Microsoft Ads
management
Microsoft Ads puts your search ads on Bing, Yahoo, partner sites and the search built into Windows and Edge. The audience is smaller than Google's, but it leans toward office computers, business buyers and older customers, and clicks are often cheaper. I add it as a second channel once your Google Ads are working.
Free: a 30-minute call, an action plan and a price range in writing.
5 reasons Bing
may be worth testing
A different crowd
Lots of work computers default to Edge and Bing. That reaches office managers, buyers and professionals during business hours.
Often cheaper clicks
Fewer advertisers bid on Bing, so the same keywords often cost less than on Google. Not always, but often enough to justify a test.
Fast start
Campaigns import from Google Ads and then get adjusted, so you don't pay to build everything twice.
LinkedIn data
Bids can be adjusted by company, industry or job function based on LinkedIn profiles, which is rare for search ads.
Older customers
Retirement planning, senior care, accounting, legal and insurance often find a relatively strong audience on Bing.
You pay only
for the right keywords
Every week I review what people actually searched for and exclude terms that don’t bring customers.
- Search terms report
- Negative keywords
- Budget on high-intent phrases
Google Ads
or Microsoft Ads?
| Google Ads | Microsoft Ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Search volume | Very large | Much smaller |
| Typical device | Mostly phones | More desktop |
| Competition | High in most niches | Usually lower |
| Special targeting | Rich audience data | LinkedIn profile targeting |
| When to start | First channel | Second channel, after Google works |
Adding Microsoft Ads
in 5 steps
Volume check
I estimate Bing search volume for your keywords. If it's too small to matter, I'll say so.
Import
Your best Google campaigns imported and cleaned up: budgets, bids and settings that don't carry over one to one.
Tracking
Microsoft's UET tag with conversion goals, with consent handled the same way as on the Google side.
Fine-tuning
Location, schedule and device settings adjusted for Bing's audience, plus LinkedIn targeting for B2B.
Comparison
Cost per lead on Bing next to Google in one report, so the budget goes where it performs.
What Microsoft Ads is
Microsoft Advertising, still widely known as Bing Ads, is Microsoft's counterpart to Google Ads. Your search ads appear on Bing, on Yahoo and on other sites whose results are powered by Bing, plus in the search built into Windows and the Edge browser. There's also an audience network for image and native ads on Microsoft properties such as MSN and Outlook.
The audience is smaller than Google's, and for most small businesses Microsoft Ads should never be the first channel. Once Google Ads works, though, Microsoft Ads management is one of the cheapest ways to add more leads at a similar or lower cost without building anything new from scratch. My article is Microsoft Ads worth it runs through the decision in more detail.
Who tends to do well on Bing
From what I see in accounts, Bing tends to work for:
- B2B services such as IT support, accounting, consulting, staffing and commercial cleaning, because many office computers search through Edge and Bing during the workday.
- Older customers, for example senior care, Medicare-related services, retirement planning or travel, where desktop use is still common. Health and insurance ads carry their own policy rules on both platforms.
- High-value services like legal, insurance or home remodeling, where a few extra leads a month cover the effort.
Mobile-first impulse services, like late-night food delivery or a locksmith, usually see little volume.
How I set it up
Microsoft makes importing campaigns from Google Ads easy. I start there because it saves time and money, then fix what doesn't translate: budgets sized to Bing volume, lower starting bids, location settings, ad schedules and assets. I install the UET tag with conversion goals that mirror your Google ones, so both channels are measured the same way. The same privacy setup applies here as for Google: an honest privacy notice and consent handling where state laws require it.
For B2B, LinkedIn profile targeting lets me bid up for people at relevant companies, in particular industries or job functions. Google has no equivalent.
Example: an accounting firm during tax season
Picture a small accounting firm already getting leads from Google between January and April 15. On Bing the same keywords bring fewer clicks, but from people searching on office computers during the day. A sensible test is a small budget through tax season, bids below Google's and ads that mention small-business bookkeeping. If cost per lead comes in at or below Google's, the campaign stays and expands to year-round bookkeeping keywords. If not, you spent little to find out. The same logic is laid out on my page on marketing for accountants.
Pricing
Microsoft Ads is one of the services I quote individually after a short call. If I already run your Google Ads, adding Bing is usually a modest extra, because the campaigns share structure, keywords and reporting. If you want only Microsoft Ads, I quote it as a separate account. Ad spend goes from you to Microsoft directly. My other ad prices are on the advertising pricing page.
What the reports show
Microsoft Ads results appear in the same report as Google Ads, with cost per lead for each, so you see which keywords and channels bring customers. If Bing doesn't earn its place after a fair test, I'll recommend turning it off rather than keeping it alive for the look of activity.
Don't forget the free listing
Bing has its own business listings. A claimed, complete Bing Places profile helps you appear on Bing Maps and in local results without paying per click, and it takes under an hour; Apple Business Connect does the same for Apple Maps and Siri. My guide to Apple Business Connect and Bing Places walks through both. For paid search on Google, start with Search campaigns or read about all Google Ads services.
Microsoft Ads
questions
What does Microsoft Ads management cost?
I quote it individually after a short call, because it depends on whether it sits next to a Google Ads account I already manage or runs as a separate account. In most cases it's added to an existing Google Ads plan. Your ad spend is billed by Microsoft straight to you.
Does anyone in the US still use Bing?
Google is far bigger, but Bing still handles a meaningful share of US searches, especially on Windows desktops where Edge is the default browser. For some B2B services, Bing's share among the people you want can be higher than the overall figures suggest. I check volume for your keywords before recommending it.
Can I simply copy my Google Ads campaigns?
Importing is the right start, not the finish. Some settings don't carry over cleanly, budgets need resizing for lower volume and bids often belong lower. After import I review location, schedule, devices and assets, and set up conversion tracking with Microsoft's own tag.
Should a local business bother with Microsoft Ads?
Sometimes. A home services company found mostly on phones will see little volume. A local accountant, attorney, financial advisor or senior care provider may get useful leads at a lower cost. I'd add it only after Google Ads and your Google Business Profile are in good shape, and claim your free Bing Places listing either way.
Will Microsoft Ads show my ads on LinkedIn?
Microsoft Ads uses LinkedIn profile data to target search ads, and its audience network shows ads on Microsoft properties and partners. Ads inside LinkedIn's own feed run through LinkedIn Ads, a separate platform I deliver with a trusted partner; the contract and communication stay with me.
Search beyond
Google
Let's test Bing
as your second channel
Send me your current keywords and results. I'll estimate Bing volume and give you a quote on a free 30-minute call.