When we think of online search, most of us reflexively think of Google, and when we think of online advertising, we automatically think of Google Ads. But have you considered Microsoft Ads? It might surprise you to find out that when it comes to flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and targeting, Microsoft more than holds its own, and in fact, may even give you an advertising edge. If you’re a Google Ads veteran and have been running ads successfully, you’re likely to find success with Bing Ads too.

Audience: Bing Quality Versus Google Quantity

While Google certainly has a larger user base, the Microsoft audience is nothing to sniff at. The Microsoft search network boasts more than 6 billion monthly searches across their search network that includes Bing, Yahoo, and AOL. Microsoft reports that fully 34% of all internet searches are done on their platforms, and even more on PC. Sure, the Google audience is bigger, but quantity doesn’t mean quality!

Consider this: Bing users are generally older (35 – 54), more highly educated, and have higher incomes. In fact, one-third of Bing users have an annual income of $100,000 or more, and half of Bing users make at least $75,000. More than 40% of US users fall in the top 25% of earners.

So while your Google ads may be seen by more people overall, the proportion of high-interest, target prospects reached by your Microsoft ads may ultimately be greater—and at a lower overall cost to you.

Greater Control Over Your Audience with Microsoft PPC Ads

When it comes to filtering the audience who sees your ads, Bing comes out on top. While both Google and Bing will show your ad through their search partners, Bing gives you far more control. Google only gives you two choices; you can either show ads via Google search only or via Google search plus search partners. Bing, on the other hand, gives you three options for where to show ads: (1) Bing, Yahoo and AOL only, (2) search partners only, or (3) Bing, Yahoo, AOL plus search partners. Beyond that, Bing Ads even gives you clear reporting that allows you see where your traffic is coming from, making it easy identify specific search partners to exclude from future runs.

Microsoft Advertising is also the only digital advertising platform (other than LinkedIn itself) that allows you to target LinkedIn users based on profile information. LinkedIn Profile Targeting gives you an amazing ability to reach people based on their job function, industry, and even specific company and then target those customer segments with custom text ads, Dynamic Search Ads, and shopping campaigns.

Higher Conversions and Better Engagement with Bing Ads

Bing ads also have a proven record of higher clickthrough rates (CTRs) in certain industries, especially for financial and shopping services. Because both MSN and Yahoo offer financial reporting, ads for related products and services in those verticals are reaching prospects who are more likely to be interested in your offerings, more likely to click through, and more likely to be engaged after clicking on your ad. Some studies have shown conversion rates above 50% higher with Bing advertising versus Microsoft advertising when it comes to specific e-commerce markets.

So while both Google Ads and Microsoft Ads give you flexibility in deciding when, where, and to whom your ads are shown, and while the basic functionality of the platforms is the same, there really are some pretty significant advantages to using Bing, and they ought to be considered when planning any PPC advertising strategy.

You Don’t Have to Learn Digital Marketing to Make It Work for You

You don’t need to become an expert in PPC advertising to take advantage of the benefits of Microsoft Ads or Bing Ads. At Equivity, we’ve got a team ready to help you with every aspect of your digital marketing and PPC advertising initiatives. Our experienced marketing strategists will work with you to put together a comprehensive PPC ad strategy that will help you meet your goals. Then our skilled marketing assistants will use their specialized expertise to execute your campaigns—we can write and design your ads, set them up in the platform, monitor results and give you reports—even set up unique landing pages and create intriguing lead magnets that will drive more interest. Let us know when you’re ready and we’ll be happy to get you started with your own PPC advertising campaign.