Welcome to our blog, where we delve into the fascinating world of online advertising and pit two titans against each other: “AdWords vs. Bing Ads.” In this digital era, businesses are constantly vying for the attention of their target audience, and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising has become an indispensable tool for achieving this goal. Google’s AdWords and Microsoft’s Bing Ads have emerged as the heavyweights in the PPC arena, each offering unique features and advantages. As we embark on this comparison journey, we aim to unravel the strengths and weaknesses of these platforms, empowering you to make informed decisions and optimize your advertising strategies for unparalleled success. So, buckle up, and let’s explore the battle of AdWords versus Bing Ads, uncovering which platform reigns supreme in the competitive landscape of online advertising.
Bing Ads
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Despite being often overshadowed by its more prominent counterpart, Google, Bing Ads holds its own with many offerings.
The undeniably dominant search engine, Google, handles around 100 billion monthly searches. Bing, the second most utilized search engine, receives over 1 billion monthly searches. While there is a significant difference between the two, discounting a billion visits would be a mistake. Microsoft reports that Bing commands an impressive 36.97% market share among console users in the US.
Microsoft manages Bing Ads, which operates three search engines: Bing, Yahoo, and AOL. Although Microsoft Advertising replaced Bing Ads as the company’s official name in 2019, the colloquial term “Bing Ads” persists, and for simplicity, we’ll continue using it here.
Running campaigns on Bing will present your advertising on all three search engines—Bing, Yahoo, and AOL—thus expanding the audience you can reach.
Like Google, Bing can help you build pay-per-click campaigns to find relevant users, increase brand awareness and boost conversions. Bing also offers a wide variety of ad styles to choose from, including:
- Dynamic Search Ads
- Multimedia Ads
- Product Ads
- Responsive Search Ads
Like Google, the assets required for your campaign will depend on your chosen ad style. However, once you have settled on an ad style and gathered all the necessary assets, launching your campaign on Bing Ads only requires a budget and account. Tracking performance with Bing Ads is as easy as with Google Ads — you can check analytics in your Microsoft Advertising account or connect Bing Ads to Looker Studio and other BI tools to build custom reports
Pros of Bing Ads
Advertising on Bing reaches the Bing search engine and extends to Yahoo, AOL, and other affiliate websites. This strategy allows you to target users you might miss if you solely focus on running Google Ad Google indeed receives a higher volume of search traffic than Bing. However, dominating search engine traffic on Google means facing tougher competition for keywords and visibility. On the other hand, with Bing, while the search volume may be lower, there is also less competition, providing your campaigns with a better chance of success.
Moreover, opting for Bing advertising might prove to be more cost-effective. With fewer Bing advertisers, you can achieve more campaign value for your budget. According to reports from Search Engine People, the average cost-per-click (CPC) for a Bing Ad is 70% lower than that of a Google Ad.
Cons of Bing Ads
Although utilizing Bing’s smaller search tool can lead to cost savings, it is essential to acknowledge that you may miss out on users from the largest search engine on the web, Google.
Bing Ads typically lags one step behind Google Ads in several aspects. This can be observed in their interface, which needs to be more adaptable and user-friendly than Google Ads. Additionally, new features are released more slowly on Bing Ads, with fewer options for automatic bidding.
Moreover, Bing Ads offers less flexibility with ad copy than Google Ads. While Google Ads allows 1-3 potential ad headlines and an ad description of up to 90 characters, Bing has more limitations.
Furthermore, while it may not directly impact your day-to-day campaign operations, it is worth noting that several reviews of Bing Ads have cited difficulties in obtaining help from customer support.
Standout Features
Don’t count Bing out yet. Bing Ads has several offerings that Google Ads either doesn’t have or can’t compete with.
Targeting Devices:
Bing Ads surpasses Google Ads in variety. Advertisers can leverage Bing Ads to reach consumers based on their operating system and device type. Additionally, Bing Ads offers sophisticated device targeting for mobile phones. However, certain ad types may not support device targeting.
Ad Group Targeting:
With both platforms, you can set up ad campaigns based on your specific criteria, including network, region, and language. However, Bing takes it a step further by allowing you to apply the same level of customization to individual ad groupings. Unlike Google, Bing offers the option to choose a separate time zone for each ad group, enabling you to control the specific hours they will run.
Google Ads Importing:
Don’t worry if you already have active advertising campaigns and are apprehensive about starting from scratch with Bing. You can save time by importing your Google assets into your Bing Ads manager.
As highlighted by HubSpot, Bing Ads tend to target an older demographic, with 54% of Bing users being older than 45. This demographic distinction raises the question of its significance to your advertising strategy. Depending on your company’s objectives, this group of older users might hold considerable importance. For instance, if your business caters to elderly customers or those with higher disposable income, targeting Bing’s older user base could be advantageous.
Now that we’ve explored Bing Ads let’s delve into a deeper understanding of Google Ads.
Google Ads
Google Ads are the most useful for businesses looking to expand their audience and build brand awareness. If you are familiar with paid advertising, chances are you’ve come across GooThebeing the world’s most widely used search; Google holds a 92% share of the global market. Additionally, Google claims that it generates 57% of search ad income in the US.
Within Google Ads, you can choose between Search and Display ad campaigns. Text-based search campaigns are designed to attract customers actively searching for companies within your sector.
Advertisers can bid on specific keywords in search campaigns to display their ads to a targeted audience. For instance, if you are a jeweler, you might bid on keywords like “engagement rings” to attract potential customers.
When you perform a Google search, you’ll often see Google Search ads prominently displayed at the top of the page. These ads often encourage audience engagement with elements like click-to-call buttons, website links, and appointment bookers.
While Search ads are aimed at users actively seeking your products or services, Display ads focus on increasing brand awareness and discovering new potential leads. Unlike search ads, these image-based ads are not triggered by specific keywords but are strategically placed on websites, videos, and apps where your target audience spends their time.
Like Bing Ads, Google Ads allows you to advertise on various devices and use creative assets like videos and graphics.
Search campaigns are meant to target customers in the decision stage of the Buyer’s Journey, as they are ready to purchase or book your services. On the other hand, display campaigns.
Pros of Google Ads
The biggest pro for Google Ads is the size of their audience. Google uses two networks for its campaigns – the Search and Display networks.
Google’s Display network comprises over 2 million websites, catering to 90% of internet users.
Yes, Bing Ads has a smaller audience, meaning they can be more specific about user demographics – helpful information when building a targeted campaign. But while Google user demographics are a little harder to nail down, Google Ads has recently upped its demographics targeting capabilities, making it easier to find the right audience for your campaign.
We must mention that Google Ads are often more expensive than Bing Ads. They reach bigger and broader than Bing, but generally, Google Ads has the upper hand on conversation rates. Every campaign and industry standard is different. But overall, Google Ads’ average is 3.75%, while Bing Ads is around 2.94%. Higher conversion rates mean more potential leads for your business.
Cons of Google Ads
Yes, even the Big Kahuna of paid advertising has a few drawbacks.
- High Demand and Competition: Their reach is a double-edged sword. While Google may open you to the largest networks, you’ll compete with many more advertisers. More companies will bid for your top keywords, increasing campaign costs.
- Missing Other Potential Audiences: While there’s an incredible number of Google users worldwide, you’re still missing out on other search engine users when you’re only using their platform.
- Stricter Regulations: Compared to Bing Ads, Google Ads tends to be much stricter about the content of your ad campaigns. This includes restrictions or bans on specific ads for alcoholic beverages, gambling, political issues, and adult-themed content.
Standout Features
With their reach power, conversion success, and overall market share, Google doesn’t have much to prove regarding additional standout features. But there is one major offering that other platforms don’t have:
- Separate Networks for Search and Display Ads: The Search network allows your ads to show up on relevant websites and applications to convert potential leads quickly. The Display network, however, is unique. You can create brand awareness and demand by showing eye-catching graphics and videos.
Also read: Landing Page Optimization Tools
Which One is Right for You?
As is the case with many marketing strategies, it depends. Choosing Bing Ads or Google Ads for your company should be a decision based on your goals, creative assets, targeted audience, and budget.
But we still have a few general suggestions:
Bing Ads would be a good choice for:
- Companies with smaller budgets for paid advertising.
- Companies need images, videos, or creative assets they want to highlight.
- Companies are targeting older audiences or with more expensive services/products.
- Companies looking to customize both their campaigns and their ad groups.
Google Ads would be a good choice for:
- Companies looking to drive a high volume of leads quickly.
- Companies looking for audience members in the Decision stage of the Buyer’s Journey.
- Companies with images, videos, or creative assets they want to highlight.
- Companies looking to expand brand awareness and build their audience.
- Companies are willing to invest more money into their paid advertising.
By the way, there’s no rule saying you can’t run ads on Bing and Google! So if you have the means, running campaigns on both is an option.
Also read : Ad Copy Tools: Crafting Compelling Ads for SEM
Conclusion
In conclusion, the “AdWords vs. Bing Ads” battle offers marketers and businesses a compelling choice in their quest for success in online advertising. Both platforms possess unique strengths and cater to distinct audiences, so the decision ultimately hinges on individual objectives and target markets. AdWords remains a dominant force, with its extensive reach and integration within the Google ecosystem. On the other hand, Bing Ads presents a viable alternative, particularly for niche markets and demographics. The key to making an informed choice lies in understanding your specific advertising goals, budget constraints, and the preferences of your target audience. By carefully evaluating the merits of each platform and aligning them with your business needs, you can unlock the full potential of paid search advertising and effectively drive your online presence to new heights. Remember, success lies not in simply choosing one over the other but in harnessing both platforms’ strengths to create a comprehensive and effective advertising strategy.
FAQs
Which platform is more popular: AdWords or Bing Ads?
This FAQ addresses the overall popularity and user base of both advertising platforms. It could delve into market share, user demographics, and the reach of each platform, helping readers understand the current landscape of digital advertising.
What are the main differences between AdWords and Bing Ads regarding features and functionality?
This question explores each platform’s unique features and tools, allowing readers to compare and contrast their functionalities. Topics may include keyword targeting options, ad formats, audience targeting capabilities, and analytics tools.
Which platform offers advertisers better ROI (Return on Investment): AdWords or Bing Ads?
ROI is a crucial factor for advertisers, so this FAQ dives into the potential return on investment that advertisers can expect from each platform. It could discuss the cost per click, conversion rates, and the effectiveness of ad campaigns on both AdWords and Bing Ads.
Are any specific industries or businesses better suited for AdWords or Bing Ads?
This question explores whether certain types of businesses or industries may find more success with either AdWords or Bing Ads. It could look into the audience preferences, user behavior, and search trends on both platforms to identify which industries may benefit more from each advertising avenue.
