In the SEO world, data is everything—and the tools you use to gather it matter.
While most marketers rely heavily on Google Search Console (GSC), many overlook the powerful insights Bing Webmaster Tools (BWT) offers.
So, which should you use? Spoiler: Probably both.
Let’s examine how these platforms compare, where they shine, and how they can work together to give your site full-spectrum search visibility.
A Quick Intro to Each Platform
Google Search Console (GSC)
Built by the undisputed king of search, GSC provides insight into your site’s performance in Google’s search engine. If Google can’t see or understand your site, GSC will tell you why.
Bing Webmaster Tools (BWT)
While Bing may not have Google’s market share, it’s still responsible for millions of daily searches (especially on desktops and voice assistants). BWT is Microsoft’s SEO toolkit to help you optimize for its ecosystem.
What Makes Google Search Console a Must-Use
- Unmatched market coverage: Optimizing for Google is non-negotiable.
- Page Experience & Core Web Vitals: These metrics are now ranking signals.
- Alerts you need to know about: Security issues, manual penalties, mobile errors—GSC doesn’t keep secrets.
Why You Shouldn’t Sleep on Bing Webmaster Tools
- Still valuable search traffic: Especially from Edge users, older demographics, and voice search (Cortana, Alexa).
- Better backlink data: BWT offers more transparency on who’s linking to you.
- Built-in keyword research: A great supplement to paid SEO tools.
- Microsoft Clarity integration: Watch how users interact with your site—no extra tools needed.
How They Work Together
Side-by-Side Feature Comparison
| Feature | Google Search Console | Bing Webmaster Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Search Performance Reports | Yes – Search queries, CTR, positions, impressions | Yes – Similar data with keyword-level insights |
| Index Coverage | Detailed crawl issues, indexing status | Site scanning with indexing alerts |
| Sitemaps & URL Submission | Manual and automatic | Manual, automatic, and bulk submission |
| Backlink Tracking | Limited backlink data | More expansive, including third-party references |
| Keyword Research Tools | None | Yes – Keyword research and competitive insights |
| SEO Recommendations | Basic (via Page Experience & Core Web Vitals) | Actionable SEO reports and site audits |
| Integration with Tools | Easily connects with Google Analytics & GA4 | Connects with Microsoft Clarity (session recordings + heatmaps) |
| Mobile Usability Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Crawl Control & Bot Blocking | Yes | Yes |
Here’s the thing—GSC and BWT aren’t competitors; they’re collaborators. Each tool covers a slice of your audience. If you only optimize for Google, you may miss 5–10% (or more) of your visibility opportunities.
Together, they offer:
- A fuller picture of how your site is performing across multiple search engines
- More backlink data and keyword discovery opportunities
- Redundancy in tracking crawl errors, security issues, and indexing hiccups
So… Which One Should You Use?
Short answer: Both.
If you’re serious about SEO, using only one search engine’s tools is like looking at your analytics through a keyhole. You’re missing critical insights, traffic sources, and optimization wins.
Don’t Just Set It and Forget It—Stark Create Can Help
We don’t just plug in Google Search Console and walk away. At Stark Create, we make SEO tools work for you—by interpreting the data, identifying growth opportunities, and building strategies that rank.
Want to make the most of your search visibility across every platform?
Let’s talk. Better SEO starts with more innovative tools and intelligent people behind them.
→ Ready to win the web? Visit starkcreate.com/contact-us/.
