Written by: Explains Bing Webmaster Tools’ new AI Performance report and how businesses can track ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot citations. Covers AI search visibility, Bing indexing, grounding queries, AI SEO strategy, reporting, and real-world Australian case studies showing how citations can influence lead generation even when traditional traffic metrics flatten.
Why This Matters Right Now
For the better part of two years, one of the biggest frustrations in digital marketing has been this: how do I know if my business is actually showing up in ChatGPT?
We’ve tried third-party tools. We’ve built our own tracking. None of it was reliable – because AI language models update constantly, and the fan-out queries (the behind-the-scenes search requests an AI makes to answer a user’s question) are personalised to each user’s context and conversation history.
But in February 2026, Microsoft quietly rolled something out that changes the conversation entirely.
Bing Webmaster Tools now has an AI Performance report. And it shows you citations – meaning how often your website is being referenced as a source when ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot answers a user’s question.
This is the closest thing we’ve had to a source of truth for AI search visibility. It’s not perfect. But it’s real data, and you need to be using it.
Key Concepts
Citations (in AI search) – When an AI tool like ChatGPT answers a question and includes your website as a reference or source, that’s a citation. Unlike a click (where someone visits your site from a search result), a citation means the AI pulled from your content to construct its answer. The user may or may not visit your site afterwards, but your brand is being surfaced.
AI Performance Report – The new section inside Bing Webmaster Tools (currently in public preview) that tracks total citations, cited pages, grounding queries (the actual questions your content is answering), and citation trends over time. Think of it like Google Search Console – but for AI answers.
Bing Index – ChatGPT primarily uses the Bing search index to retrieve information when answering queries. This is why Bing Webmaster Tools now gives us data on ChatGPT citations. If your site isn’t verified and indexed in Bing, you’re essentially invisible to ChatGPT.
Fan-out queries – When a user asks ChatGPT a question, it doesn’t just answer from memory. It fires off multiple search queries behind the scenes to gather up-to-date information. Your content needs to appear in those results. The more top-10 positions you hold in Google and Bing, the more likely you are to be cited.
Real-World Case Studies
Case Study 1: Termite Treatment Business – Pest Control – Melbourne’s South-East Suburbs
The Challenge: A pest control operator in Frankston was seeing solid lead flow, but had no way to understand whether ChatGPT or AI search was contributing. Their Google Search Console showed impressions holding steady, but clicks were softening. Their Ahrefs graph didn’t look great.
The Strategy: We verified their site on Bing Webmaster Tools (imported directly from Google Search Console – took four minutes), submitted their sitemap, and enabled instant indexing. Once the AI Performance report became available in early 2026, we checked their citation data.
The Results: Over 1,000 citations for termite-related queries. Leads were at record highs – higher than during their best Google Ads months. The Gravity Forms lead attribution showed “chatgpt.com” in the referral URL for several incoming enquiries. Clicks down. Leads up. Citations through the roof.
The Lesson: The old metric of “clicks = success” is becoming incomplete. Citations drive brand awareness and trust, and they’re converting – just through a different pathway than we’re used to tracking.
Industry Application: Any pest control, building inspection, or trades business targeting high-intent queries like “best termite treatment [suburb]” or “how to get rid of termites in Melbourne” should be optimising content for AI citation, not just keyword rankings.
Case Study 2: New Dental Practice – Healthcare – Inner West Sydney
The Challenge: A dental clinic in Marrickville launched a new website in late 2025. The site was well-structured but had minimal domain authority and no existing Bing presence.
The Strategy: Within the first week of launch, we submitted the site to both Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools, activated instant indexing on Bing, and submitted a full sitemap. We focused content on specific, answerable queries – “dental implants Marrickville cost,” “emergency dentist Inner West,” “how long do dental implants last.”
The Results: Within six weeks, the AI Performance report started showing citation activity on several service pages. The practice began appearing in Copilot answers for local dental queries. Three months in, they were receiving 8-12 enquiries per week from a standing start, with two confirmed ChatGPT referral attributions tracked through their web form.
The Lesson: New sites can compete in AI search faster than they can in traditional organic rankings – if they’re indexed correctly and their content is structured to answer specific questions.
Industry Application: Any new medical, dental, or allied health practice launching a site in 2026 should treat Bing Webmaster Tools setup as a Day 1 task, not an afterthought.
Case Study 3: Electrical Contractor – Trades – Northern Suburbs, Brisbane
The Challenge: An electrician in Chermside was investing in SEO but couldn’t reconcile the story: Ahrefs showing flat traffic, but the phone was ringing. His Google Ads account showed assisted conversions from Bing, which had never happened at this volume before.
The Strategy: We checked his Bing Webmaster Tools AI Performance data and found he was being cited frequently for queries like “how much does a switchboard upgrade cost in Brisbane” and “licensed electrician [suburb].” His content had detailed service pages with pricing ranges, licensing details, and suburb-specific copy – exactly the kind of explicit, verifiable content that AI tools pull from.
The Results: The disconnect between traffic graphs and actual leads was explained entirely by AI search attribution. Leads were up 35% year-on-year. Traditional click-based metrics told the wrong story.
The Lesson: If your leads are strong but your traffic graphs look flat, don’t panic. Check your AI Performance report first. You may be winning the AI game without realising it.
Industry Application: Trades operators who publish detailed, factual service pages (with licensing info, typical costs in $AUD, and suburb-level detail) are naturally well-positioned for AI citation.
The AI Search Landscape in Australia Right Now
Here’s where each platform sits, as of early 2026:
ChatGPT – Still dominant. Uses the Bing index. This is your primary focus.
Google Gemini – Catching fast. Uses Google’s index. Your Google Search Console setup and content quality directly feeds this.
Perplexity – Declining in general use, but strong in finance and professional services because users want verified sources with citations visible. If you’re an accountant, financial planner, or mortgage broker, don’t sleep on Perplexity.
Claude (Anthropic) – Heavily used by developers and marketers. If your target audience includes tech-savvy business owners or agency clients, Claude visibility matters.
The practical implication: Google and Bing rankings feed most of the major AI tools. Nail your traditional SEO, and you’re already doing most of the work.
SEO Data: Where the Opportunity Is
Based on current Australian search data, here are keyword areas worth targeting to build both traditional rankings and AI citation potential:
| Keyword Type | Example | Why It Works for AI Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Suburb + Service | “termite treatment Frankston” | Specific, local, answerable |
| Cost/Pricing queries | “switchboard upgrade cost Brisbane” | AI tools love to answer cost questions |
| How-to/explainer | “how long do dental implants last” | Structured, factual, citable |
| Credential verification | “licensed electrician [suburb]” | AI tools verify credentials for users |
| Comparison queries | “ducted vs split system aircon Melbourne” | Multi-answer queries trigger citations |
Volume context (AU estimates):
- “bing webmaster tools” – approx. 1,300-1,600 searches/month AU, low competition. Worth a blog post.
- “chatgpt seo” – growing rapidly, approx. 800-1,200/month AU. Opportunity for early movers.
- Suburb-specific service terms typically run 100-500 searches/month with keyword difficulty under 30 – highly achievable for SMBs.
Note: Volumes are based on market estimates. Always verify in Ahrefs or Google Keyword Planner for your specific terms before building content.
Implementation Guide
Step 1: Set Up Bing Webmaster Tools (If You Haven’t Already)
Go to bing.com/webmasters. Sign in with a Microsoft account.
What it looks like: You’ll see an option to “Import from Google Search Console.” Click it, authenticate your Google account, and your verified properties import automatically. No header tags, no DNS records. Done.
Pro tip: If you manage multiple client sites, import all of them in one session. Bing will pull across every verified property from Search Console simultaneously.
Step 2: Submit Your Sitemap and Enable Instant Indexing
In Bing Webmaster Tools, go to Sitemaps and submit your XML sitemap (usually yoursite.com.au/sitemap.xml). Then head to URL Submission and enable the instant indexing API.
What it looks like: You’ll see a dashboard confirming sitemap pages discovered vs. indexed. If there’s a big gap, that’s a content audit flag.
Pro tip: Every time you publish a new service page or blog post, manually submit the URL through the URL Submission tool. Don’t wait for the crawler to find it.
Step 3: Find the AI Performance Report
In the left sidebar, look for “AI Search Performance” (currently rolling out in public preview – if you don’t see it, check back weekly as Microsoft expands access).
What it looks like: A graph showing citation volume over time, broken down by page and query type. Similar layout to Google Search Console’s Performance report.
Pro tip: Pay attention to the “grounding queries” – these are the actual questions users asked that triggered your citation. Use these directly as inspiration for new content or FAQ sections on your site.
Step 4: Audit Your Content for AI-Readiness
AI tools cite content that is explicit, factual, and verifiable. Review your service pages and ask:
- Does this page state our specific services in plain English?
- Does it include licensing, accreditation, or certification details?
- Does it include realistic pricing ranges?
- Does it mention specific suburbs we service?
- Does it answer the “how long / how much / what’s involved” questions?
If the answer to any of those is no, that page needs a rewrite.
Pro tip: Structure answers in short paragraphs with a clear question above them. AI tools extract these easily. Think of it as writing for a very literal, very thorough reader who wants facts, not marketing copy.
Common Pitfalls & Solutions
Pitfall: You’ve verified with Google but never touched Bing Webmaster Tools. Fix: Set it up today using the Google Search Console import. Five minutes maximum. Prevention: Add Bing Webmaster Tools to your standard new-site launch checklist alongside Google Search Console.
Pitfall: You’re judging campaign performance on clicks alone and panicking because traffic looks flat. Fix: Cross-reference with Bing’s AI Performance citations and check your lead form attribution URLs for chatgpt.com or copilot.microsoft.com referrals. Prevention: Set up proper UTM tracking and check your form submission referrer data monthly, not just your analytics dashboard.
Pitfall: Your service pages are full of marketing language (“trusted,” “quality,” “passionate about what we do”) but contain no verifiable facts. Fix: Add specifics – licensing numbers, cost ranges, suburb lists, turnaround times. Prevention: Before publishing any page, ask: “If ChatGPT read this to answer a customer’s question, would it have anything useful to say?” If the answer is no, rewrite it.
Pitfall: You’ve published a sitemap but never resubmitted after adding new pages. Fix: Manually submit new URLs through Bing’s URL Submission tool after every publish. Prevention: Make URL submission a 2-minute task in your content publishing checklist.
Practical Exercise
Quick Win (5 minutes): Log into Bing Webmaster Tools right now. If you don’t have an account, set one up and import from Google Search Console. Check whether your AI Performance report is live. Screenshot your citation count – even zero is a baseline.
Deep Dive (30 minutes): Pull the grounding queries from your AI Performance report (or, if it’s not live yet, pull your top 20 search queries from Google Search Console). For each query, open the corresponding page on your site and score it out of 5 for “explicitness” – does it state facts clearly, or does it rely on vague marketing language? Rewrite the two lowest-scoring pages.
Real Business Application: A plumber in Coburg reads their AI Performance report and finds they’re being cited for “emergency plumber [suburb]” queries but not for “hot water system replacement cost Melbourne” – even though they do this work daily. They add a dedicated hot water page with typical replacement costs ($1,200-$2,800 depending on system type), average job duration, brands they work with, and suburbs they service. Within eight weeks, they start appearing in AI citations for that query cluster.
Tools & Resources
Bing Webmaster Tools – Free. Set up at bing.com/webmasters. Import from Google Search Console in minutes. Use for: sitemap submission, instant indexing, and AI Performance tracking.
Google Search Console – Free. Already essential. Now also feeds Gemini’s AI answers. Use for: impressions data, query performance, and as the source for Bing import.
Gravity Forms (or any form with referrer logging) – Paid plugin for WordPress. Enables you to see which URL a lead came from – including chatgpt.com. Essential for proving AI search ROI to clients or stakeholders.
Ahrefs / Semrush – Paid. Still valuable for keyword research and rank tracking – but don’t rely on their traffic graphs alone to judge AI search performance. Cross-reference with citation data.
Further reading: Microsoft’s official Bing Webmaster Blog (blogs.bing.com/webmaster) – the February 2026 post announcing AI Performance public preview is required reading.
Module Summary
- Bing Webmaster Tools now shows AI citations – this is the first reliable, first-party data source for tracking your ChatGPT and Copilot visibility. Set it up today.
- ChatGPT primarily uses the Bing index – if you’re not verified and indexed in Bing, you’re largely invisible to the most-used AI search tool in Australia right now.
- Top-10 rankings in Google and Bing directly increase your AI citation rate – traditional SEO still matters enormously. It’s just that the “click” is no longer the only outcome worth measuring.
- Leads can be up even when your traffic graphs look down – check your AI citation data and your form referrer URLs before drawing any conclusions about campaign performance. The attribution model has changed, and your reporting needs to catch up.
CMO Eugene – Ranked | Got questions about setting up Bing Webmaster Tools for your business? Drop them in the comments or reach out directly.
