When you first decide to invest in a pay-per-click campaign, there is no doubt that Google Ads is front-of-mind. It is after all the most used search engine globally, with a market share of 91.47%. However, that doesn’t mean that other search engines should be ignored.
Microsoft Ads (formerly Bing Ads) has almost the same functionality as Google Ads. After all, it was modeled after it, meaning it works well for anyone who knows how to manage paid ad campaigns. As a marketer, whichever you choose to use, the principles across both platforms are relatively similar.
You’ll still be conducting keyword research, matching it to a search query, and attempting to appeal to highly targeted audiences. Yet, there is a reason why some marketers prefer one over the other. Let’s break it down.
Key Differences between Google Ads and Microsoft Ads
When it comes to Google ads, there are two types of paid search advertising. First, there are campaigns that appear on the search network. This allows you to create text-based ads that show up on the search engine results page (SERP). Second, there are ads that appear on the display network. These include ads on individual web pages depending on who your target audience is.
Alternatively, Microsoft’s PPC platform includes four other search engines– Bing, Yahoo, AOL, and DuckDuckGo. Additionally, ads can also appear on publisher partners like MSN and Outlook.
The table below highlights several of the core differences between Microsoft ads and Google ads.
| Differences | Microsoft Ads | Google Ads |
| Competition | Microsoft has less than 5% of the current ad market share. However, according to research, ads on Microsoft target very specific markets, i.e. B2B businesses and older individuals with higher incomes. | Google currently dominates the ad market, with about a 76% share. Google ads target a larger, more diverse market. Research reveals that its ads tend to appeal more to younger users. |
| Cost | The average cost-per-click (CPC) is $1.54. | The average cost-per-click (CPC) is $1 to $2. |
| Click-Through-Rate (CTR) | The average CTR on Microsoft across all industries is 2.83%, which is approximately 50% higher than CTRs on Google ads. Microsoft is revealed to be the best network for B2B advertisers, with a CTR of 3.01%. | The average CTR on Google Ads is 1.91% for ads on the Search Network and 0.35% for ads on the Display Network. |
| Keyword Match | Offers a keyword research tool, broad match, phrase match, exact match, broad match modifier, and negative keyword targeting. However, it has a lower keyword traffic volume compared to Google. This means traffic is of slightly lower quality. | Offers a keyword research tool, broad match, phrase match, exact match, and negative keyword targeting. Has a much higher keyword traffic volume due to more user data. Traffic tends to be highly targeted. |
| Targeting | Audience targeting options include: in-market, Linkedin profile, custom audiences, keywords, location, specific days and time, gender, age, device, predictive targeting, impression-based, combined lists, and remarketing. | Audience targeting options include: demographics, affinity, in-market, intent, similar audiences, and remarketing. Additionally, content targeting includes: topic, placement, keywords, and display expansion for search. |
| Reach | Ads can reach about 63 million searches who aren’t accessible on Google Ads. | Has 1 billion active users each month. |
| Types of Ads | Expanded text ads, dynamic search ads, Bing smart search ads, responsive search ads, and product ads. | Responsive ads, dynamic search ads, call-only ads, and shopping ads. |
Why choose Microsoft ads over Google ads?
While there are slight differences between both advertising platforms, it is important to note that there isn’t one that is better than the other. Each platform offers distinct advantages, and while Google ads dominates the current paid search market, its landscape is also highly competitive.
Hence, if you’re thinking about switching to Microsoft ads entirely or using it to complement your current Google ads strategy, here’s why it might be a good idea:
- You can easily import your Google ads campaign into Microsoft ads. This means you save time from recreating your entire campaign from the start. And if you have the budget for it, you can run the same campaign on both ad platforms to improve reach and visibility.
- Microsoft offers more specific targeting options. Microsoft allows advertisers to target audiences based on their device type and operating system (OS).
- Microsoft is known for greater transparency when it comes to disclosing details about their search partners. As an advertiser, you can receive detailed reports on the performance of each search partner in a campaign.
- Microsoft users tend to be more engaged with the ads they receive. In a study conducted by Search Engine People, within the automotive industry, users were interacting and converting with ads at 10-56% higher rates than Google.
- Microsoft ads offer LinkedIn targeting. This is useful if you intend to specifically target individuals or companies, or if your business practices account-based marketing.
Making the Right Choice
Well, hopefully by now it’s clear that the best PPC strategy is to invest in both ad networks, that is if you have the budget to do so. Both ad platforms are functionally pretty similar and ads are easily moved from one platform to the next.
Hence, complementing your Google ads strategy with one on Microsoft can help you fill in any gaps that your online presence may have. This will improve your reach, potentially even introducing you to new, previously untapped audiences.
However, if you have a limited ad budget, think about starting with Google ads first. As your budget grows, you could then consider investing in Microsoft ads. Remember, as the digital marketing landscape evolves, the key to success is to always test and optimise your ads on both platforms.
Don’t immediately write-off Microsoft ads– consider investing in a few ad performance tools to track the return on investment (ROI) of each campaign. Then, you’ll be able to better decide whether Google or Microsoft ads are better for you. Who knows, you might surprise yourself.