Guides
Microsoft (Bing) Ads
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Microsoft Ads will not replace Google, and any comparison that implies otherwise is wasting your time. Search volume is a fraction of Google's and no campaign structure changes that. What it does offer is a genuinely different audience at meaningfully lower cost — which matters most in categories where Google clicks are punishing. This guide covers when it's worth running, when it isn't, and the one targeting capability Google doesn't have.
Minimum budget is $500 a month, the lowest of any channel, which makes it cheap to find out.
Who's actually on Bing?
Not who most advertisers assume.
Bing is the default search engine in Windows and Microsoft Edge, and on a great many corporate machines nobody changes it. That produces an audience skewing older, higher-income, and more likely to be at a desktop during working hours than Google's.
For some categories that's exactly who you want. For others it's irrelevant.
| Worth running | Not worth it |
|---|---|
| Law firms — legal clicks on Google are among the most expensive anywhere, and the gap here is largest | As your only channel. Volume is too thin to build on |
| B2B and SaaS — desktop, at-work, corporate audience | Emergency trades with LSA available — LSA produces far more, far cheaper |
| Older or higher-income customers — estate planning, financial services, premium home services | Budgets under $500/month — spread thinner and there's no data to optimise on |
| When Google is already working and you want incremental volume | Categories that skew young or mobile |
What does it cost?
Set expectations honestly: a realistic outcome is 10–20% of your Google lead volume at a lower cost per lead. It's incremental, not a second Google, and treating it as one leads to disappointment.
The one thing Google can't do
Microsoft owns LinkedIn, and you can layer LinkedIn profile data onto search campaigns.
That means bidding more aggressively when the person searching works at a company in your target industry, holds a particular job function, or works at a company of a certain size.
For B2B this is a genuinely differentiated capability — you're combining search intent with firmographic targeting, which Google simply cannot offer. It's the strongest single reason for a B2B company to run Microsoft Ads.
For local consumer services it's largely irrelevant.
Importing from Google — do it, then rebuild
Microsoft offers a direct import from Google Ads, and it's the right starting point. It is not the finishing point.
A straight copy underperforms, for three reasons:
- Match types behave differently. Broad match on Microsoft is broader than you'd expect
- The audience is different. Bid adjustments tuned for Google's mobile-heavy traffic are frequently wrong here — desktop share is far higher
- Negative keyword lists need rework, because the irrelevant searches differ
Import to get live in a week, then treat it as a new account and rebuild over the following month.
What to expect
Leads within days of launch — there's no meaningful learning period at this budget level.
Volume will be low. That's the channel, not a fault in your setup. The question isn't whether Microsoft produces less than Google, it's whether the leads it does produce cost less per booked job.
Review it quarterly against Google. If cost per acquired customer isn't genuinely better, move the budget. Running a channel because it exists rather than because it performs is a common and expensive habit.
Running it yourself
| Cost | |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Advertising account | Free |
| Import from Google | Free |
| Media spend | $500+/month |
| Your time | 2–3 hours setup after import, then an hour a month |
This is the easiest channel to run yourself if you already manage Google Ads — the interface is similar, the concepts transfer, and the budget is small enough that mistakes are cheap.
Frequently asked questions
Are Bing Ads worth it?
For law firms, B2B companies and businesses with older or higher-income customers, usually yes — clicks cost meaningfully less and the audience differs from Google's. As a first or only channel, no. Volume is too thin.
Is it still called Bing Ads?
The platform is officially Microsoft Advertising and covers Bing, Yahoo and partner sites. Most people still say Bing Ads, and the distinction doesn't matter practically.
How much traffic will I get compared to Google?
Realistically 10–20% of your Google volume, typically at a lower cost per lead. Treat it as incremental rather than as a replacement.
Can I copy my Google campaigns over?
You can import them, and that's the right way to start. But a straight copy underperforms — match types behave differently, the audience skews desktop, and negative keyword lists need rework.
What's the minimum budget?
$500 a month, the lowest of any paid channel. That makes it inexpensive to test whether the audience converts for your category.
What is LinkedIn profile targeting?
Because Microsoft owns LinkedIn, you can layer company, industry and job function data onto search campaigns. It's a capability Google doesn't have, and it's the strongest reason for a B2B company to run this channel.
Should this be my first paid channel?
No. Start with Local Service Ads if eligible, or Google Ads if not. Add Microsoft once one of those is running well.
How do I know if it's working?
Compare cost per booked job against Google, not cost per click or lead volume. Review quarterly and move the budget if it isn't genuinely better.
Written by Jared DeValk, founder of Nashville Digital. Last reviewed September 2026. Updated quarterly.