Bing Ads has been renamed Microsoft Advertising, but a lot of marketers know it as the old name. Well, it is a known and searchable phenomenon that people connect with paid search.
That said, if you want more traffic for your business without just relying on Google, then this Bing Ads guide is for you. Bing Ads is managed through Microsoft Advertising, which serves search ads on Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo-owned & operated properties as well as the Ecosia search engine and other partner channels.
Microsoft also provides statistics for PC search reach, stating it accounts for 6.4 billion (31 percent of the global total) monthly searches and is seen by 109 million unique U.S. PC users each month.
That audience is worth testing for those brands with e-commerce websites (like shopping malls as well, local services, and lead generation).
What Are Bing Ads?
In other words, Bing Ads (which has since been renamed Microsoft Advertising) is a pay-per-click platform. You pick keywords, write ads, set a budget, and pay every time someone clicks.
Your ads can show up when users search for products/services/brands or answers related to your business.
An example would be a shoe store bidding on the search term “buy running shoes online.” For example, a shopping mall could target “shopping malls near me.” For example, a software company may target the keyword phrase best CRM for small business.
Search intent is crystal clear, which makes the platform work. People are already looking. Your task is to display the correct message at an appropriate time and direct them somewhere that aligns with their desires.
Microsoft states that the name did not change to Microsoft Advertising until April 2019. And the reason the new name fits is that it includes more than search (such as shopping, audience ads, Performance Max, and Microsoft’s wider ad network).
Microsoft has likewise been creating Performance Max controls, Google Import support, and self-serve negative keywords in 2023 to give advertisers better room for managing automation safely through the years.
Here are a few reasons why businesses should look into Bing Ads.
Most businesses invest in Google Ads initially. That makes sense. Google has a huge volume. It has also created overcrowded auctions and higher pressure in many niches.
Businesses have another route on their way to their customers through Microsoft Advertising. Cleaner traffic—not just cheaper clicks—is often the biggest win we see when auditing PPC accounts. The search volume might be lower, but those who search usually have a pretty strong purchase intent.
So, the platform is useful for:
B2B companies targeting professionals.
E-commerce stores that want another sales channel.
E-commerce tenants are being used to lure inbound sales customers.
Malls are where you advertise stores, events in malls, and sales or food courts.
Quote-request and form-focused lead generation websites
One more pro is access beyond one search engine. In addition to search partners, Microsoft also offers display and native ad options that reach users across Edge, Outlook, Microsoft Casual Games, and other properties. Microsoft says its display and native ads have reached up to 1 billion customers.
Comparing Bing Ads and Google Ads: What is the Difference?
The biggest difference is volume. More searches and more clicks usually mean Google. Microsoft Advertising has lower overall search volume, but the cost per click tends to have higher margins.
Competition is different, too. Often, Google has more advertisers on the same keywords. In some industries, the cost-per-click on Microsoft Advertising may be cheaper, but results can differ based on your market, keywords, offer location, and landing page.
Audience behavior also matters. Its strength comes primarily in the desktop and Windows instant-on search audience. This is useful for B2B, finance, software, education, and other higher-value purchases.
If you already use Google Ads, the setup should feel familiar. You create your search campaigns, ad groups, keywords, ads, bids, and conversion goals.
There is also a Google import tool offered by Microsoft, but this movement out of the gates may not be ultimately needed or a mortal process. Before launching, review budgets, locations, match type exclusions, and tracking.
Neither one at a time is the optimal solution. Expose yourself to Microsoft Advertising as an additional channel and rate it by CPL, CPS & ROAS.
How Bing Ads Work
Paid search exists on top of keywords, bids, relevance, and landing pages.
You select the searches that you will target. You then group related keywords into ad groups. The key is creating a defined theme around each ad group, like “men’s sneakers,” “office cleaning,” or wedding venue rental.
When a search is entered, Microsoft Advertising looks at the query and your keywords as well as bid quality, landing page experience, and lots of other signals. It places ads, for which it chooses what appears.
The core pieces are:
Your buyers search for phrases and keywords.
The bid, cost per click, or CPC, is high when you want your ad to be clicked.
Ad groups: These are related keywords and ads.
Search ads: Text ads that appear next to search results.
Landing Pages: Where users land after clicking.
Conversion Tracking: Find out the sales, calls, forms, and other actions
Do not skip tracking. The Microsoft UET tag and conversion goals record what visitors do after clicking an ad. This means you only know what you’ve spent, not how much money you’re making.
The complete step-by-step guide on how to create and run your first campaign.
Win & Learn (General)—Bing Ads for beginners are not meant to be perfect. A timeline, of course, is a clean campaign that can gather relevant data.
Create a Microsoft Advertising account.
Configure your account and business information, add billing details & link your website! If you import from Google Ads, review all settings before going live.
Choose your campaign goal.
Choose an action that is most important. This could be online sales; phone calls to your business when somebody sees one of those ads from you and makes a call; requests for a quote form submission, or section store visits, like people walking into the physical location or Bali website traffic.
Select keywords
Start with high-intent terms. “Buy office chairs online” is a better keyword than “office chair ideas.” Start with exact and phrase matches for tighter control, then expand after performance.
Write compelling ad copy.
Provide an incentive to click for people. Offer benefits, place proof, and take time. For example, “Free Delivery Above $50,” “Book A Tour Now,” or something like a special offer if you get your quote within 24 hours.
Set your budget and bids.
Select a test budget that is comfortable for you. Monitor CPC, CTR, CR, and CPL.
Add location and audience targeting.
Focus only on the specific markets that you serve. A clinic in Mexico does not need traffic from outside its own country. For example, a mall might look at surrounding cities. An e-commerce store might specialize in shipping zones that yield a profit.
Launch and monitor
Monitor search terms, spend, clicks, and conversions for week one. Reduce waste rapidly and shift budget to keywords with real intent.
Best Practices to Drive More Clicks with Bing Ads
They do not work to drive clicks. Better clicks are the goal.
Start with high-intent keywords. Avoid search queries with purchases, bookings, or keywords such as “quote” or “WordStream” that mean near locations or pricing and related services. For e-commerce, include product names, categories, and sizes as well as commercial terms.
Use numbers when they help. Shorter, more descriptive phrases such as “20% Off This Week” or “Book in 60 Seconds” beat vague statements like “Over 100 Stores.”
Test more than one ad. It has one variant, the price-oriented one. Another can focus on speed. Another can focus on trust. Let the data pick the winner.
Use negative keywords early. Negative keywords prevent your ads from showing up in search results with a low chance of generating sales. According to Microsoft, negative keywords are words or phrases that prevent your ads from being triggered by unwanted search terms.
Align the ad with landing pages. When someone searches for “women’s leather boots” and clicks on your ad, please do NOT loop users to a bland homepage. Take them to the correct product or category page.
Bing Ads Mistakes To Avoid.
Targeting the wrong keywords is the number one mistake. Ambiguous, generic language can suck away a budget quickly. Start focused, then expand.
The second error is overlooking negative keywords. Keep revisiting search terms and block searches that are not a good fit.
Mistake #3: Sending traffic to a weak landing page. A poorly done page, tangled structure, sparse offer, or broken form can quickly ruin a good campaign.
Then, we come to a wrong step—not tracking conversions! We have seen an account for months without knowing what their cost per lead was. That is not a strategy. That is guessing.
Do not also, for that matter, reproduce Google Ads campaigns herself. Import tools are great time savers, but the settings still require a human check.
Is Bing Ads Worth It?
Yes, for many businesses. If you want another PPC traffic source, more likely with lower competition and access to Microsoft’s search audience, it is worth testing.
Start small. Prioritize your top keywords, best offer, and most relevant landing page. Don’t just track clicks, but also cost per conversion. But make sure the numbers work, then scale up slowly.
FAQs
What is Microsoft Advertising, and what does it do?
Used to run paid search, shopping, audience, and display/performance campaigns on Microsoft Advertising. It got used by businesses for leads, sales, phone calls, and website traffic.
Microsoft Advertising for small businesses?
Yes. You can take baby steps with a limited budget by centering on specific regions and targeting high-intention keywords for small businesses. What matters is tracking every call, form, and sale.
How does Microsoft Advertising compare in price to Google Ads?
Some industries are cheaper than others, but that is not always the case. How competitive the market is, how many competitors are bidding on a keyword at any time in your location/what region or country you’re targeting for SEO, etc., and so on, with landing page quality under consideration too, vs. cost depends upon all these factors, the same thing being applicable to PPC/CPC.
Have you onboarded until October 2023?
Yes. Google Import tool, which lets you import your Google Ads feeds into Microsoft Advertising. Utilize it for time saving, then check budgets, targeting, exclusions, and tracking along with ad copy prior to launch.
How long does it take to get results?
Clicks can commence hitting your pages very shortly after launch, but accurate performance data takes several weeks. Early traffic volume is less important than lead quality, your conversion rate, and cost per sale.
