Bing Ads was renamed Microsoft Advertising in 2019, but most marketers still call it Bing. This Bing ads guide covers how the platform works today and how an e-commerce brand already running Google can add it without doubling its workload. Ads from one Microsoft account can show across:
Microsoft's share of searches is much smaller than Google's and varies by country and device, so it will never replace Google. Its value is incremental: buyers you are not reaching on Google, often at a lower cost per click because fewer advertisers compete for them.
Microsoft's audience leans toward desktop users, people on work computers and older, higher-income households, largely because Bing is the default search engine in Windows and Edge. That mix suits products with higher order values, B2B purchases, home and garden, health and anything bought by people in their 40s and up.
Treat that as a hypothesis, not a promise. Check your own Google Analytics data for the share of revenue that already comes from desktop and older age groups. If those segments convert well on Google, Microsoft is usually worth testing.
If you know Google Ads, you already know most of Microsoft Advertising. The differences that matter:
| Area | Google Ads | Microsoft Advertising |
|---|---|---|
| Search volume | The large majority of searches | A smaller share; volume per keyword is lower |
| Competition and CPCs | More advertisers, higher CPCs in most niches | Fewer advertisers, CPCs are often lower; test before assuming |
| Audience | Broad, mobile-heavy | Skews desktop, older and higher income |
| Targeting controls | Location and schedule set at campaign level | Location, schedule and device can also be set per ad group |
| Partner control | Search partners on or off | Website exclusions for individual partner sites |
| Professional targeting | No LinkedIn data | LinkedIn profile targeting (company, industry, job function) in supported markets and campaign types |
| Migration | None | Google Import copies campaigns, once or on a schedule |
Microsoft tracks conversions with a Universal Event Tracking (UET) tag, its equivalent of the Google tag. Install it on every page, or through Google Tag Manager or your store platform's Microsoft integration, then create conversion goals for purchases with dynamic revenue values. Turn on auto-tagging (it adds the msclkid parameter to your URLs) so analytics can attribute sessions correctly, and enable enhanced conversions to recover purchases that cookies miss. If you sell in regions that require consent, configure UET consent mode so tags respect your consent banner.
Do not import campaigns before tracking works. Imported Smart Bidding strategies with no conversion data spend blind for weeks.
Google Import is the fastest way to launch. It copies campaigns, ad groups, keywords, ads, assets, bids and budgets from Google Ads, and you can rerun it daily, weekly or monthly to keep both accounts in sync. It also saves time when rebuilding Shopping and Performance Max campaigns. But imports are not perfect:
For most stores the order is: Shopping and branded search first, then top non-brand search, then Performance Max once conversion data builds.
Microsoft supports broad, phrase and exact match, negative keywords and shared negative lists, so your Google keyword structure carries over. Use Microsoft's keyword planner for extra ideas, but expect lower volumes. Our keyword research guide explains how to build the core list.
Responsive search ads work the same way as on Google: up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions. Add the same assets you use on Google, such as sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, images and prices. Microsoft also offers formats Google does not, such as multimedia ads with larger images on search results. For audiences, layer in remarketing lists from UET, Customer Match lists and in-market segments. Where LinkedIn profile targeting is available, use it to adjust bids for buyers in specific industries or job functions, which is especially useful for B2B and premium products.
Review Microsoft weekly alongside Google, not as an afterthought:
After 60–90 days, compare Microsoft's cost per acquisition and ROAS with Google's and count the new customers it adds. If it is profitable but small, keep it steady. If it is unprofitable after fixes, narrow it to Shopping and brand. Microsoft rarely changes a business on its own, but it often adds profitable revenue at the margin. If you want it handled alongside Google, see our Microsoft Bing ads management.
Key takeaways
Adapted from Bony Ghadiya's Microsoft (Bing) Ads playbook. Read the full guide on Notion.
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