If you’re deciding between Google Ads vs Bing Ads (Microsoft Advertising), the best choice might actually be both. Google dominates search traffic, while Bing offers lower costs and access to a unique audience. Here’s how they compare - and why smart marketers often combine them.
Reach and Audience
Google Ads rules the internet with over 90% of global search market share. It reaches billions of searches per day across Google Search, YouTube, and partner sites. Bing Ads, on the other hand, powers about 30% of desktop searches in the U.S., serving millions of users through Bing, Yahoo, and AOL networks.
What makes Bing valuable is who uses it. Its audience tends to be older, higher-income, and more likely to use desktop devices, which is ideal for B2B, finance, or professional services ads. If you’re targeting mass consumer traffic, Google is essential. If you’re targeting professionals or older buyers, Bing’s audience can convert better.
Cost and Competition
Google Ads is highly competitive, which often means higher costs per click (CPC). Across industries, Google CPCs often average around $2–$4 per click.
Bing Ads, by contrast, faces less competition, and many advertisers report CPCs that are 30–50% lower on average. Some industries see Bing’s cost-per-acquisition about 20% lower than Google’s. That means your budget stretches further, even though total traffic volume is smaller.
In short:
- Google Ads = more traffic, higher costs.
- Bing Ads = smaller reach, cheaper clicks.
Key Platform Differences
Both platforms use keyword-based search ads, but Microsoft Advertising adds a few unique features that can make it powerful.
- LinkedIn targeting: Because Microsoft owns LinkedIn, you can target users by job title, company, or industry using LinkedIn-based audience data. Google Ads doesn’t offer this level of B2B precision.
- Audience Network defaults: Microsoft automatically includes the Microsoft Audience Network, which shows ads on MSN, Outlook, and other partner sites. You may need to disable or exclude it if you only want pure search traffic.
- Importing from Google: Microsoft lets you quickly import your campaigns using the Google Ads import tool, making it easy to run the same strategy across both platforms.
Google Ads vs Bing Ads: Quick Comparison
| Feature | Google Ads | Bing (Microsoft Ads) |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | ~90% global search share | ~30% U.S. desktop share |
| Avg. CPC | $2–$4 | $1–$2 (often 30–50% lower) |
| Audience | Broad, mobile, global | Older, higher-income, desktop-heavy |
| Unique features | YouTube, Display Network, AI bidding | LinkedIn targeting, easy import |
| Default networks | Google Display optional | Audience Network enabled by default |
Why Use Both?
Running ads on both Google and Bing can maximize ROI. Google delivers scale, while Bing provides efficient, high-quality clicks. Using both gives you broader reach, lower blended CPC and CPA, more data for keyword analysis, and protection if one network’s costs rise.
Many companies allocate 80% of their budget to Google and 20% to Bing, then optimize based on performance.
Bottom line: Google Ads brings volume; Bing Ads brings efficiency. When used together, they give your campaigns more reach, better cost balance, and stronger overall performance.
