05/22/2022

Microsoft Advertising Ultimate Master Guide

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Let’s get started. This article is about Microsoft Advertising. It is also known as Bing Ads.

Google Ads by Microsoft Interesting…

This article contains a lot of information. We’ll be discussing which search engine your ads appear in (as it differs from Google), who they will reach, and everything you need to know about advertising with Bing.

Let’s get started!

About Search Engines

You’ll notice that my header has a plural last word. Let’s first talk about why we’re here.

Who/What Is Bing?

Microsoft seems to have a problem with names generally.

This name is strong. She should pick the next Microsoft name.    

Microsoft launched MSN Search, Windows Live Search, and Live Search before Bing was the name of the search engine. It was then renamed MSN AdCenter. We’ll update the list if they change their names.

Microsoft Advertising changed its name to reflect more services. 

Microsoft Advertising wants people to believe that AI was created to provide a more personal experience. They published a blog article explaining how they plan to make advertising products more easily accessible and connect with more data.

It will be amazing to see how advertising and technology evolve in the future, and how companies adapt.

Search Partners are very important!

Yahoo! Yahoo! Yahoo! will display your ads.

Microsoft and Yahoo! have been close friends since MSN Search days. Yahoo! was added in 2015 to the mix. Although Yahoo! added Gemini to its advertising platform in 2015, both companies still display their ads.

Yahoo! introduced the modified agreement. Microsoft was less likely to accept their ads. It’s OK. An additional 10% is added.

It might seem like a small percentage, but 30% is significant. It might seem like a small percentage, but it is.

How to Increase Your Search Quality Lines

Google It is the phrase kids use these days.

Bing claims, however, that their search quality has been superior to Google’s despite its unprecedented popularity vote.    

The study was called “Bing it on”.

Google may not offer the same benefits but Bing does. 

Google has YouTube; Bing has…Bing.

They do indeed have a video search that is said to be very good.

You have the option to toggle between Bing search types at the top. This will create a unique layout with a variety of videos

This feature connects Bing users to Bing, but it’s not yet available for advertising.

Microsoft Rewards

Microsoft Rewards is also designed to draw consumers. You can get free games and movies, gift cards, sweepstakes entries, VIP experiences, points for good causes, and more 

Customers need to log into Microsoft to search for products. Additional points can be earned by answering trivia questions and taking polls.

This is an incredible feature that customers can use to help them find Google.

Let’s see who uses Bing.

The People of Bing

I will divide the discussion about Bing into two parts. Bing users (or consumers) and industries that benefit from Bing (the marketer’s span>

The Searchers

You need to know that Bing will be the default search tool for Microsoft Products (laptops/tablets, tablets, Xboxes), Amazon Kindles, Apple’s Siri, and Microsoft Edge/Internet Explorer. 

The average Bing user is between 55-64 years old.

These are people who don’t know much about technology. 

Because of their age and the social norms that they grew up in, most users are parents. They are not parents to toddlers anymore.

Bing reports that there are more blue-collar workers than white-collar workers. This could explain the following statistic: Bing users spend 22% less online than other search engines. A third of them have a household income greater than $100K.

It is clear that Bing users have higher incomes and are more willing to spend their money. They may not be tech-savvy enough to differentiate between an advertisement and a search result.

The Users of Bing will be: 

  • Between the ages of 35 and 64
  • We are less tech-savvy
  • Parents
  • 1/3 Household Income for 100K

Marketers

Bing advertising is not for everyone. It’s important to remember that Bing users are a specific demographic. They may not be interested in all topics.

The Financial Services sector is hot and surpasses Google in terms of quarterly ad impressions. Bing users tend to be older and less financially able.

 The industries that compete with Google are shopping and classifieds as well as education, computer, and internet.

Microsoft Advertising might be a good choice for your business if it’s in one of these areas. You can also consider the cost per click.

This search engine can help you save up to half a penny per click across all industries. 

Why Microsoft Advertising Is the Best You Will Use 

It’s okay if you’re still not convinced to sign up for a Microsoft Advertising account. Now let’s discuss the many benefits and how-to aspects of Microsoft Advertising. 

Different People Will Reach you

Bing, a popular search engine, appeals to some Americans. Bing is great for customers with higher spending habits and older people.

Remember that Google has many users but Bing only has a few. You don’t have the same information from Google.

Less Competition = More For Less

Facebook is the most used advertising platform. Google Ads, however, is the most widely used advertising platform. B2B’s have the opportunity to take advantage of companies on LinkedIn. YouTube also has the most video ads.

This is unfortunate because Microsoft Advertising can help get you traffic. 

According to the law of supply-and-demand, fewer people advertise on Microsoft Advertising. This means that ads will cost less. This will result in you winning.

Great Support Team

Personal note – I believe in customer service and I won’t recommend any company to anyone if they don’t have a support team. 

Microsoft Advertising is an excellent option. They are very clear about issues.

Let’s dive into my review of Microsoft Advertising Support. Last, I want to discuss: What if you don’t want an advertising platform?

It is similar to Google Ads

Good news for people who don’t want to learn a new platform. The account structure and platform of Microsoft Ads are very similar to Google Ads.

While there are some differences I will mention, most of the advertising platform is familiar to everyone who has used Google Ads. My clients’ Google Ads campaigns took many months to reach the current point.

These are the benefits of Microsoft Advertising. Let’s discuss how to get started using Microsoft Advertising.

Microsoft Advertising

Microsoft Advertising is similar to setting up Google Ads.

Microsoft Account

Microsoft requires you to have a Microsoft account. 

If you are an advertiser working with a client that doesn’t have Microsoft account, there are two options. You can ask your client for one and link it to yourself. The second option is to ask your client to create one and link it to you. You won’t have access to their account if they cancel. This is a difficult way to say goodbye.

Send your client an email from the Accounts and Billing section to link your MCC.

They will accept your request the same way as Google Ads.

Importing Campaigns From Google Ads

Microsoft Advertising understands that most people use their advertising platform to expand their marketing strategies.

After your Google Ads campaigns are set up to your satisfaction, you can import them to Microsoft Advertising. Click Import from Google Ads to log in to Google.

These steps will allow you to import campaigns from Google.

This will guide you through a series of steps to ensure that you’re importing the correct account.

One of these steps suggests that your Google campaigns be periodically imported into Microsoft Advertising. We don’t recommend this.

You can view the import errors log to see the results. The log is located under History and Import Schedule:

Did You Know That You Could Schedule Imports?

We don’t have logs at the moment. You can still view the Logs by clicking here. Pay close attention to the Summary and Action columns. They will show you the number of imports and any problems.

Always check the import log after an import.

Microsoft Advertising and Google Ads Don’t Share the Same Features 

This section was extremely important, so I created another section. These features are very different between Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising:

  • Budget requirements and bids
  • Language targeting
  • Location targeting
  • Microsoft Advertising didn’t offer any wide-ranging negative keyword options.

Features that aren’t available in Google Ads can be manually configured.

  • Automated Rules
  • Negative keyword libraries
  • Age & Gender Targeting
  • IP Exclusions
  • Extensions at Ad Group Level (site link.app.location)

No matter which method you use, it is important to review the bullet points after you have imported your campaign. This will allow you to ensure that all is in order before you let the campaigns go live.

If you can’t import campaigns, you can use The Keyword Planner.

Microsoft Advertising offers a keyword planner similar to Google Ads.

You can find it under the tools section. This tool is great for people who don’t like Google Ads, or who prefer Microsoft Advertising.

When you visit the Keyword Planner, there are a few options. These options are very similar to Google Ads.

Enter words to describe your products/services or industry to search for keywords. Choose the second option to budget and get insights on keywords.

You can adjust your targeting, search network, date range, and keyword filters.

Once you’ve run your search, you will see the suggested keywords. To create new campaigns and ad groups, you can click “save to my account”.

Microsoft Advertising Intelligence

You can also use Microsoft Advertising Intelligence to create your Microsoft Advertising Campaigns. 

This tool can be downloaded to an Excel Spreadsheet. Microsoft will show you search results that match those keywords so you can increase your account.

Configuring Conversion Tracking

Microsoft Advertising is not an exporter. Before you can use it, you will need to create your conversions.

First, you’ll need to go to the Conversion Tracking section of your main Microsoft Advertising screen.

Tracking conversion

Microsoft offers a step–by–step guide you can follow.

The steps are very simple to follow

Create a tag, and then add it to your site. Next, you need to create a goal around that tag.

You will be able to check the status of your conversions by going to Conversion goals and viewing the table. 

Use to navigate between UET goals, UET tags, and offline conversions 

This is all there is to it in terms of conversions. The interface is easy to set up and integrates with Google Tag Manager. 

Setup UTM Tracking

Marketing is a passion. We all love tracking. We want to track where our customers come from before we can convert. It is possible to do it, however.

First, you’ll need to go to Accounts and Billing. Click the pencil icon to the right of Account.

The pencil icon

Next, look for the Auto-tagging section.

First, please check the box

Click that box, then choose one of two options. Keep all tags.

To add the tracking template, you will need to go to the sidebar under Shared Library.

This is all about UTM Tracking!

Notes on Your Bidding and Budgets

Let me remind you of your bids and budgets before we move to the next stage. When you import your ads, you’ll be able to modify your bids and budget in bulk.

It’s a good idea to cut import budgets and bids by at least 50% since Microsoft Advertising is cheaper than Google. Optimizations and changes should be based on keywords performance on Bing and not Google.

You can lower the bids for keywords by adding them to your search. Microsoft Advertising will then inform you that your bid is too low and suggest you increase it.

Let’s take a look at your account now that you have imported your campaigns.

Your Microsoft Advertising Account Roadmap

There are a few things you’ll notice when you log into your Microsoft Advertising Account. Your organization is the first.

The best bar

  • Summary Of Accounts: This will take you to a dashboard that allows you to see all MCC clients.
  • Campaigns: This is where you’ll spend most of your time. Here you will find all the information regarding your campaigns, including performance and budget.
  • Reports – Here you can schedule, build and schedule reports. You can make some really good ones. This tab shows them:

Microsoft Advertising is thorough in its instructions.

  • Microsoft Advertising provides suggestions for improving your campaigns.
  • Tools – We’ve all seen the dropdown, but here you’ll find your Ad Preview and Diagnostics.
  • Import campaigns: You can import from Google Ads using a file. Then schedule your imports.

The Top of Campaigns

Campaigns will be where you spend the majority of your time as mentioned above. Let’s look at your options.

Microsoft Advertising: Campaign Bar

The overview tab is similar to Google. It shows you how your campaigns are performing. You can use the sidebar to navigate to the top.

The options for campaigns and ad groups are quite limited. You can view and adjust budgets/group bids from these tabs

There are a few additional settings that you can switch between:

You will need to select a campaign to make edits. This page allows you to view locations and ad plans.

After Settings, you have the standard options for keywords, ads, and extensions. These can be added to the ad group at the top bar. You can also create new Audiences within your Shared Library.

Microsoft Advertising offers Auto Targets, a unique feature that can make your ads more relevant. It is possible to manage and set it up via the Auto Targets tab.

Just next to the self-explanatory Change History is the Dimensions tab. This tab allows you to break down data according to the basis that you want to see:

Microsoft Advertising Dimensions

The final tab is Your Competition. It is full of valuable information. We will discuss this in detail later.

The SideBar

Don’t forget the sidebar.

Sidebar options

The All Campaigns View is where we begin. This section allows us to toggle between our ads groups and campaigns.

The Shared Library lets you create audiences, shared budgets, and page feeds. Upload your tracking template.

Conversion tracking allows you to set up…well converts.

Bulk Operations allow for bulk editing and the creation of rules. You can also create scripts!

Bulk Operations

Labels lets you create labels and view information on ads groups, campaigns, and keywords to which you have applied labels.

Microsoft has recently introduced performance targets. This is a new setting that allows you to set goals and track them.

Performance targets

Your Saved Campaign Reports can be accessed via the last option on the side column.

Microsoft Advertising Optimization and Features 

Now we’ve seen how to create ads and navigate your account. Let’s now look at the hidden features and best practices in Microsoft Advertising.

Microsoft Advertising Editor

Google Ads Editor has the best feature in the world. Microsoft Advertising also offers this feature.

These editors let you export campaigns and make bulk changes, then import the changes. 

Before I tried Google Ads Editor, I thought: “Our wifi speed is insane, this editor is not going to improve my life.” “

Get the Microsoft Advertising Editor right now. This page will give you an overview of how to use the editor at its best.

Understanding Microsoft Advertising Quality Score

Microsoft wants its users to find what they need, just like Google. 

The Google quality score is similar, but there are additional things we know.

It is made up of three parts:

  • Expected CT- This is the “how well your keywords compare against other keywords that are targeting the same traffic”.
  • Ad Relevance: This shows how relevant your ad text is to the query being searched.
  • Microsoft Landing Page experience – Microsoft crawls the site to determine if the searcher is interested in it. 

Each component is assigned a rating system that ranges from 1-3 to 1. 3 is the highest score, and 1 is the lowest.

These are Microsoft’s comments about the Quality Score Numbers.

You should be aware that your quality score may fluctuate over time, even if you don’t do anything. This is a great incentive for optimizing your account regularly!

Use the Competition Tab

Microsoft Advertising offers the competition tab. However, it is less popular on both Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising.

The Competition Tab is located at the top of your navigation bar. It will also be accessible in the Campaigns view.

This will allow you to see a visual representation of how you compare with your competitors. 

There are many options for comparison. If you find it difficult to look at numbers, you can use Bing to check out the performance of your competition. 

Image Extensions

Microsoft Advertising can help you sell physical products. Microsoft Advertising allows you to upload images for extensions of your ads.

Image Extensions

When you create, you can add the name and description as well as the destination URL and four image ratios.

Image Extension Options

You can also view the entire extension.

Image Extension Preview

Microsoft Audience Ads

Microsoft Audience Ads (formerly Bing Native Ads), are ads that you can target people, not search terms. 

Three components determine whether they will appear:

  • A visitor’s past searches.
  • The number of times/if the visitor has previously visited this site.
  • The content on the website.

These ads aren’t likely to be under the control of an advertiser, but you can monitor their performance just like your other ads. 

It’s worth at most a try.

Microsoft Advertising: Wrap

This is it for Microsoft Advertising. These women will keep you informed about Microsoft and the internet.

Although Google Ads is most likely to remain the best option for search engine advertising (mostly likely), Microsoft should not be underestimated.

Are You a Microsoft Advertising Expert?

About the author

Kobe Digital is a unified team of performance marketing, design, and video production experts. Our mastery of these disciplines is what makes us effective. Our ability to integrate them seamlessly is what makes us unique.