5 Reasons You Need to Advertise on Bing—Backed by Data!

When it comes to advertising online, it’s always Google, Google, Google. But there’s another search platform you might be overlooking—one that’s just as valuable and even a little more cost-effective.

We’re talking about Bing, of course. Microsoft Ads, which run on Bing and multiple other networks and devices, including the ever-popular Amazon Alexa, just might be the answer to your online advertising prayers. And we’ve got the data to back it up.

Today, we’re answering your most asked questions when it comes to advertising on Bing using Microsoft Ads.

Contents

1. Do people use Bing?
2. Who uses Bing?
3. How effective are Microsoft Ads?
4. How does Microsoft Advertising compare to Google Ads?
5. Should you run ads on both Google and Bing?

5 questions about advertising on Bing, answered!

We’re arming you with the data and insights you need to know about advertising on Bing.

Question #1: Do people use Bing?

Answer: Yes! In fact, Bing’s market share has grown across all devices over the last few years, with an even higher rate of growth on desktop.

Microsoft’s rising market share can be attributed to enhancements to its search platform as well as AI integrations into its products. People are increasingly turning to these tools, and it shows in the context of Bing’s recently improved traffic.

Here are some more Bing usage stats and facts:

• Bing has 181 million monthly active users on desktop.
• Bing users perform over 10 billion desktop searches every month.
• Bing searches include results on partner platforms and sites like MSN, Outlook, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, AOL, Xbox, and more.
• Bing handles over 27% of searches in the US.
• People using Microsoft services like Bing are 19% more likely to click on an ad, according to Microsoft.

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Question #2: Who uses Bing?

Answer: Bing users are typically well-educated, skew male, and spend more than Google users.

And, many searchers use Bing exclusively—44 million desktop users to be exact. This means if you’re not running ads here, you’re missing out on a large swath of your local audience.

Here are some more stats about Bing’s user base:

• The average Bing user spends over 30% more online than the typical Google user.
• 41% of Bing users are in the top 25% of household incomes.
• 63% of users turn to Bing for product research, and nearly 40% use Bing to find new businesses.
• Bing users in the US are 53% male and 47% female.
• 38 million users on Microsoft services like Bing are not on Google, according to Microsoft.

Question #3: How effective are Microsoft Ads?

Answer: Microsoft Ads drive high-quality, lower-cost leads.

Bing is not only on par with Google but can even outperform it in certain cases.

We’ve seen this firsthand through analysis using our internal AI call evaluation system. We were able to see that calls from Bing show virtually equal value to calls from Google. We also found that it took 2-3 times fewer clicks on Bing ads to convert to a lead than on sites like Yahoo and DuckDuckGo.

Bing can also deliver these high-value leads at a lower cost.

“With the rise of Smart Bidding, Google CPCs (cost per clicks) have increased while the value remained the same, but Bing CPCs have dropped during that same time period,” said Todd Phillipp, Senior Director of Media Products, LocaliQ.

Additionally, we were able to measure the value of Bing Partners, showing that while their value per click is lower, the cost per click is significantly lower than that, making spend on the Microsoft Partner Network twice as valuable as standard Bing search.

Question #4: How does Microsoft Advertising compare to Google Ads?

Answer: Microsoft Advertising is extremely similar to Google Ads with a few small differences.

Some similarities between Google and Microsoft Ads include:

• Can run Search, Display, Video, and other media-rich ad types on both platforms.
• Set up for both ad platforms is extremely similar.
• Both platforms serve ads based on an auction—meaning the best winning bid gets the top-ranking spot for its ad.
• Targeting options are similar—can target by keyword or phrase, location, and more.
• Search ads look very similar across both search engines.

Some differences between Google and Microsoft Ads include:

• Bing consistently delivers lower cost per click and cost per lead (CPL)—with lead quality that’s comparable to, or even better than, Google’s.
• Because Google has a larger market share, advertisers will likely see less volume when running Microsoft Ads, meaning it can take longer to spend your budget there.
• There are some differences in verbiage between the two platforms. We cover a few of those here.

It’s also simple to replicate your Google Ads on Microsoft Ads. This can save you a step and help you see similar success across both platforms.

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Question #5: Should you run ads on both Google and Microsoft?

Answer: Yes! Running ads on Google and Bing can lower your overall cost per lead.

Recent analysis shows that pairing any other publisher to run alongside Google can positively impact both campaign-level and Google-specific CPL by over 60%.

These results improve even more when enabling Smart Bidding across platforms.

This data illustrates the importance of running ads across both platforms to give you the best results for your search ads investment.

Don’t ignore the benefits of advertising on Bing

While many small business owners think Google is the only solution for search advertising, it’s clear that running ads on Bing through Microsoft Ads is a must for getting the most out of your budget and driving the best overall results.

For help running ads across all search platforms, reach out for a demo.

Meet The Author

Guy Philosoph

Guy is the Head of Product Management for LocaliQ’s Lead Generation Paid Media products. With over 20 years of digital experience, he is an accomplished and results-driven product leader who has made a mark across diverse industries. His expertise spans product management, large-scale digital transformations, digital marketing (for both publishers and advertisers), ad-tech monetization, and business development. Combining a tech-savvy mindset with high-caliber management and leadership skills, he excels in driving impactful outcomes and navigating complex business landscapes, thriving at the dynamic intersection of marketing and technology. He holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. Beyond his professional pursuits, Guy treasures time with his family—including his four children—and stays active through outdoor running and lap swimming.

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