Bing Ads vs. Google Ads: Which Platform is Right for Your Business?

Paid search advertising is a powerful way to attract potential customers to your website and drive conversions. Two of the most popular platforms for paid search campaigns are Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads). While both platforms have their advantages, determining when to use one over the other requires careful consideration of various factors.  

 In this post, we’ll explore the differences between Bing Ads vs. Google Ads and help you determine which platform is right for your business. 

 

Overview of Bing Ads vs. Google Ads 

Bing Ads and Google Ads are two popular paid search advertising platforms that allow businesses to create and deliver ads to a targeted audience. Both platforms provide businesses with the ability to advertise on search engine results pages (SERPs) and other websites within their respective networks. 

 

Google Ads 

Google Ads is the most widely used platform for paid search advertising, and for good reason. It offers access to a vast audience of potential customers, with over 3.5 billion daily searches. Some of the key advantages of running paid search campaigns on Google Ads include: 

1. Greater Reach: Google dominates the search engine market, making it the best choice for reaching a large audience. 
2. Quality Traffic: Google’s algorithm filters out low-quality traffic, ensuring that ads are seen by users who are likely to be interested in your products or services. 
3. Advanced Targeting Capabilities: Google allows you to target specific demographics, interests, behaviors, and geographic locations. 
4. Rich Ad Formats: Google ads support multiple ad formats, such as text ads, image ads, video ads, and shopping ads. 

 

 Downsides to Running Paid Search Campaigns on Google: 

1. Higher Costs: Due to its large audience and high competition, Google Ads can be more expensive than Bing Ads in terms of cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-impression (CPM). 
2. Stiffer Competition: With more advertisers competing for ad space, it can be more challenging for businesses to achieve top placement or stand out from the crowd. 
3. Ad Fraud: Google Ads is not immune to ad fraud, which can lead to wasted advertising spend and lower ROI if fraudulent clicks go undetected. 
4. Ad Fatigue: As users become accustomed to seeing ads on Google, they may become less likely to click on them or engage with the content.

 

Bing Ads 

 While Bing may not have the same reach as Google, it offers several benefits for businesses looking to run paid search campaigns. Some of the key advantages of using Bing Ads include: 

1. Lower Cost Per Click (CPC): Bing Ads often have a lower CPC than Google Ads, making them an attractive option for businesses with smaller budgets. 
2. Less Competition: With fewer advertisers competing for ad space, Bing Ads can offer a less crowded advertising environment. 
3. Older Demographic: Bing’s user base tends to skew older, making it a good choice for businesses targeting this demographic. 
4. Integration with Other Microsoft Products: Bing Ads integrates with other Microsoft products, such as LinkedIn and Microsoft Advertising Audience Network, offering additional targeting options. 

 

Downsides to Running Paid Search Campaigns on Bing: 

1. Smaller Audience: While Bing has a significant user base, it is still smaller than Google, which can limit the reach of paid search campaigns. 
2. Limited Features: Bing Ads may not offer as many advanced features as Google Ads, such as remarketing, dynamic search ads, and automated bidding strategies. 
3. Less Granular Targeting: Bing Ads may not offer the same level of granular targeting options as Google Ads, meaning that businesses may have less control over who sees their ads. 
4. Limited International Reach: Bing’s global reach is limited compared to Google’s, which can make it less effective for businesses targeting international audiences.

 

Comparison of Bing Ads vs. Google Ads 

Google Ads and Bing Ads are both popular paid search advertising platforms that allow businesses to target specific audiences with relevant ads. However, there are some key differences between the two platforms., specifically their audience reach and demographics.

Bing Ads vs. Google Ads: Audience Reach and Demographics 

When comparing the audience reach and demographics of Bing Ads vs. Google Ads, it’s essential to consider the size of each platform’s user base and the demographics of their respective audiences. 

How Google Ads Compares

Google Ads dominates the global search engine market with over 90% of the market share, making it the largest search engine in the world.  Google Ads can reach a diverse audience across all age groups, including millennials, Generation X, and baby boomers. 

How Bing Compares

Bing Ads, on the other hand, accounts for approximately 7% of searches carried out globally. While its user base is smaller than that of Google Ads, Bing still has a substantial number of searchers. According to Microsoft, Bing Ads reaches over 63 million searchers that Google can’t reach. Bing Ads primarily attracts an older demographic in the US, with a greater proportion of users aged 45 or older. 

 

Comparing Costs of Bing Ads vs. Google Ads

Both Google Ads and Bing Ads use a pay-per-click (PPC) model, which means that you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. However, the cost per click (CPC) can vary depending on a number of factors, including the keywords you are targeting, the competition for those keywords, and the time of day your ads are shown. 

In general, Bing Ads has lower CPCs than Google Ads. A study by WordStream found that the average CPC for Bing Ads was $1.21, while the average CPC for Google Ads was $2.32. This means that you can get more traffic to your website for less money by using Bing Ads. 

However, it is important to note that CPC is not the only factor to consider when choosing a PPC platform. Other factors to consider include audience reach, targeting options, and reporting features. 

 

Ads Formats 

 

Both Bing Ads and Google Ads offer a variety of ad formats. However, there are some key differences between the two platforms. 

• Bing Ads offers dynamic search ads. These ads are automatically generated based on the content of your website. This can save you time and effort when creating ads. 
• Google Ads offers responsive search ads. These ads allow you to create multiple headlines and descriptions, and Google will automatically test different combinations to see what performs best. 

Google Ads offers more targeting options. You can target your ads based on demographics, interests, and even past behavior. 

By using the ad formats available in both Google Ads vs. Bing Ads, you can create effective PPC campaigns that reach your target audience and achieve your business goals. 

 

Targeting 

When it comes to targeting options, there are some key differences between Bing Ads vs. Google Ads. 

 

Google Ads Targeting

Google Ads offers a range of targeting options that allow businesses to reach their ideal customers. These include: 

• Keyword Targeting: Allows businesses to target specific keywords related to their products or services. 
• Location Targeting: Businesses target users in specific geographical locations. 
• Audience Targeting: This option allows businesses to target users based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. 
• Device Targeting: This allows businesses to target users on specific devices, such as desktops, tablets, or mobile phones. 
• Time-Of-Day Targeting: This option allows businesses to display ads during specific times of the day when their target audience is most likely to be online. 
• Bing Ads 

Bing Ads Targeting

Bing Ads also provides various targeting options, including: 

• Keyword Targeting: Similar to Google Ads, businesses can target specific keywords related to their products or services. 
• Location Targeting: Businesses can target users in specific geographic locations. 
• Device Targeting: This option allows businesses to target users on specific devices, such as desktops, tablets, or mobile phones. 
• Demographic Targeting: This option allows businesses to target users based on age and gender. 

As you can see, both Bing Ads and Google Ads offer a similar range of targeting options. However, there are a few unique targeting options available in Bing Ads, such as in-market targeting, topic targeting, and app engagement targeting. 

 

Reporting Features 

When it comes to reporting, both Google Ads and Bing Ads provide robust analytics and reporting tools to help businesses track the performance of their campaigns. However, there are some key differences between the two platforms. 

• Google Ads keeps a good record of conversions and conversion value, which can be helpful for businesses that want to track the return on investment (ROI) of their PPC campaigns. 

• Bing Ads offers detailed reporting on devices and locations. This can be helpful for businesses that want to target their ads specific areas. 

By using the reporting features available in both Bing Ads and Google Ads, you can track the performance of your PPC campaigns and make adjustments as needed to improve your results. 

 

 When to Use Bing Ads vs. Google Ads? 

 So, when should you use Bing Ads vs. Google Ads? It ultimately comes down to your specific business goals, target audience, and budget. Here are some general guidelines: 

1. Use Google Ads if you want to reach a large audience, have a larger advertising budget, and want access to advanced targeting capabilities and rich ad formats. 
2. Use Bing Ads if you have a smaller advertising budget, want to target an older demographic, or if you’re in a less competitive industry. 
3. Use both platforms if you want to maximize your reach and take advantage of each platform’s unique benefits. 

 

Businesses Should Ultimately Consider Their Goals 

Both Google Ads and Bing Ads allow businesses to run effective paid search campaigns. When it comes to choosing between Bing Ads vs. Google Ads, businesses should consider their target audience, budget, and advertising goals.  By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each platform, businesses can make informed decisions about when to use one over the other or to use both in tandem to achieve their marketing objectives.