Comparing Google Ads vs. Microsoft Ads

If you’ve spent any time on the internet at all, you’re familiar with Google Ads, formerly known as Google AdWords. Google Ads are some of the most popular ads out there, appearing in Google searches, mobile apps, YouTube, and on all different types of websites. 

You’ve likely also heard of Microsoft Advertising, formerly known as Bing Ads. Microsoft Ads appear across the Microsoft Advertising Network, which includes Microsoft sites such as Bing and MSN along with partner sites

Both ad platforms have their benefits, but the reality is that many marketers focus almost entirely on Google and don’t give Microsoft enough consideration. There are several good reasons to think about Bing and Microsoft when you’re planning your PPC (pay-per-click) ad campaign.

Bing vs Google Ads – The Differences:

Before you make any decisions about where to spend your advertising dollars, it’s important to understand the differences between Google Ads and Bing Ads/Microsoft Ads.

There are several ways to compare the two of them, and here are the main differences between the platforms.

1. Market Share and Audience

Google has a significant lead when it comes to search engine market share, with over 91% of the worldwide share, while Bing is a very distant second with less than 4%. However, the situation is somewhat different in the United States, where Google has just over 87% of the market and Bing holds over 7%. In fact, the United States is the country with the most Bing users, accounting for around 29.61 percent of Bing’s monthly traffic. Canada’s situation is similar to the worldwide statistics, with Google holding 91% while Bing has under 6%.

However, searches made through the Windows taskbar default to Bing, so this is a market you won’t want to ignore. There are more than 1.4 billion monthly active devices running either Windows 10 or 11.

After all, approximately 1.1 billion people currently use Bing globally. It doesn’t mean they use it for every search or that these people don’t also use Google, but if you ignore Bing, you’re ignoring over a billion people!

Users on the Microsoft Advertising Network for Search are primarily younger (73% are under the age of 45%) and there are more male users than female (56% to 44%).

2. Cost and Competition

Bing ads generally cost less than Google Ads, with Microsoft Ads being about 30% cheaper than ads with Google.

3. Targeting Options

Google lets you target ads by demographic, affinity, life events, recent purchase intent, and custom segments, while Bing provides similar targeting while also allowing LinkedIn profile targeting. As Microsoft owns LinkedIn, it is the only advertising platform where you can target using this information. This can be a powerful tool for the right audience.

4. Integration with Other Platforms

Google Ads seamlessly integrates with Google Analytics (which makes sense, considering they’re both products of the same company), which can be helpful when tracking website traffic. Microsoft Ads uses Universal Event Tracking (UET) to target audiences.

If you’re running Google Ads, there are several main reasons why it may be worth considering Microsoft Ads for your next campaign. In fact, in several cases, Microsoft Bing Ads outperforms Google Ads.

8 Reasons Why Bing Ads Outperform Google AdWords

Sticking with just one ad platform and not looking at the other can be a mistake for any digital agency, especially when one of those platforms is managed by a massive company like Microsoft. Even though Bing is a distant second to Google in search engine traffic, there is still a considerable audience using it.

Therefore, it’s a great idea to consider Microsoft Ads, especially since there are many ways where it outperforms Google Ads. Here are eight of the most important ways to do this.

1. Bing is More Powerful Than You Think

Not only does Bing serve a large audience, but it is also a powerful and capable platform, especially with the integration of ChatGPT through Copilot. While ads aren’t necessarily displayed in Copilot chats, having this easily accessible chatbot could draw more people towards Bing Search.

2. With Less Competition on Bing, Clicks are Much Cheaper

There is less competition on Microsoft Ads, as it is a less popular platform than Google. This means that you may end up spending less money per click for an ad on Bing than you would for an ad on Google. 

This chart shows a cost-per-click (CPC) comparison between the two ad platforms, and you can see that you’ll spend less with Bing.

3. Better ROI than Google Ads

Since there is less competition on Bing than on Google, you’ll likely have an easier time getting your ad in front of the correct audience. This can bring you a greater return on investment (ROI), especially since you’ll probably spend less money on the ad as well.

4. Bing Ads Don’t Force Close Variants on You

Google Ads may show words and phrases that are not an exact match to the terms you’re targeting. This “can include searches that don’t contain the direct meaning of your keywords.” While these close variant matches are designed to get your ads more traffic, the downside is your ads may be clicked on by those who aren’t interested in your particular niche. This can cost you money and send you unrelated traffic. Microsoft Ads gives you the option to target close matches, but it doesn’t force it upon you as Google does. 

5. Bing Ads has a Better Targeting Options

You have more control over demographic targeting with Microsoft Ads than you do with Google Ads, and this includes gender and age demographics on Bing. There is great flexibility in the targeting options, which makes the service quite powerful. Sometimes, you may need to do more work to narrow down your exact audience, but you’ll also be able to pinpoint your ads more accurately and find the precise users you’re looking for.

6. Bing Ads has Better Device Targeting Options

In addition to providing more specific demographic targeting, Microsoft Ads also helps you reach audiences on specific devices with ease. This can help you target your ads towards a very particular audience, one that is more likely to turn into a paying customer. 

7. Strong Customer Support

Microsoft Advertising support is quite responsive and can help you get the assistance you need to better use the platform. Support is available by phone, via 24/7 online chat, social media, or through a community forum.

Again, since Microsoft Ads are less popular than Google Ads, you may have an easier time talking to an actual person who can help you solve your issue, whereas Google Ads Help makes it more difficult to contact a person, and you’ll likely experience longer wait times.

8. Ease of Use

The Microsoft Ads platform is quite intuitive and easy to use. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s basic or lacking options. If you spend some time with Microsoft Ads, you’ll see that it provides quite comprehensive and powerful options, and that can make it a great choice for marketers who are looking to reach specific audiences.

Combining Bing Ads and Google Ads could be the perfect choice for your clients

One important thing to recognize is that while Microsoft Ads and Google Ads compete with one another for advertising dollars, you don’t have to choose one or the other.  Many users flip back and forth between Bing and Google for their searches, so spending your ad revenue on both sites can be beneficial.

This is especially true since there are significant differences between the two platforms. If you’re only advertising with one, you could be missing out on those users who are active on the other, and that could be costing you sales!

If you’re looking for help with your online marketing and lead generation strategy, the professionals at Eggs Media are here to help. We know exactly what it takes to succeed online, get the targeted traffic you need, and convert that traffic into sales. Contact us today for more information and to talk with our professional team!