Services · Bing Places

Bing Places for franchise chains

Every location correct, complete and checked in Bing and Bing Maps.

By Gijs Bodenstaff · Updated:

With Bing Places for franchise chains you make sure every location appears with the right details in Bing and Bing Maps. Many chains only handle Google and leave Bing aside. We list your locations, verify them and check every month whether the details still match your Google Business Profile.

Why do Bing listings matter for a chain?

Bing is Microsoft's search engine. Bing Places for Business is where you manage business listings for Bing and Bing Maps. Anyone searching on a Windows computer or through Microsoft services ends up there. That is a different group of searchers from Google, and you do not see that group in your Google figures.

For a franchise brand with dozens of locations, there is something else. Every map service builds its own picture of your business. If Bing shows old opening hours or a location that has moved, a customer gets the wrong information. That costs a visit and damages trust in your brand. The differences from the other maps are explained in the three map services side by side.

Our starting point is simple: a location's details are the same on every channel. Bing Places is a fixed part of that, alongside managing Google Business Profiles and Apple Business Connect for locations.

Should Bing listings be managed centrally or per location?

We see two models at chains. In the first, each franchisee creates a listing themselves. In the second, head office manages all locations from a single account. We recommend the second model, with clear agreements on what a location may pass on itself.

Central or local management of Bing Places
ElementCentral management by head officeSeparate management per franchisee
Ownership of listingsLies with the franchise brandSpread across separate accounts
Name and categoryIdentical everywhere, in line with brand guidelinesOften their own variants
Change of opening hoursVia a fixed route, within one working dayDepends on the franchisee
Error checksMonthly for all locationsUsually only after a complaint
Handover when a franchisee changesListing stays with the franchise brandAccess is sometimes lost

How do we get your locations into Bing Places?

We work in four steps. First we collect the NAP details (name, address, phone), opening hours and category for each location. Then we import the locations or create them. Next we verify ownership. Finally, we monitor the listings every month.

What we actually do in Bing Places
TaskWhat it deliversHow often
Draw up a master file with NAP per locationOne source of truth for all channelsOnce, then with every change
List or import locationsEvery location findable in Bing MapsAt the start and for new locations
Verify ownershipListing managed by the franchise brandOnce per location
Track down duplicate or outdated listings No confusion for customersAt the start and every quarter
Compare details with GoogleDiscrepancies visible quicklyMonthly
Diagram of four steps for locations in Bing Places: collecting data, importing or creating, verifying and monthly monitoring
The four steps we use to get a chain into Bing Places and keep it there.

Data in one place

We start with one master file per franchise brand. It sets out exactly how each location's name, address and phone number are written. That file is the basis for Bing, Google and Apple.

AI flags, a person decides

AI helps us line up the details of all profiles and flag discrepancies. A specialist checks every discrepancy and corrects it. That keeps the work fast without anything being changed unseen.

Work together on measurable results, not on an annual contract. Start with the free visibility scan.

Which metrics do you track for Bing Places?

What you do not measure, you do not improve. That is why every location has its own metrics in the dashboard. You see the status and trend per location, and we deliver a monthly report. More on how it is built can be found in reporting per franchise location.

Checklist of Bing Places metrics per location
MetricWhyHow we measure it
Listing present and verifiedWithout verification you have no controlStatus per location in the account
NAP matches master fileDiscrepancies send customers to the wrong addressMonthly comparison, discrepancies flagged
Opening hours up to dateBank holidays and summer hours are easily forgottenCheck before every holiday period
Matches Google Business ProfileOne brand image on every mapField-by-field comparison
Duplicate listingsDuplicates split your visibilitySearch check on name and address

Which mistakes do we see at chains in Bing?

Even in Google the job is often unfinished: in the Local SEO Benchmark Franchise Chains 2026 by LocalSEOLab.nl and Stichting LODAK, 40% of 500 Google Business Profiles examined were fully completed. The most common mistake is forgetting Bing altogether. A second mistake is a one-off listing without maintenance: after a year, phone numbers or opening hours are no longer correct. Third pitfall: an old account of a departed franchisee that nobody can access any more. Fourth: different spellings of the brand name per location. All these mistakes can be solved with one owner, one master file and a fixed monthly check.

What does a clean-up of Bing listings look like?

A fictional example. A franchise brand has 30 locations. The visibility scan shows 22 listings in Bing, of which 6 have old opening hours and 2 are duplicates. Eight locations are missing entirely.

Fictional worked example: 30 locations in Bing Places
SituationNumber (fictional)Action
Listing correct14Verify and monitor
Old opening hours6Update from master file
Duplicate listing2Merge or request removal
Missing from Bing8List and verify from scratch
Total after clean-up30Monitor monthly

What does Bing Places management cost for your locations?

We work with fixed prices per location: Basic €199, Growth €400 and Full service €600 per location per month, excl. VAT. Strategy and advice cost €65 per hour, always with a fixed quote in advance. Want to know where you stand first? Request a free scan of your locations. Bing Places is one channel within the full online services package. If you also advertise, Bing can be combined with Google, Microsoft and Meta Ads.

What does a location outside the Google Maps top 3 cost you?

This calculation uses Dutch figures instead of American click-through rates. The average revenue per franchise location comes from the Dutch Franchise Association (NFV) statistics, reference year 2025. Nobody can say in advance exactly how much revenue a location loses without a top position in Google Maps, with a Google Business Profile that is not in order, or without proper review management. So you calculate a scenario per cause: a few percent of revenue going to a more visible competitor. Add them up and you see the combined cost.

Worked example per sector: what 1% or 3% less revenue per location per year costs
SectorRevenue per location per year1% revenue missed3% revenue missedGrowth package (€4,800 a year) as share of revenue
All sectors (average)€1,445,000€14,450€43,3500.33%
Services€480,000€4,800€14,4001%
Hospitality€1,230,000€12,300€36,9000.39%
Health care€1,270,000€12,700€38,1000.38%
Non-food retail€1,750,000€17,500€52,5000.27%
Food retail€2,910,000€29,100€87,3000.16%
Other brands€680,000€6,800€20,4000.71%

Revenue missed per location per year: - (per day -)

Revenue missed for all locations together per year: -

Package cost for all locations per year: -

The package pays for itself if each location wins back - of its revenue.

  • 6 of the 100 largest Dutch franchise chains reply to a Google review within 24 hours; the average response time is 6.8 days and 90% has no demonstrable review management process.
  • Only 40% of the 500 Google Business Profiles examined is fully completed.
  • In the measurement one review was viewed around 15,000 times on average: an unanswered complaint stays visible to thousands of people.
  • 42% of consumers would rather not do business with a company that never replies to reviews (BrightLocal 2026).

Sources: NFV Franchise Statistics, reference year 2025 (34,937 locations, €50.5 billion revenue); Local SEO Franchise Benchmark 2026 (100 largest chains, 500 profiles); sector model on franchiseseo.nl (in Dutch). The percentages are scenarios you choose, not a measurement or a promise. We do not promise rankings or revenue.

Questions about Bing Places for chains

What exactly is Bing Places for Business?
Bing Places for Business is Microsoft's environment in which businesses manage their listings for Bing and Bing Maps. You list a location, verify that you are the owner and then keep the details up to date. For a chain, that means dozens of listings that all need the same brand style and correct details.
Why should a franchise chain maintain Bing Places as well as Google?
Not everyone searches through Google. People using Bing either see your listing there or a competitor's. You also want customers to see the same opening hours and address on every channel. Many chains only do Google, so a well-kept Bing listing per location makes you stand out.
Should every franchisee create their own Bing Places account?
We advise against it. Separate accounts per franchisee lead to different spellings and to listings nobody can access once a franchisee leaves. We recommend one account owned by the franchise brand, with a fixed route through which locations pass on changes. That way ownership stays with head office.
How long does it take to get all locations into Bing Places?
That depends on the number of locations and the state of your data. With a good master file, listing goes quickly. Verification per location sometimes takes longer. In the visibility scan we see how many locations already exist and how many are missing, and we draw up a schedule with a fixed price.
What happens to duplicate listings in Bing?
Duplicate listings confuse customers and split your visibility across two map pins. We track them down with a search check on name and address. Then we merge them or request removal. After that, we check every quarter that no new duplicates have appeared, for example after a move.
How do you keep Bing and Google Business Profile aligned?
We work from one master file with the details of every location. Every month we compare the Bing listing field by field with that file and with the Google Business Profile. AI helps flag discrepancies across all profiles. A specialist reviews and corrects every discrepancy.
Which details do you need per location for Bing?
For each location we need the official name, address, phone number, opening hours including exceptional days, primary category and the URL of the location page. If you do not have those details in one place, we draw up a master file together with head office. We also use that file for Google and Apple.
Can I see the Bing Places status in the dashboard?
Yes. In the dashboard per location you see whether the Bing listing exists, is verified and matches the master file. Discrepancies are flagged. Each month you receive a report of what we changed. As head office you keep an overview without having to check dozens of listings yourself.
What does Bing Places management cost per location?
We use published prices per location per month: Basic €199, Growth €400 and Full service €600, excl. VAT. Which package fits is discussed after the free visibility scan. Advice and strategy cost €65 per hour, always with a fixed quote in advance. So you know where you stand beforehand.
What happens to the Bing listing when a location changes owner?
If the listing sits under the franchise brand's account, it simply stays in place. We only update the details that change, such as phone number or opening hours. The location keeps its history and the new franchisee does not have to start over. With separate accounts, that handover is often difficult.

Sources

Portrait of Gijs Bodenstaff, founder of Franchise Marketing Bureau in Utrecht and author of this page about Bing Places

Gijs Bodenstaff
Franchise marketer, local SEO and GEO specialist, author

Request the free visibility scan and see per location how you appear in Bing.