Microsoft Advertising Guide: Bing Ads for Small Businesses

Most advertisers think of Google first and never look further. Microsoft Advertising, formerly Bing Ads, serves search ads on Bing and partner networks, and it reaches an audience that overlaps with Google but is not identical. For some businesses it adds incremental, lower-cost leads. For others it is not worth the effort. This Microsoft Advertising guide explains how to decide and how to start without wasting money.

What Microsoft Advertising covers

Microsoft Advertising lets you show ads on:

• Bing search results, along with partner search sites.
• Microsoft-owned properties and partners, such as certain browsers and products, depending on region.
• The Microsoft Audience Network, which shows native and display placements across Microsoft products and partner sites in some markets.
• Shopping campaigns for product listings, where available.

Features and availability differ by country, so check what your account offers.

Who uses Bing

The audience differs by market, but people who use Bing are often on desktop devices, including at work, and may skew older or more professional than average. This can suit B2B services, software, finance, travel and home services. In some countries the share of search is small, which limits volume. Check your own market and use the tools in the platform to see estimated traffic.

Is it worth adding?

Consider Microsoft Advertising if:

1. Your Google Ads campaigns are profitable and you want incremental volume.
2. Your audience includes desktop users and professionals.
3. Competition and click costs on Google are high.
4. You can manage another platform without lowering the quality of your main campaigns.

Skip it, at least initially, if your budget is very small, your campaigns on Google are not yet working, or your market has low Bing usage. It is better to perfect one platform first. The basics in Google Ads for beginners and campaign structure for small budgets are worth mastering before adding another channel.

Set up an account

1. Create an account with a business email and fill in business details.
2. Set the time zone, currency and billing method carefully, because some can be difficult to change.
3. Install the Universal Event Tracking (UET) tag on your website. It records conversions and builds audiences.
4. Define conversion goals, such as form submissions, calls or purchases.
5. Link your Google Business Profile or import location details if you serve local customers.

Check that your site's cookie consent setup works with the tag. Privacy regulations apply in many regions; see cookie consent banner guide.

Import from Google Ads

One of the biggest advantages is the import tool. You can bring over campaigns, ad groups, keywords, ads and extensions from Google Ads, then adjust them for Microsoft's platform. This saves hours.

After importing:

• Review budgets, bids and locations, as they may not map exactly.
• Check ad copy and landing pages.
• Review match types and negative keywords.
• Make sure conversion tracking uses the UET tag and not a Google tag.
• Set up scheduled imports if you want changes to flow across, but review the results, because automatic syncing can overwrite specific adjustments.

Do not simply duplicate and forget. Treat the imported structure as a starting point and refine it using Microsoft's own search term and performance data.

Set budgets and bids

Costs per click are often lower than on Google, though volume is smaller. Start with a modest daily budget, perhaps a small fraction of your Google spend, and focus on your best-performing campaigns. Begin with manual or enhanced bidding to learn, then explore automated strategies when you have conversion data. The comparison of strategies in bid strategies explained applies, although names differ slightly.

Use location targeting and negative keywords just as you would on Google. The Google Ads negative keywords guide approach carries over.

Use features that stand out

• LinkedIn profile targeting. In some markets, Microsoft Advertising lets you target by company, industry and job function using LinkedIn data, which is helpful for B2B. Availability may change, so check the current options.
• Multimedia and product ads. These can highlight images and offers in search.
• Audience targeting. Remarketing lists and in-market audiences can refine reach. See remarketing audience lists.
• Ad extensions. Sitelinks, callouts, call buttons and structured snippets work much as in Google.

Write ads and landing pages with care

Reuse your best-performing messages, but check for local differences in language and offers. Landing pages should match the ad and load quickly. Follow ad copywriting tips and landing page conversion tips. Because Bing users may skew toward desktop, ensure the desktop experience is strong as well as the mobile one.

Track and compare results

Measure Microsoft campaigns separately from Google so you can see their true value.

• Use the UET tag for conversions and tagged URLs for your analytics. The UTM parameters guide helps keep names consistent.
• Compare cost per lead, conversion rate and lead quality with Google.
• Check search terms for irrelevant queries and add negatives.
• Look at devices and times for patterns. See ad scheduling and dayparting.

Judge success by the business outcome. A platform with lower volume but cheaper, good-quality leads can be valuable.

Typical mistakes

• Importing and leaving campaigns unreviewed.
• Using the same bids as Google without checking.
• Forgetting UET tracking and consent.
• Spending too little to learn or too much too fast.
• Treating Microsoft traffic as identical to Google traffic.
• Ignoring the platform entirely without testing.

An example test plan

A small accounting firm already runs profitable Google Ads for tax filing services. It decides to test Microsoft Advertising for eight weeks.

1. Setup: it creates an account, installs the UET tag, and imports its two best campaigns.
2. Review: it checks locations, adjusts bids to start slightly below Google levels and confirms that call and form conversions are tracked.
3. Budget: it allocates a small share of its Google spend and keeps the rest unchanged.
4. Monitoring: every week it checks search terms, adds negatives and records cost per lead.
5. Evaluation: after eight weeks it compares cost per lead and lead quality with Google.

The firm finds that volume is lower, but cost per lead is a little better and the leads skew toward business owners. It decides to continue at a modest level and test a LinkedIn-based audience for its business services.

Questions to ask yourself before expanding

• Are the leads from Microsoft Advertising of similar quality?
• Does the added management time justify the extra volume?
• Are my landing pages and tracking working for these visitors?
• Would the same time and money bring more value from improving existing campaigns or other channels?

Answer honestly, using data. If the platform adds profitable volume, scale gradually. If it does not, record what you learned and revisit later, because audiences and costs change over time.

Keeping accounts in sync

If you run both platforms, create a routine for syncing changes. When you add negative keywords, update ad copy or change offers on Google, decide whether the same change should be made on Microsoft. Use consistent naming conventions so reports line up, and compare both platforms in a single spreadsheet or dashboard. The PPC reporting template offers a structure that works for multiple channels.

Stay within the rules and policies

Microsoft has its own advertising policies, which differ in some details from Google's. Review the guidelines for your industry, especially in regulated categories such as finance, health and legal services. Ads and landing pages must be accurate, and claims need to be supportable. Disapprovals can pause campaigns, so check the policy status regularly. Keep documentation of any certifications or licences you may need to provide. Following the rules protects your account and keeps your campaigns running without interruption.

A cautious test

Run a four to eight week test. Import your two or three best Google campaigns, set a limited budget, track conversions and compare cost per lead. If the results are close to Google's or better, continue and expand gradually. If not, pause and revisit later. Record what you learn.

For a wider look at distributing spend across channels, see paid media budget allocation. If you would like help setting up or evaluating a Microsoft Advertising test, contact me.