Copilot sits inside Windows, Edge and Microsoft 365, so many of your customers can ask it a question without opening a browser. For local questions, Copilot shows a map with local listings next to its answer.
How does Copilot choose which businesses to recommend?
Copilot grounds its answers in Bing search results, so the businesses it names are the ones Bing has indexed, understands and trusts for that question.
Microsoft says Copilot may fetch information from the Bing search service. Every step below is about Bing: getting your site into its index, your listing into Bing Places, and your pages into a shape it can quote.
Why does Bing Places matter for Copilot?
Microsoft tells local businesses to register with Bing Places for Business so AI answers have current address, hours and contact details.
That guidance is in Microsoft's February 2026 announcement. Claim your listing at Bing Places, import from your Google Business Profile to save time, then check that categories, hours, services, photos and your website link are all correct. Many local businesses have never touched their Bing listing, which makes it an easy edge.
How do I get my site into Bing fast?
Verify your site in Bing Webmaster Tools, submit your sitemap, turn on IndexNow, and make sure robots.txt and your firewall let Bingbot in.
- Verify in Bing Webmaster Tools. You can import your site from Google Search Console.
- Submit your XML sitemap and check which pages Bing has skipped.
- Use IndexNow so Bing hears about new and changed pages right away. Many website platforms and SEO plugins support it.
- Check robots.txt. Allow Bingbot, and avoid a long crawl-delay. Bing follows crawl-delay, and some hosts add one by default.
- Avoid noarchive on pages you want cited. Bing treats noarchive as an opt-out from use in its AI answers.
What does Microsoft say helps pages get cited?
Clear headings, tables and FAQs, claims backed by specifics, fresh content and consistent business details, with facts stated directly.
Bing's guidelines now address generative search directly and say facts should be stated directly. For a local business that means a page per service with the answer in the first lines, a simple table for prices or service areas where it helps, a short FAQ, and the same name, phone and address everywhere.
Can I see when Copilot cites my site?
Yes. Bing Webmaster Tools' AI Performance report shows how often your pages are cited in Copilot and Bing's AI answers, which pages, and the queries behind them.
Microsoft launched the report in February 2026 and added intents, topics and citation share in June 2026. It is the only first-party report of AI citations available to small businesses today, and it is free. Check it monthly.
For other engines, read our guides for ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude, or see how our AEO service handles all of them.
Frequently asked questions
Does Copilot use Google?
No. Microsoft says Copilot fetches information from the Bing search service. If your site is missing or poorly indexed in Bing, Copilot is unlikely to cite it, no matter how well you rank on Google.
Is there a separate Copilot crawler to allow?
No separate Copilot crawler is documented. Copilot relies on Bing, so allow Bingbot in robots.txt and avoid the noarchive tag on pages you want cited, because Bing treats it as an opt-out from use in Copilot answers.
Does Bing Places really matter if nobody uses Bing?
Yes. Microsoft tells local businesses to register with Bing Places so AI answers have current address, hours and contact details, and Copilot is built into Windows and Edge. It also feeds Bing, which ChatGPT leans on for live search. It is free and takes minutes if you import from Google.
What is IndexNow?
IndexNow is a protocol that tells Bing and other participating search engines the moment a page is added or changed, instead of waiting for the next crawl. Microsoft recommends it for keeping AI answers fresh.
Are there ads in Copilot?
Yes. Microsoft has shown ads in Copilot since 2025, including formats with product listings and filters. Local businesses can still be named organically, and organic citations are what this guide covers.
Can anyone guarantee a spot in Copilot answers?
No. Microsoft decides what Copilot cites. What you control is whether Bing can read your site, whether your Bing Places listing is accurate, and how clearly your pages answer customers' questions.
Sources: Microsoft Learn, Copilot and public web access · Bing Webmaster Blog, AI Performance report (Feb 2026) · Bing Webmaster Blog, AI visibility insights (June 2026) · Bing Webmaster Blog, content controls for Bing Chat (2023) · Search Engine Journal, Bing adds GEO to its guidelines (2026) · Search Engine Roundtable, Copilot local maps (2025) · Search Engine Land, Copilot ads (2025)