Microsoft Advertising: what it is and what benefits it offers

Microsoft Advertising, known as Bing Ads until 2019, is Microsoft’s pay-per-click advertising programme. Ads appear in the Bing and Yahoo search engines. In this article you can read why the channel can pay off alongside Google Ads: lower click prices, less competition and an audience you don’t reach via Google.

A sensible advertising channel for reaching new customers

When it comes to search engine marketing, almost everyone thinks of Google first. That is understandable: the search engine dominates the web and has had a market share of around 90 per cent in Germany in recent years.

On Google, however, the market is becoming increasingly saturated with advertisers, which drives click prices up. That is why we introduce Microsoft Advertising here, the number 2 in this field.

For desktop searches, its market share is “only” just under ten per cent. But behind Microsoft Ads stands a technology group with a large reach and a professional platform on which you can run tailored, cost-effective advertising. Every SEA advertiser ultimately has to ask how high their return on advertising spend (ROAS) is. This is exactly where Microsoft Ads can outperform its big competitor.

What is Microsoft Advertising and what are its benefits?

Microsoft Advertising is a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising programme from Microsoft. Advertisers use it to run online ads across the network of the Bing and Yahoo search engines. The benefits:

1. Reach the “forgotten” audience: with Microsoft Ads you specifically target people who don’t search with Google. Depending on the industry and product, that means several hundred thousand to millions of users ready to buy.
2. Lower click prices: the Microsoft Advertising network is used less than Google Ads, so you pay less per click.
3. Less competitive pressure: fewer competitors appear in the search results. Your ad is therefore noticed more consciously, which can have a positive effect on the conversion rate.
4. Growing market share: Microsoft Advertising is gaining market share through the widely used Windows 8 and 10 operating systems, on which Bing is set as the default search engine. With Bing you also reach Yahoo and AOL users. Both date back to the early days of the internet but still have many users, especially older people with higher purchasing power. If that matches your target group, it is an advantage for you.
5. Easy to use: campaigns can be set up quickly on the platform. The import function even lets you bring over your existing Google Ads campaigns, which saves time.
6. International campaigns: Microsoft Ads can also run outside Germany. Depending on your target group, the ads can be delivered worldwide.

Is Microsoft Advertising worth it alongside Google Ads?

Our clients often ask us whether it makes sense to run Microsoft Ads alongside Google Ads to reach more or different users. In most cases our answer is “yes”. If you have only advertised on Google so far, a Microsoft Advertising campaign is an obvious next step.

If you lack the time or experience in search engine marketing, we can support you in setting up and managing your campaigns. Find out more under Performance Marketing, or contact us directly.