing index, crawled by Bingbot.
Where people use it
Windows, Edge, Bing and Microsoft 365.
What you control
Bing Webmaster Tools, sitemaps, IndexNow and Bing Places.
Overview

What is Copilot and Bing AI SEO?

Microsoft Copilot is the AI assistant built into Windows, the Edge browser and Microsoft 365. When it answers from the web, it uses Bing's search index. Copilot SEO is the work of making your pages available to it and worth citing.

Copilot is built into Windows, Edge and Microsoft 365, which puts it in front of people at work all day. Its buyers are often office-based and purchasing for a business. Because its web answers are grounded in Bing, the route to visibility is unusually concrete: get properly indexed in Bing, then give it pages worth citing.

Copilot and Bing AI SEO at a glance

Copilot SEO is the work of making a website visible in Microsoft Copilot's answers. Copilot grounds its web answers in the Bing index, so a page that Bing has not indexed cannot be cited. The work starts with Bing Webmaster Tools, sitemaps and IndexNow, then moves to content that answers questions clearly.

  • In practice

    Most websites are set up for Google only. Many have never been verified in Bing Webmaster Tools and have pages missing from Bing without anyone noticing. So the work starts with Bing indexing and then moves to content.

  • Who it is for

    B2B businesses whose buyers work in Microsoft 365, and any business that has never checked how it appears in Bing.

  • What it is not

    It is not a replacement for Google work. Bing's share is smaller, so this is additional reach.

Example

What changes for the buyer

Follow one question from start to finish. The numbers match the markers on the conversation.

  1. Step 1

    The buyer asks a full question

    Not a couple of keywords. A sentence that describes what they need, often with a place, a budget or a size.

  2. Step 2

    Microsoft Copilot writes one answer

    It names a few businesses and gives a reason for each. There is no second page to scroll to.

  3. Step 3

    It shows where it looked

    The sources beside the answer are the places your business needs to be present and described well.

Typical SEOPosition 4in a list of links

Is set up for Google only, with Bing left unchecked.

Copilot and Bing AI SEONamedinside the answer

Applies the same principles to Bing, using Bing's own tools and IndexNow.

How it works

How Copilot produces a web answer

Copilot's web answers are grounded in Bing. That makes the route to a citation easy to describe, in four steps.

  1. 1

    The question goes to Bing

    Copilot turns the question into one or more Bing searches.

  2. 2

    Bing returns indexed pages

    Only pages in Bing's index can come back. A page Bing has never indexed is not in the running.

  3. 3

    The model reads the results

    Copilot reads the returned pages and takes out the passages that answer the question.

  4. 4

    It answers with linked sources

    The answer is written with links to the pages it used.

Crawler access

Crawlers and access rules for Microsoft Copilot

Access comes first. If Microsoft Copilot cannot reach or read a page, nothing else on this page matters. These are the controls involved.

  • Bingbot

    Crawls pages for the Bing index. A page that Bing has not indexed cannot be cited by Copilot.

    Allow
  • IndexNow

    A protocol, not a crawler. It notifies Bing the moment a URL is added, changed or removed.

    Setting
  • Bing Places

    Microsoft’s business listing, used for local answers.

    Setting
robots.txtExample
# Allow Bing to crawl the siteUser-agent: BingbotAllow: / # Tell Bing where your sitemap isSitemap: https://www.example.com/sitemap.xml

Bing Webmaster Tools can import verified sites from Google Search Console, so setup usually takes minutes. IndexNow is enabled through your CMS, a plugin or a CDN setting.

Why it matters

Copilot can only cite what Bing has indexed

Most businesses optimise for Google alone and assume Bing follows. Often it has not.

  1. 1

    Bing is frequently neglected

    Sites that have never been verified in Bing Webmaster Tools often have pages missing from its index without anyone noticing.

  2. 2

    Copilot is in front of office workers

    It sits inside Windows, Edge and Microsoft 365, which matters for B2B buyers researching at work.

  3. 3

    Bing data reaches further than Bing

    Other assistants and voice products also draw on Bing's index and listings, so the benefit goes beyond Copilot.

Is it for you

Signs you need Copilot & Bing AI SEO

Tick the ones that sound familiar. Two or more and this service is likely to pay back. If none do, tell us and we will say so.

0of 5
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Who uses it

Who Copilot & Bing AI SEO is for

The work is the same in principle for every sector. What changes is which questions matter and which sources count.

SDMSector specialists, not generalists

  • B2B suppliers

    Office-based buyers using Microsoft 365 ask Copilot for supplier and product suggestions.

  • IT and software vendors

    A large share of IT decision-makers work in the Microsoft ecosystem all day.

  • Local businesses

    Bing Places feeds local answers in Copilot and on Windows devices.

  • Public sector and enterprise suppliers

    Organisations standardised on Microsoft tools use Copilot by default.

  • Professional services

    Firms are researched from inside Edge and Microsoft 365 during the working day.

  • Manufacturing and industrial

    Procurement teams on Windows desktops use Copilot to find and compare suppliers.

  • Financial services

    Many banks and insurers standardise on Microsoft tools, so staff search through Copilot.

  • Office and workplace suppliers

    Furniture, equipment and service purchases are often researched at the desk.

What is included

What our Copilot and Bing AI service includes

Indexing first, then content.

  1. 01

    Bing Webmaster Tools setup

    Verification, sitemap submission and a review of crawl and index reports.

  2. 02

    IndexNow

    Set up so new and changed pages are submitted to Bing at once.

  3. 03

    Bing index coverage

    Missing pages identified and the causes fixed.

  1. 04

    Bing Places

    Your business listing claimed, completed and matched to your other listings.

  2. 05

    Answer-ready content

    Key pages structured with direct answers and supporting evidence.

  3. 06

    Copilot testing

    Priority questions tested in Copilot each month.

Comparison

Optimising for Bing and Copilot vs Google

The differences that matter when you decide where to put time and budget. Hover a line to see its counterpart.

The familiar way

Google

  • Webmaster platformGoogle Search Console
  • Getting pages found quicklySitemaps and crawling
  • Local listingGoogle Business Profile
  • AI answer surfaceAI Overviews and AI Mode
  • Typical audienceBroad
The new way

Bing and Copilot

  • Webmaster platformBing Webmaster Tools
  • Getting pages found quicklySitemaps plus IndexNow instant notification
  • Local listingBing Places for Business
  • AI answer surfaceMicrosoft Copilot
  • Typical audienceSkews to desktop and workplace users
Process

Our Copilot and Bing AI process

Five stages. Bing setup and indexing are completed in the first two weeks. Content and testing follow monthly.

  1. 1

    Bing Webmaster Tools setup

    Week 1Bing Webmaster Tools account

    We verify your site, submit your sitemaps and review Bing's crawl and index reports. The account is created in your name and stays yours.

    You receiveA working Bing Webmaster Tools account with sitemaps submitted.

  2. 2

    Index coverage

    Weeks 1 to 2Bing index coverage report

    The pages you want indexed are compared with the pages Bing has indexed. For each missing page we find the cause and fix it.

    You receiveA Bing index coverage report.

  3. 3

    IndexNow and Bing Places

    Week 2IndexNow live

    IndexNow is switched on so new and changed pages are sent to Bing at once. Your Bing Places listing is claimed, completed and matched to your other listings.

    You receiveIndexNow live and a completed Bing Places listing.

  4. 4

    Answer-ready content

    Month 2 onwardReworked priority pages

    Priority pages are reworked with direct answers and supporting evidence. You approve each page before it is published.

    You receiveReworked priority pages.

  5. 5

    Copilot testing

    Every monthMonthly Copilot test report

    Your priority questions are tested in Copilot and reported next to the data from Bing Webmaster Tools.

    You receiveA monthly Copilot test report.

Hover or tap a stage for the detail. Timings are typical for a single website; your proposal sets out the exact schedule.

Working with us

How we work with you

Sachkhand Digital Marketing has worked with businesses in 30 countries since 2017. The team is remote-first and keeps to your time zone, and the specialists who audit your site are the ones who do the work. This is how the work is shared on a Copilot and Bing AI engagement.

You

What we need from you

Your input, mostly at the start
  • A way to verify the site, by DNS record or file upload
  • Access to your website, or a developer for IndexNow
  • Business details and the verification code for Bing Places
  • The main questions your buyers ask
SDM

What our team handles

Everything else, start to finish
  • Bing Webmaster Tools setup and monitoring
  • IndexNow implementation
  • Your Bing Places listing
  • Content rework and monthly testing
  1. Free audit before any quote

    We look at your site first. After a 30-minute call you get a written proposal within 48 hours, with the scope, the timeline and the cost.

  2. One account manager

    A single point of contact who knows your account, on WhatsApp and email, with a reply within one business day.

  3. Plain-English reporting

    Reports match your own analytics and are followed by a review call. A weak month comes with the reason and the plan.

  4. No lock-in contract

    Ongoing work is billed monthly and can be stopped with 30 days' notice.

Deliverables

What you receive

Everything is handed over as files you keep. Nothing lives only in our heads or our tools.

Your folder5 items in your folder
  • WEB

    A working Bing Webmaster Tools account with sitemaps submitted.

  • { }

    IndexNow enabled.

  • PDF

    A Bing index coverage report.

  • WEB

    A completed Bing Places listing.

  • PDF

    A monthly Copilot test report.

What we will not promise

  • Copilot chooses its own sources and its behaviour differs between the consumer and Microsoft 365 versions.
  • Bing's share of search is smaller than Google's in most markets. This is additional reach, not a replacement.
  • We report what direct testing and Bing's own tools show, and do not estimate numbers they do not provide.

What you can count on

  • A dated baseline before work starts, so progress is measured and not guessed.
  • The agreed scope of work, delivered every month.
  • A plain answer at each review if something is not working, with what we will change.

We tell you this before you start, not after.

Business impact

How Copilot and Bing AI SEO helps your business grow

Bing's share is smaller than Google's, so this is additional reach. For many businesses it is reach they have never had.

Targets we plan against, for engagements of six months or more

  • +178%AI search visibilityTarget by month 6
  • 94%AI Overview citation ratePriority question set
  • 3×Brand mention growthAcross AI tools
  • +62%Branded searchTarget by month 6
AI search visibilityTarget path, indexed to your baseline (100)
  • Target
  • Baseline

Target path for a six-month engagement. It is a planning target, not a client result.

  1. 1

    A second search engine starts sending visitors

    Pages missing from Bing's index earn nothing from it. Once they are indexed, they can.

    Measured byIndexed pages and clicks in Bing Webmaster Tools.

  2. 2

    You reach buyers at work

    Copilot is built into Windows, Edge and Microsoft 365, where a lot of B2B research happens during the working day.

    Measured byTracked questions where Copilot cites your pages.

  3. 3

    Other assistants benefit

    Several other assistants and voice products draw on Bing's index and listings, so the gain reaches beyond Copilot.

    Measured byReferral visits from AI tools in Analytics.

  4. 4

    Changes are picked up faster

    IndexNow tells Bing the moment a page changes, which keeps offers, prices and stock current.

    Measured byTime from publishing a page to seeing it indexed.

Published client resultsSee the case studies →
  • 1.8KAI mentionsHome services franchise client
  • 218Pages cited in AI answersPlumbing and HVAC client
  • ~70×Organic visitsFranchise client, about 1K to 69.8K
  • 98%Client retention600+ clients in 30 countries

What we guarantee

  • A dated baseline before work starts.Every result is measured against a starting point you have seen.
  • The agreed scope, delivered every month.You know what will be done before the month begins.
  • Honest reporting.Reports match your own analytics. A quarterly review tells you plainly if something is not working.
  • White-hat methods only.No bought links, no fake reviews and nothing that risks a penalty.
  • Your approval before anything is published.No page, pitch or listing change goes live without your sign-off.
  • No lock-in.Billed monthly. Stop with 30 days' notice.

We do not guarantee a ranking or a mention in an AI answer. The search engines and assistants decide that, and no agency controls them. We guarantee the work, the measurement and the honesty.

Common mistakes

Mistakes we see most often

These come up in almost every first audit. Each one is avoidable, and most are quick to put right once you know to look.

Check my site for these
  1. Mistake 01

    Ignoring Bing entirely

    If Bing has not indexed a page, Copilot cannot cite it. Many sites have large gaps they have never checked.

  2. Mistake 02

    Not using IndexNow

    It tells Bing about new and changed URLs immediately and takes little effort to set up.

  3. Mistake 03

    Leaving Bing Places unclaimed

    Copilot uses it for local answers. Out-of-date hours or addresses get repeated.

  4. Mistake 04

    Assuming Google rankings carry over

    Bing weighs signals differently. A page that ranks well in Google may be missing from Bing.

Do it yourself

Five checks you can do this week

You do not need us for the first steps. These take under an hour and show you where you stand.

0 of 5 done

Tick each one off as you go.

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This weekUnder an hour in total
Key terms

Copilot & Bing AI SEO: key terms

The words you will hear from us, in plain English, and the phrases people type when they look for this service.

Bing Webmaster Tools
Microsoft’s free service for monitoring how Bing crawls and indexes a site.
IndexNow
A protocol that tells participating search engines immediately when a URL is added or changed.
Bing Places
Microsoft’s free business listing, used for local results.
Grounding
An assistant basing its answer on search results instead of training alone.
People also search for
  • Copilot SEO services
  • Bing Copilot SEO
  • Bing AI SEO
  • Microsoft Copilot optimization
  • Microsoft Copilot citations
  • how to rank in Copilot
  • Bing SEO services
  • IndexNow setup
  • Bing Webmaster Tools setup
  • Bing Places optimization
FAQ

Copilot & Bing AI SEO: common questions

Straight answers to the 9 questions we are asked most.

Is yours not here?

Send it to us and you get a reply within one business day.

Ask your own question
01What is Copilot SEO?

It is the work of making your website visible in Microsoft Copilot's answers, which starts with being properly indexed in Bing and continues with content that answers questions clearly.

02Does Copilot use Bing?

Yes. Microsoft states that Copilot grounds its web answers in the Bing search index. A page that is not in Bing's index cannot be cited by Copilot.

03Do I need Bing Webmaster Tools if I already use Google Search Console?

Yes. They are separate. Bing Webmaster Tools shows how Bing crawls and indexes your site, and you can import your Search Console settings to set it up quickly.

04What is IndexNow?

IndexNow is a protocol supported by Bing that lets a website notify the search engine the moment a page is added or changed, so it can be crawled sooner.

05Is Bing worth the effort?

For most businesses the setup is quick and the benefit reaches Copilot and other products that use Bing data. It matters most for B2B, where buyers use Microsoft tools at work.

06How long does it take to see results in Copilot?

Indexing fixes in Bing can take effect within days to a few weeks. Being cited more often follows as content improves and is re-crawled.

07Does Bing indexing help with ChatGPT as well?

It can. ChatGPT search has drawn on Bing’s index alongside its own crawling, so good Bing coverage supports visibility beyond Copilot.

08Can I import my Google setup into Bing?

Yes. Bing Webmaster Tools can import verified sites from Google Search Console, and Bing Places can import from Google Business Profile. We still check everything afterwards.

09Does Copilot inside Microsoft 365 use my website?

Copilot’s web-grounded answers draw on the Bing index. Copilot working inside a company’s own documents uses that company’s internal data, which this service does not cover.

Free tools

Check the basics yourself, free

Three of our free tools cover the first checks we make. No signup is needed.

  • Free
  • No signup
  • Results in seconds
Free toolAI Readiness Scanner

Check in ten seconds whether AI crawlers can read your homepage.

Open the tool Free toolAI Crawler Rules

Choose which AI crawlers may read your site.

Open the tool Free toolCompare a Competitor

Run the same scan on your site and a rival, side by side.

Open the tool
Free, with no obligation

Check how Bing and Copilot see your site

Send us your website. We will check your Bing index coverage and test your main questions in Copilot.

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  • Written proposal in 48 hours
  • No lock-in contract
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