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I’ve added Microsoft Ads to Google Ads accounts dozens of times over the past 12 years. Not as a default, and not because a client asked about Bing. As a deliberate decision triggered by specific signals in the account data.
The comparison articles ranking for this keyword all say the same thing: Google has more volume, Microsoft has lower CPCs, use both. That’s technically true. But it doesn’t tell you when to make the move, what to expect in the first 90 days, or why the lower CPC doesn’t always translate to lower CPA. This article does.
Here’s what actually happens when you run microsoft ads vs google ads in the same stack, what it costs, and which account types produce the best returns.
What microsoft ads vs google ads actually means for an active advertiser
Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads) serves paid search and Shopping ads across Bing, Yahoo, AOL, DuckDuckGo, MSN, Outlook, and inside Microsoft Edge. Together, these properties represent roughly 12 to 27% of US desktop search traffic, depending on the industry. Globally, the share is smaller, around 4 to 5%.
The comparison isn’t Google versus Microsoft as equal alternatives. It’s Google as the foundation and Microsoft as a deliberate extension. Every account I’ve seen that runs Microsoft Ads well runs Google Ads first. The research happens on Google. The import happens after Google campaigns have proven purchase intent and keyword performance.
Two structural differences define the microsoft ads vs google ads decision in practice.
First, audience demographics. Microsoft’s searchers skew older, higher-income, and more desktop-centric. This is partly because Bing is the default browser on most Windows PCs still deployed in corporate environments. The average Microsoft Advertising user spends 21% more when shopping online compared to the average searcher. For B2B accounts, financial services, professional services, and home improvement, this demographic is a natural fit. For teen fashion, consumer gaming, or mobile-first consumer products, it usually isn’t.
Second, LinkedIn Profile Targeting. Microsoft owns LinkedIn, which means Microsoft Advertising campaigns can overlay LinkedIn professional data (job title, company, industry, seniority level) onto search intent. Google doesn’t offer this. For a B2B SaaS company targeting CFOs at mid-market companies, or a staffing agency targeting HR directors, this is a genuinely unique capability that changes the economic math on lead gen CPL.
The third structural fact: Microsoft Advertising lets you import Google Ads campaigns with one click. This import tool, available in Microsoft Advertising under “Import Campaigns,” pulls your campaign structure, match types, ad copy, negative keywords, and bids into Microsoft Ads automatically. This drops the setup cost significantly compared to building campaigns from scratch.
Why most advertisers get the Microsoft Ads decision wrong
The most common mistake: adding Microsoft Ads to an account that isn’t ready for it.
A business with $3,000 per month in total paid search budget splits it 80/20 between Google and Microsoft. Microsoft gets $600. That’s $20 per day. At a $1.45 average CPC on Microsoft, that produces roughly 14 clicks per day. In a month, 420 clicks. If the conversion rate is 2%, that’s 8 conversions per month. That’s not enough data for any meaningful optimization. And meanwhile, the $600 was pulled from a Google account that might have produced 9 conversions at $66 CPA on a larger budget.
Budget dilution is the most common reason Microsoft Ads underperforms. Not audience quality, not platform limitations. The account was simply too small to fund two platforms with meaningful data density.
The second mistake is treating the import as a finished campaign. Microsoft Advertising’s import tool is a starting point, not an endpoint. After import, several adjustments are required. First, bid calibration: Microsoft’s auction dynamics differ from Google’s, so direct bid imports often overbid. Second, negative keyword additions specific to Microsoft’s search partners (Yahoo, AOL) which produce different query patterns. Third, device bid adjustments (reduce mobile significantly given Microsoft’s desktop-heavy traffic). Finally, Audience Network exclusion if you want pure search traffic rather than native placements on MSN and Outlook.
Skipping those adjustments after import is why so many advertisers conclude “Microsoft Ads doesn’t work for us.” In reality, they ran a Google campaign with Google bids in a different auction and got predictably mismatched results.
The third mistake is measuring Microsoft results against Google benchmarks. Microsoft ROAS should be evaluated against Microsoft’s own baseline, not against Google’s. The audience, placement mix, and purchase intent differ enough that expecting identical ROAS is unrealistic.
The 6 signals that tell you Microsoft Ads will work for your account
This is the decision framework I use whenever the microsoft ads vs google ads question comes up on an account. If a client clears four or more of these six signals, Microsoft Ads is worth adding. Fewer than four, and the budget is usually better concentrated on Google.
1. Primary audience skews desktop, B2B, or 35+. If your Google Analytics audience report shows 50%+ desktop traffic, above-average household income, or heavy concentration in professional roles, Microsoft’s demographic gives you meaningful reach in the same audience. For home services clients with average job values above $3,000, Microsoft Search CPLs consistently run 15 to 25% below Google Search CPLs. The older desktop demographic is concentrated in homeowners with purchase authority.
2. High CPCs on Google in your category. If your Google average CPC exceeds $5 for high-intent keywords, Microsoft’s version of those same keywords typically comes in at 30 to 50% less. The reason: fewer competing advertisers. Legal, financial services, B2B software, healthcare, and home improvement are the categories where this differential is most dramatic. A break-even ROAS calculation is useful here. If your Google breakeven ROAS at current CPCs is tight, Microsoft’s lower CPCs may be the margin that makes incremental budget profitable.
3. Google campaign ROAS is profitable and stable. Adding Microsoft to an account that Google hasn’t figured out yet just creates two problem accounts instead of one. I’ve done enough of these to know that it doesn’t work. Wait until Google is at 30+ monthly conversions and stable ROAS. At that point, the campaign structure, negative keyword lists, and query intent data all transfer cleanly through the import. Below that threshold, skip Microsoft for now and put the budget into Google.
4. B2B vertical where LinkedIn targeting adds qualification. Google lead gen gets you volume. What it can’t do is tell the auction to show ads only to HR directors at companies above 500 employees. Microsoft can, because it owns LinkedIn. That LinkedIn targeting layer (job title, industry, company size, seniority) runs on top of search intent, not instead of it. In B2B accounts where a wrong-segment lead burns two hours of sales team time, that targeting layer pays for itself quickly, even at lower total conversion volume.
5. Ecommerce account where Shopping margins are tight on Google. Microsoft Shopping CPCs average $0.46 across industries. Google Shopping averages well over $1.00 in most categories. For an ecommerce brand where Google Shopping ROAS is already marginal, that CPC gap is sometimes the difference between profitable and not on the incremental spend. The setup mirrors Google Merchant Center. The product catalog transfers. You’re running the same campaign type in a less contested auction.
6. Total paid search budget above $8,000 per month. Below $8,000 monthly total, don’t split the budget. Both platforms end up data-starved and neither one optimizes well. Once you clear that threshold, a 15 to 20% Microsoft allocation ($1,200 to $1,600 per month) gives enough click volume to evaluate performance over 60 days. That’s what it takes to know whether Microsoft is actually working for the account. Hustle Marketers’ ecommerce PPC agency page covers how we structure these dual-platform engagements from a management perspective.
When ecommerce accounts should add Microsoft Shopping
Ecommerce is the one category where the microsoft ads vs google ads conversation has specific nuances around Shopping campaign parity.
Microsoft Merchant Center mirrors Google Merchant Center’s structure but is maintained separately. You can export your Google feed and import it into Microsoft Merchant Center, but the two syncs don’t stay connected. Any feed update in Google Merchant Center needs to be manually pushed to Microsoft’s system, or managed through a feed tool that supports both platforms simultaneously (DataFeedWatch and Feedonomics both handle this).
Microsoft Shopping campaign structure mirrors Google’s Standard Shopping setup. Performance Max hasn’t yet fully replicated in the Microsoft ecosystem. Microsoft’s equivalent is less mature and less widely adopted. For most ecommerce clients, I run Standard Shopping on Microsoft rather than attempting a direct PMax-equivalent import, since the data signals and optimization behavior differ significantly.
Practically: Microsoft Shopping works best for catalogs with branded products, high-margin individual SKUs, and desktop-leaning buyers. Pet food, home improvement products, professional tools, and industrial supplies consistently produce better Microsoft Shopping ROAS than consumer electronics, fashion, or mobile gaming accessories.
Setting up Microsoft Ads properly after import
Once the Google import is complete, the setup work that determines whether the account will perform:
Bid adjustments: Set device bid adjustments to reduce mobile by 20 to 40% relative to Google’s settings. Microsoft’s traffic is desktop-heavy, so mobile impressions are lower quality. Enable LinkedIn Targeting at the ad group level for B2B campaigns and set a +10 to +20% bid adjustment on target company/industry segments.
Negative keyword expansion: Microsoft’s search partner network (Yahoo, AOL, DuckDuckGo) produces different query patterns than Google’s partners. Pull the search terms report in the first 7 to 14 days and add negatives specific to Microsoft traffic. Common culprits: branded competitor queries, navigational queries, and off-intent queries from AOL’s older demographic.
Audience Network exclusion: Microsoft Advertising includes the Microsoft Audience Network by default in most campaigns. This places native ads on MSN, Outlook, and partner sites. For pure search campaigns, excluding the Audience Network prevents budget leakage to lower-intent placements. Set it as a campaign-level exclusion under Settings.
Conversion tracking setup: Microsoft Advertising has its own UET (Universal Event Tracking) pixel that needs to be installed separately from Google Tag Manager. Goals should mirror your Google Ads primary conversion actions. Enhanced conversions is available and worth enabling to improve conversion model accuracy.
What these numbers actually look like in real accounts
CMSC Driving School, lead generation, multi-location. Google Search was producing 280% more leads than previous management and had reached a stable CPL. Microsoft Ads was added with LinkedIn targeting set to geographic layers matching school locations and demographic targeting toward 18-to-35 users. Microsoft CPL came in 18% below Google CPL in the first 60 days, primarily because the LinkedIn targeting eliminated off-target queries that inflated Google CPL. The CMSC case study covers the full Google Ads build-out that preceded the Microsoft expansion.
B2B industrial supplier (US market), lead gen. High-intent keywords on Google averaging $12 to $18 CPC. Same keyword set on Microsoft after import: average $5.80 CPC. CPL on Microsoft ran 22% below Google over a 90-day window. LinkedIn targeting applied at the industry segment level reduced irrelevant queries from small businesses and improved lead-to-close rate by approximately 15% compared to Google leads in the same period. Total paid search CPL dropped 12% after adding Microsoft at a 20% budget allocation.
ArmorGarage, BigCommerce, ecommerce. After Google Shopping and Performance Max reached 1,500%+ ROAS, Microsoft Shopping was added as an incremental channel. The product catalog (garage floor coatings) indexes well for the older, higher-income, homeowner demographic that dominates Bing’s desktop audience. Microsoft Shopping CPC came in at $0.38 versus Google Shopping’s $1.10 for equivalent product terms. Microsoft Shopping ROAS reached profitable levels within 30 days, adding 8 to 12% incremental revenue at better unit economics than Google’s marginal spend. The ArmorGarage case study covers the Google foundation that made this expansion viable.
What I’d audit before adding Microsoft Ads to an account
First, pull the device breakdown in Google Analytics. What percentage of sessions come from desktop versus mobile? If desktop is below 40%, Microsoft’s traffic profile won’t match your buyer behavior and the investment is harder to justify.
Second, pull the age and income bracket from Google Audience Insights. Is the converting audience concentrated in 35+, higher household income brackets? If so, Microsoft’s demographic alignment is favorable.
Third, check current Google CPC against Microsoft’s average for the same category. For B2B SaaS, legal, or financial services, the gap is often large enough to make Microsoft meaningful even at lower volume.
Fourth, verify that Google campaigns have 30+ monthly conversions and stable ROAS before pulling any budget toward Microsoft. Below that threshold, Google itself needs more data. Adding Microsoft diverts budget from a learning campaign before the primary platform has enough signal to optimize well.
Finally, assess whether the ecommerce catalog or B2B vertical benefits from Microsoft’s unique features. If LinkedIn targeting is irrelevant to your buyer (consumer, B2C, mobile-centric), and if Microsoft’s desktop-heavy audience doesn’t match your buyer profile, the CPC discount won’t offset the volume reduction.
What Microsoft Ads costs to set up and run
Initial Microsoft Ads setup after Google import: 3 to 6 hours for campaign review, bid adjustment, negative keyword expansion, Audience Network exclusion, and UET pixel installation. At agency rates, $300 to $600 one-time.
Microsoft Merchant Center setup and feed sync for ecommerce: 2 to 4 hours. Feed tool costs (DataFeedWatch, Feedonomics) are typically the same subscription covering both Google and Microsoft.
Ongoing management at $2,000 to $8,000 in Microsoft monthly ad spend: typically bundled into the Google Ads management fee at Hustle Marketers, since the management overlap is high. Stand-alone Microsoft management for accounts not already on Google: $800 to $1,500 per month.
Budget allocation: start at 15 to 20% of total paid search budget for Microsoft. Evaluate 60-day CPL or ROAS against Google. If Microsoft outperforms on CPA, shift to 25 to 30% over 30 days. If it underperforms on CPA (not just on volume), investigate specific query patterns and LinkedIn targeting before deciding to reduce.
Why work with Ishant Sharma on Microsoft Ads vs Google Ads
Twelve years. 500+ brands. $780M+ in trackable client revenue. Google Partner and Meta Business Partner. Upwork Top Rated Plus with a 99% Job Success Score and a 5.0/5.0 rating. Clutch Award Winner 2024. Hustle Marketers also holds Microsoft Advertising Partner status.
The microsoft ads vs google ads decision isn’t a platform preference question. It’s an account data question. Every Microsoft Ads expansion I’ve made started with a specific signal in the existing Google data. Either an audience demographic matched Microsoft’s profile, a CPC level made the arbitrage viable, or a B2B vertical made LinkedIn targeting worth the setup.
Every new engagement includes a paid search expansion audit that covers whether Microsoft Ads fits the account profile and what the 60-day target metrics should be. Hustle Marketers’ ecommerce PPC management services page covers how we structure multi-platform engagements.
What to take from this
Microsoft ads vs google ads isn’t a this-or-that question for most active advertisers. The real microsoft ads vs google ads decision is about threshold, timing, and account maturity. That’s actually the main insight most comparison articles miss. Build Google first. Get to stable ROAS and 30+ monthly conversions. Then evaluate the six signals. If your audience skews desktop and older, your CPCs are high, and you’re in B2B or high-ticket home services, Microsoft Ads will earn its 15 to 20% budget allocation in most cases.
Setup is faster than most advertisers expect. The import tool eliminates the structural work. Adjustments take a day. The return on that setup investment shows up in the first 60-day report, usually in lower blended CPA and incremental revenue volume that Google can’t reach efficiently at any price.
About Ishant Sharma
Ishant Sharma is a Google Ads specialist and Founder of Hustle Marketers, a Google Partner and Meta Business Partner agency working with e-commerce and lead-gen brands across the US, UK, UAE, and Australia. 12+ years in performance marketing. Trackable client revenue across his work has crossed $780 million. Upwork Top Rated Plus with a 99% Job Success Score and a 5.0/5.0 rating. Clutch Award Winner 2024. Based in Chandigarh, India.