Should You Advertise For Your Business Using Bing Ads?
A common question we get as PPC consultants is, “Should we invest with Bing Ads?” Or, “Why should we advertise with Bing Ads?” Our response is almost always a resounding YES.
The Cost:
Many people think that no one uses Bing or that it isn’t popular – so why would they want to advertise for their business on Bing? That mindset leads to one of Bing’s greatest advantages. A large amount of companies don’t advertise there because they think it’s pointless. This leads to less competition on Bing, which in turn leads to cheaper clicks. So in the majority of cases, you pay less for the same search terms on Bing, than you would with Google.
In the real world, this could playout like this:
You’re a plumber in an averaged sized town. On Google you pay $30 for the search “plumber near me.” On Bing, you might pay $15 for the same search term. Both searches on Google and Bing need a plumber. Why would you only want to show up for the more expensive searcher on Google?
On top of typically having decreased cost per click, you can often get a coupon for Microsoft Advertising when you first startup. These coupons are often $100-$200, and if you work with a Google Adwords management agency, they can get you an even better coupon from their Bing account representative. With cheaper clicks and a coupon to get you started, I think it’s always worth it to test out Bing Ads. Especially when you’re using Microsoft’s money and not your own!
The Audience:
Another common thought about Bing is that only old people use it. Even if Bing does tilt towards an older demographic, that doesn’t mean it’s bad for YOUR business. We have clients whose typical customers are an older demographic, but these clients are often still skeptical about Bing. It’s not until we have it running and show them results that they realize Bing is great for their business! Any good PPC consultant will be willing to set up Bing Ads and see if it’s a fit for you.
It’s important to remember that Microsoft Advertising doesn’t just cover Bing. They also include search engines like Yahoo and DuckDuckGo. As of December 2020, Microsoft Advertising search engines combine for around 18% of all desktop search traffic in America. That’s nearly 1 in 5 searches taking place on a computer. Desktop traffic can also be higher intent, which often leads to higher conversion rates when compared to mobile.
On top of this, a large amount of business related searches takes place on a computer. Many businesses still use Microsoft web browsers, and also have Bing left as the default search engine. If you’re a B2B company, you could be missing out on a ton of opportunity by not maintaining an ad presence over on Bing.
If Bing Is So Amazing, Why Would I Still Run Ads On Google?
While it’s definitely possible to only run Bing Ads and be profitable, for most businesses there isn’t enough volume on Bing to drive growth. While Microsoft Ads has nearly one fifth of the computer search traffic, they have a much lower share of mobile traffic. Google dominates the mobile search world, and they have over 90% of the search traffic. In a world where people are increasingly searching on their phones, maintaining a strong presence on Google is critical. Now more than ever, people are shopping and even making business inquiries on their phone.
Even if you get leads for half the cost on Bing, if the lead quantity isn’t enough, you’ll need to have other streams for growth.
Final Recommendations From An Expert PPC Consultant
If you’re currently working with an Adwords management agency, you should ask them to setup a Microsoft Advertising account for you. This is easy to do because Microsoft lets you import existing campaigns from Google. Many Adwords management agencies also include Bing Ads management in the current monthly fee.
The only way to know if Bing Ads is right for you is to test it. Use a coupon or some of your Google Adwords budget and get started today!