Short answer: Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools are free. They show which searches your website appears for, how often it is clicked and what technical problems exist. Since February 2026, Bing also shows – in a public preview – how often your pages are cited as sources in Copilot and Bing AI answers. Clicks from Google's AI Overviews are included in Search Console but not shown separately.
How to get found in the first place is covered in GEO for contractors. This guide explains how to measure the result.
What the two tools show
The Search Console Performance report shows four metrics: clicks, impressions (how often your site appeared in results), click-through rate and average position. You can break them down by query, page, country, device, search appearance and date. The default view covers the last three months. [1]
Traffic from AI Overviews and AI Mode is included in your overall search data under the “Web” search type. There is no separate AI Overviews report. [2]
Bing Webmaster Tools shows similar search data for Bing. Its AI Performance report, introduced as a public preview in February 2026, shows total citations in AI answers, the average number of your pages cited per day, a sample of the grounding queries the AI used to retrieve your content, and citations per URL. Microsoft points out that these figures say nothing about placement, ranking or authority within an answer. [5]
Set up Search Console
- Sign in at search.google.com/search-console with your business's Google account.
- Add a property. A Domain property covers all subdomains and both http and https; it can only be verified with a DNS record at your domain registrar. A URL-prefix property allows other methods, such as an HTML file or a meta tag. [3]
- Verify ownership. Google notes that it can help to keep more than one verification method in place in case one stops working. [3]
- Submit your sitemap, usually at
yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml. - Give anyone who helps you their own access under Settings › Users and permissions, as a full or restricted user. You don't need to share your password. [4]
Set up Bing Webmaster Tools
The quickest route is importing from Search Console: sign in to Bing Webmaster Tools, choose Import on the My Sites page and allow access to Search Console. Microsoft says imported sites are verified automatically and sitemaps come across too; traffic data can take up to 48 hours to appear. [6] Alternatively, verify with an XML file, a meta tag or a DNS record.
A 15-minute monthly routine
- Search Console, Performance: which searches with your trade and town do you appear for? Which pages get clicks?
- Search Console, Indexing: are your important pages indexed? Any new errors?
- Bing, AI Performance: are pages cited in AI answers – and which ones?
- Google Business Profile: calls and website clicks from your profile are in the profile's performance view, not in Search Console.
Write three numbers into a spreadsheet each month. After half a year you will see whether anything is moving.
What the numbers can tell you
- Many impressions, few clicks: check that page's title and description. Do they say what you do and where?
- An important page isn't indexed: look up the reason in the page indexing report and fix it before writing new content.
- Searches for your trade in towns you don't list: check whether your service area is described clearly enough on your site.
- Grounding queries in Bing's AI report: they show the wording AI systems used to retrieve your content. Questions that appear there can be answered directly on the matching page.
Common misunderstandings
- “I don't see my site for this search.” Your own search isn't a measurement – results vary with time, location, device and history.
- “Average position 8 means I'm 8th.” It's an average across many appearances. For individual searches the value can swing widely.
- “Small numbers mean something is broken.” Local businesses often have few but very relevant searches. Whether they are the right searches matters more than how many.
Where measurement ends
Both tools only show what happens in Google and Bing. For ChatGPT and Perplexity we are not aware of a comparable official report for site owners, so how often your business is named in AI answers can only be measured in part. An honest report names that gap instead of filling it with estimates.
Frequently asked questions
Do Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools cost anything?
No. Google and Microsoft provide both for free. You need an account and access to your website or domain settings.
Do I need Google Analytics for this?
No. Search Console works independently of Google Analytics. It measures your visibility in Google Search, not what visitors do on your site.
Does Search Console show clicks from AI Overviews separately?
No. Google includes AI Overviews and AI Mode in the “Web” search type without breaking them out.
Can I give my web designer access without sharing my password?
Yes. In Search Console, add people under Users and permissions with full or restricted rights.
Your next step
Want a second opinion on what your numbers mean? Request the free website audit. If you'd like it set up properly, the Search Setup includes a Search Console and Bing guide alongside structured data, service-page copy and a directory checklist – without ranking guarantees.
General information, not legal advice. Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and Perplexity change their products and help pages; the linked sources in their current version take precedence.
Sources
- Search Console Help, “Performance report (Search results).” https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/7576553?hl=en — Accessed November 3, 2026.
- Google Search Central, “AI features and your website.” https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features — Accessed November 3, 2026.
- Search Console Help, “Verify your site ownership.” https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9008080?hl=en — Accessed November 3, 2026.
- Search Console Help, “Managing owners, users, and permissions.” https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/7687615?hl=en — Accessed November 3, 2026.
- Microsoft Bing Webmaster Blog, “Introducing AI Performance in Bing Webmaster Tools Public Preview,” February 10, 2026. https://blogs.bing.com/webmaster/2026/2/Introducing-AI-Performance-in-Bing-Webmaster-Tools-Public-Preview/ — Accessed November 3, 2026.
- Microsoft Bing Webmaster Blog, “Import sites from Search Console to Bing Webmaster Tools,” September 2019. https://blogs.bing.com/webmaster/2019/9/Import-sites-from-Search-Console-to-Bing-Webmaster-Tools/ — Accessed November 3, 2026.