Microsoft Advertising (Formerly Bing ads) is resurging in popularity and it’s not simply because of Microsoft’s AI-powered Bing Search engine or Microsoft’s promise of driving more traffic to publishers by slipping ads into Chat GPT-4.   Yes – Google Ads is still the Beast of Search with a staggering 85.53% of the market while Bing owns 8.23% of market share.  From a revenue perspective, Google is the big winner, (Google Search, YouTube, and Google Network) totaling $224 billion in 2022. Microsoft’s revenue in 2022 sat at $9.2 billion and its news and advertising revenue spiked by 25% to $2.3 billion during this same period.   There are many advantages to Microsoft Ads and if you’re already familiar with Google Ads, you’ll find that the platforms are very similar to one another with just a little learning curve.

The Misconception about Microsoft Ads

There are considerable misconceptions about Microsoft Ads’ effectiveness. In a recent poll I conducted on LinkedIn asking “Do You Love or Hate Microsoft Ads” the responses were pretty lukewarm:

• 22% of respondents felt Microsoft ads reach was too small 
• 57% of respondents thought it was worth a/b testing Microsoft ads
• 22% of respondents loved using Microsoft

What’s more, I was surprised to receive a number of messages on LinkedIn from marketing colleagues saying “I’ve never used Microsoft Bing Ads so I don’t feel able to answer the poll”.

Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity: Weighing In on Google and Microsoft Ads

At their core, search ads on Google Ads and Microsoft ads work the same way. Both show ads on search engine result pages, based on keyword targeting. Both measure the same metrics in the same way, such as clicks, cost per click, conversions, etc. Both Google and Microsoft use a pay-per-click model, and both are designed to drive targeted traffic to advertiser websites or apps with the goal of generating leads or sales. 

Virtually every change that Google makes to its platform (for better or worse) is mirrored by Microsoft Ads. In fact, these platforms are so similar that advertisers are able to import their existing Google ad campaigns right into their Microsoft Ad account. 

The most obvious difference is the placements of where ads are shown. Google Ads appear on Google, as well as sites in its search partners network (such as YouTube, which sometimes drives massive amounts of traffic). Microsoft Ads appear on Bing, Yahoo, and other lesser-known search engines such as DuckDuckGo.

Each platform offers its own unique opportunities and can be used synergistically to maximize reach and marketers need to embrace this.  Here are the major advantages that each platform brings to the table:

Google Advantages:

• As we all know, Google has far more reach than any other search engine. Through Google search, your ads will show on Google itself, as well as sites within the search partner network (such as YouTube). Since Google still dominates the search market, you’ll get far more reach from Google than you will with Microsoft. This is, and may always be, Google’s greatest advantage.
• Google Ads integrates directly with Google Analytics.

Microsoft Advantages:

• Less competition = lower cost of advertising. Since fewer advertisers are bidding on keywords through Microsoft Ads, the cost per click is lower in most cases. In turn, conversion costs are also often lower.
• Aside from the cost of advertising, the fact that your competitors are less likely to advertise through Bing enables you to claim control over that space
• Since Microsoft also owns LinkedIn, it integrates some LinkedIn targeting into its search ad platform. For example, advertisers can make bid adjustments based on certain criteria in users’ LinkedIn profiles, including company industry and job functions. In certain contexts, this provides a massive advantage for Microsoft Ads over Google. (Google has introduced certain B2B targeting into its platform. However, from our experience, this targeting has thus far proven to be far from accurate).
• As odd as this might sound, the traffic quality on Bing is often higher than on Google. Bing is still very much a desktop-oriented search engine, which means that you’re more likely to catch people sitting at their desks, and not so much sitting on the toilet.
• Bing Ads often perform well in certain demographics, such as older users or those from specific industries. If your target audience aligns with Bing’s demographic profile, it could be advantageous to advertise on that platform.

Other differences to consider: 

User Intent: The user intent on Google and Bing can differ slightly. Google is often associated with users who are actively searching for information or products, which can make it a more suitable platform for direct-response advertising. Bing’s user base tends to skew slightly older and may have different search habits and preferences.

Ad Placement: Google Ads offers a range of ad placements, including search ads, display ads, video ads, and app ads. Bing Ads primarily focuses on search ads, although it does offer some display advertising options as well.

Conclusion

Advertisers should definitely test Microsoft Ads. The most common objection to this idea is that “nobody uses Bing”. This is simply not true. Millions of people search through Bing (whether they realize they are doing so or not is irrelevant), and Microsoft Ads often convert at a level that is equal to or better than Google. 

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