Microsoft has introduced a new way for website owners to understand their visibility in AI-powered search. The company’s new Topics Portfolio (Beta) feature, available within Bing Webmaster Tools’ AI Performance report, helps businesses see the broader subjects connected to their AI search citations and identify queries where other websites appear in AI-generated answers but their own website does not.
Announced on October 13, 2026, the feature gives publishers and businesses a more structured way to examine their presence across supported AI search experiences. Instead of looking only at individual queries, website owners can explore related queries grouped into broader topics and identify areas that may deserve more attention in their content strategy.
The update arrives at a time when businesses are paying closer attention to how their content appears in AI-generated answers, alongside traditional search engine results.
For digital marketers, the important question is no longer limited to whether a website appears on a search results page. It is also worth investigating whether the website’s content is being cited as a source when AI tools generate answers to relevant questions.
What Is Microsoft Bing’s Topics Portfolio?
Topics Portfolio is a beta feature inside the AI Performance section of Bing Webmaster Tools. It groups related searches, known as grounding queries, into broader thematic categories.
A grounding query is a query associated with the retrieval of content that appears as a citation in an AI-generated answer. These queries can help website owners understand the types of questions and topics connected to their existing visibility.
For example, a digital marketing agency might find that its website receives citations for queries related to technical SEO, local SEO, website optimisation and AI search visibility. Rather than reviewing every query separately, Topics Portfolio can group related queries into broader themes.
This makes it easier to understand which subjects are already associated with a website and where further investigation may be useful.
Microsoft says the feature also provides context about the wider citation activity around each topic. This includes estimates of how much citation activity a topic represents, how many websites are cited across its queries and how many distinct queries are associated with the topic.
The feature is designed to help publishers move from simply viewing citation activity to exploring their broader AI search presence and potential content opportunities.
The Biggest Change: Finding Queries Where Other Websites Get Cited
One of the most useful additions is the Top Opportunity Queries section.
This section highlights queries where other websites appear in supported AI-generated answers but the website being analysed does not appear in the reported citation activity.
For businesses, this offers a practical starting point for investigating possible content gaps.
Imagine a company that provides website design services. Its website may already receive AI citations for questions about website costs but have little reported visibility for questions about choosing a web design company, improving website speed or deciding which features a business website needs.
If relevant queries appear in the opportunity list, the company can review its existing content and ask a few important questions:
- Does the website answer the question clearly?
- Is there a dedicated page covering the topic?
- Does the content provide enough detail to be useful?
- Are the claims supported by examples, evidence or practical explanations?
- Is the page technically accessible to search engines?
- Does the content match what the intended audience actually wants to know?
The answers can help a business decide whether to improve an existing page, add useful information or create a new resource.
However, an opportunity query should not automatically be treated as a recommendation to publish another article. Sometimes the existing page only needs better structure, clearer explanations or more complete information. In other cases, the query may not be relevant to the business at all.
The purpose is to guide investigation, not to encourage websites to publish content simply to target every available query.
What Information Does Topics Portfolio Show?
Microsoft’s new report provides several indicators that help website owners understand their topic-level visibility.
- Topic
This identifies a broader subject that groups related grounding queries associated with the website’s presence in AI-generated answers.
- Topic Size
Topic Size estimates the total citation activity across all websites for the selected topic during the chosen period. It offers an indication of the topic’s overall activity, rather than an exact measure of search demand.
- Sites Cited
This estimates the number of websites appearing in citations for queries associated with the topic. It can provide some context about how many sources appear across that area.
- Queries
This indicates the approximate number of distinct grounding queries grouped under a topic.
- Top Opportunity Queries
This list highlights queries across the website’s topic portfolio where other websites appear in AI-generated answers but the analysed website does not.
When users open an individual topic, they can examine queries where their website already appears alongside opportunity queries where it does not appear in the reported citations. Microsoft also presents opportunity citation volumes as ranges rather than exact counts.
Taken together, these indicators help users compare existing citation activity with potential areas for further research.
How to Access the New Feature
Website owners can follow these steps to check whether Topics Portfolio is available for their website:
- Sign in to Bing Webmaster Tools.
- Select the website property they want to analyse.
- Open the AI Performance report.
- Look for the Topics Portfolio tab alongside the existing citation and page reporting.
- Select an available reporting period of one, two or three months.
- Review the topics associated with the website.
- Open relevant topics to compare existing grounding queries with opportunity queries.
- Check whether the suggested opportunities match the business, its audience and its services.
Microsoft notes that the feature requires sufficient data. Websites with limited citation activity may see fewer topics or may not see the feature at all.
If the tab is unavailable, that does not necessarily mean the website has a technical problem. It may simply lack enough data for the report to display a meaningful topic portfolio.
What Should Businesses Do With These Insights?
The real value of the report comes from what businesses do after reviewing the information.
A list of opportunity queries is only a starting point. Website owners still need to decide which topics are relevant, what information is missing and how their content can better answer users’ questions.
Here are five practical steps businesses can consider.
- Review Existing Content Before Creating New Pages
Start by checking whether the website already has a page that addresses the opportunity query.
If a relevant page exists, review its accuracy, depth, structure and usefulness. It may need clearer headings, stronger explanations, better examples or updated information rather than an entirely new URL.
Creating multiple pages that answer almost identical questions can lead to unnecessary duplication and make the website harder to maintain.
- Answer Real Customer Questions Clearly
Content should explain the subject in language that customers can understand.
For example, a local service business could explain its process, pricing factors, service coverage, common problems and the questions customers usually ask before making a decision.
Clear headings, concise explanations, relevant examples and helpful FAQs can make information easier for people to navigate. These practices may also help automated systems interpret the content, although no format guarantees that an AI system will cite a page.
- Strengthen Topic Coverage Naturally
If a website already receives citations for one subject, review whether its related content adequately covers the questions its audience may have.
An accounting firm, for example, might review whether its resources explain basic tax concepts, common filing questions, documentation requirements and relevant deadlines.
The objective is not to publish as much content as possible. It is to provide useful, accurate information that supports the business’s expertise and serves its audience.
- Check Technical SEO Fundamentals
Content improvements are not the whole picture. Website owners should also review whether important pages can be crawled and indexed, whether internal links help users discover relevant information and whether pages work properly on mobile devices.
Incorrect indexing directives, broken links, confusing page structures or inaccessible content can create discoverability problems.
Technical SEO does not guarantee AI citations, but it remains an important part of maintaining a website that search systems can access and understand.
- Measure Progress Over Time
Use the available reports to observe citation trends and identify changes worth investigating.
If citation activity rises or falls after a content update, record the change and review other possible explanations. Changes in user queries, content availability and AI systems may also influence the results.
A single change in a report does not prove that one particular SEO activity caused the outcome.
Important Limitations: AI Visibility Data Is Not a Ranking Guarantee
Although Topics Portfolio offers useful insights, businesses should understand what it does not tell them.
First, the feature is in beta. Microsoft says topic classifications are generated using AI and may sometimes group a query under a topic that does not perfectly match a website owner’s interpretation.
Second, the figures are estimates. Topic Size, Sites Cited and Queries are approximate, while opportunity citation volumes are displayed as ranges. They should be used as planning indicators rather than precise accounting figures.
Third, branded searches can appear as opportunities even when they are not meaningful targets for the website being analysed. Businesses should check the relevance of each suggestion before changing their content strategy.
Finally, the report does not represent every instance in which a website may have been referenced. Microsoft’s AI Performance documentation explains that the report reflects aggregated citation activity across supported AI experiences, and some activity may not appear in the data. It measures citations, not conventional search rankings or the importance of a page.
There is another important distinction: Bing’s AI Performance report is not a universal dashboard for every AI platform. Its documented coverage includes Microsoft Copilot, AI-generated summaries in Bing and selected partner integrations. Businesses should not assume that the figures represent their visibility in Google AI Overviews or ChatGPT.
For that reason, Topics Portfolio should be used alongside other appropriate analytics, search performance reports and direct reviews of relevant AI search experiences.
What This Means for SEO, AEO and GEO
The update is relevant to three connected areas of digital visibility.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) focuses on helping search engines discover, understand and present useful website content. Traditional SEO remains important for organic search visibility and website traffic.
Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) focuses on presenting clear, relevant information that helps answer users’ questions across answer-oriented experiences.
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) focuses on improving how useful website content can be understood and potentially referenced in generative AI responses.
These approaches overlap. Accurate content, clear structure, sound technical foundations and a strong understanding of user needs can support a broader visibility strategy.
Topics Portfolio gives website owners another source of evidence for investigating how their content appears in supported AI search experiences. It can help reveal subjects where a website already receives citations and queries where further work may be worthwhile.
But it does not provide a guaranteed formula for appearing in AI answers. There is no single report, technical change or content technique that guarantees inclusion in every AI-generated response.
For businesses, a sensible approach is to use the data to guide decisions, improve the quality of their information and assess progress over time.
Amrinder Singh’s View: AI Visibility Needs More Than Guesswork
Amrinder Singh, Founder of Digi Ustad, believes that tools which make AI search visibility easier to investigate can help businesses make more informed content decisions.
“Businesses have traditionally focused heavily on where their websites appear in search results. As AI-powered search experiences evolve, we also need to understand whether our content is being referenced, which topics are creating visibility and where relevant gaps remain. Tools such as Bing’s Topics Portfolio can help make that investigation more structured, provided businesses understand the limitations of the data,” says Singh.
He adds that businesses should avoid treating every opportunity query as a task to create another page.
“The first step should be to understand the customer’s question. Then review whether the website already answers it properly. Sometimes the solution is better content, sometimes it is a technical improvement, and sometimes the opportunity simply is not relevant to the business. The aim should be to make the website genuinely more useful, not just to chase AI citations.”
For small businesses in particular, this approach can help keep content planning focused on relevant customer needs rather than producing large amounts of repetitive material.
The Bigger Picture: Measuring AI Search Visibility Is Becoming More Practical
Microsoft’s Topics Portfolio beta represents another step towards giving publishers more context about their presence in AI-generated answers.
By grouping grounding queries into themes and highlighting queries where other websites receive citations, the feature can help website owners investigate content gaps more systematically.
Its usefulness will depend on the quality and relevance of the available data, as well as how carefully businesses interpret the results. The feature is still developing, and its estimates should not be mistaken for exact measurements or predictions of future performance.
For website owners, the practical next step is straightforward: open Bing Webmaster Tools, review the AI Performance report if it is available for the site, and examine the topics and opportunities that genuinely relate to the business.
The goal is not simply to appear in more AI answers. It is to make sure the website provides accurate, relevant and helpful information that deserves to be discovered by potential customers.
