Google Ads Vs. Bing Ads — Which Platform Is Right For You?   

Paid advertising is one of the most powerful growth levers in the digital age.  

The key question isn’t whether to advertise, but rather which platform — Google Ads or Bing Ads — will give your business the best results. 

With digital ad spend expected to exceed $734 billion in 2025, choosing the right network can make or break your marketing strategy. 

In this post, we’ll outline the key points in the Google Ads vs Bing Ads debate and offer practical tips to help you choose the best platform for your business needs. 

Overview Of Google Ads 

There are over 8 billion Google searches daily, which translates to approximately 5.78 million searches per minute. 

This massive influx of user data and search inquiries can hinder brands’ visibility, especially in highly competitive industries. 

Google Ads is an advertising platform that allows businesses to display ads on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs) and affiliated websites.  

With Google Ads, businesses can drive high-intent traffic, increase brand awareness and boost sales and lead generation. 

Some of the platform’s key ad types and channels include: 

1. Search Ads 

These are text-based and intent-driven paid ads that appear at the top of search results, triggered by specific keywords.  

The cost is based on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, where bids and ad relevance determine placement.  

Businesses can bid on relevant keywords and create ad groups for different products or services. 

Here’s an overview of Digital Silk’s Google search ads: 

2. Display Network 

Google Ads uses a collection of over 2 million partner websites that offer banner, image or media-rich ads that target users based on their interests, demographics or website content.  

While this may yield lower cost-per-click (CPC) rates, conversions may depend on targeting precision. 

3. Video Ads 

These appear on YouTube and partner sites in the form of skippable or non-skippable ads, recommended videos, bumper ads or sponsored cards.  

They can drive organic traffic and boost brand awareness through visual storytelling but require a strategic approach and segmented audience demographics. 

4. Shopping Ads 

These showcase product listings with images, prices and merchant names directly on Google’s search results pages or in the Shopping tab.  

This helps eCommerce brands promote their products or services and supports sustainable growth. 

5. App Promotion Ads 

Google Ads can drive app installs and in-app engagement across Google Play, Search, YouTube and the Google Display Network.  

This can improve user retention, establish brand loyalty and increase revenue. 

6. Performance Max 

Uses automation to optimize campaigns across multiple platforms for better reach and conversions. 

It can complement your keyword-based search strategies by highlighting high-converting customers across Google’s ecosystem, including YouTube, Gmail and Maps. 

Overview Of Bing Ads 

Bing Ads, now known as Microsoft Advertising, is a pay-per-click (PPC) platform that displays ads on the Bing network, including Bing, Yahoo and AOL search results pages.   

The platform proudly flaunts its 724 million unique monthly visitors on its homepage and supports smart customer journeys across its networks and Microsoft properties.    

Some of Microsoft Advertising’s core ad types and channels include: 

1. Search Ads 

This option displays text-based ads on Bing, Yahoo and AOL search results pages.  

These appear above, below or alongside organic search results when a user searches for a specific keyword. 

2. Audience Network 

This feature supports native advertising across partner websites and apps, including MSN, Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Edge.

3. Multimedia Ads 

Bing uses responsive ad formats that showcase images, videos and other media to attract customers’ attention.  

They’re normally featured on the right side of search results pages and rely on rich visual and text-based components. 

4. Shopping Campaigns 

This feature lists custom product images, pricing, product ratings and store information to enhance brand visibility and facilitate user engagement.  

Businesses can attract qualified leads through real-time inventory ads, special offers or specific promotions, dynamic remarketing tools and in-depth performance metrics to maximize ROI. 

5. App Install Ads 

Bing offers direct links to app stores from search results pages and uses automated operating system detection to tailor ads to specific devices.  

This feature is useful for businesses that prioritize app downloads rather than website traffic. 

6. Responsive Search Ads 

This automates ad optimization by selecting an appropriate headline and description combination from a pool of options.  

Responsive search ads save advertisers time by adjusting content to fit different screens, devices and locations.

Google Ads Vs Bing Ads — Key Differences 

While both platforms operate on a pay-per-click model and offer similar ad formats, there are several key differences between Google Ads and Bing Ads, such as: 

1. Market Share And Audience Reach 

With digital marketing taking up 70% of advertising mediums, reaching a wider audience and getting your core message across can maximize your Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) and conversion rates.  

Google is the undisputable market leader with 89.73% search engine market share, while Bing trails behind with 3.98%. 

On desktop, Bing fares slightly better with a 12.23% search engine market share, compared to Google’s leading position at 78.83%. 

As for mobile, Google once again takes the top spot with a significant 93.87% market share, while Bing settles for a mere 0.83%. 

This dominance translates to a more comprehensive reach for your ads, as Google has a larger audience base and more diverse user demographics.  

However, Bing Ads may be more effective in targeting specific or niche demographics thanks to its more compact audience reach. 

2. Target Audience And Demographics 

75% of consumers say it’s easier to find relevant information through paid search ads. 

But who are these consumers and how can you reach them?  

Which platform is more effective for your target audience and how can you tailor your marketing strategy to meet their needs? 

For starters, Bing’s audience is generally older, with 54% of users being married and 59% having children living in the same household. 

Moreover, its users are generally more affluent, with 36% earning a higher household income. 

In contrast, Google’s demographics are somewhat difficult to measure, given the platform’s vast reach and diverse consumer profile. 

In general, its users are more evenly distributed across age groups, including a higher share of younger audiences (18-34).  

Another key audience element is that Bing has a strong professional and business-oriented user profile, partly due to Microsoft Edge being the default browser on work computers.  

On the other hand, Google attracts a broader and consumer-focused audience, which may be more suitable for products or services with a wider appeal. 

Take a look at our in-depth analysis of each platform’s demographics and audience characteristics below: 

3. Keyword Targeting And Competition 

Search engines kickstart 68% of all online experiences and in most cases, users input keywords to find the information they need. 

You can use keyword targeting to match your ads with relevant search queries, which increases the likelihood of clicks and conversions.  

Google Ads offers both content and audience targeting through comprehensive ad group management, keyword research tools, detailed demographics, custom intent and remarketing options.  

Here’s an overview of Digital Silk’s Google Ads account illustrating the keyword management dashboard: 

On the flip side, Bing Ads offers keyword targeting through match and bid strategy types, negative keywords and demographic targeting for age, location and device.  

Bing users tend to use longer, more detailed search queries so advertisers can target low-competition, high-intent long-tail keywords more effectively. 

The platform also supports LinkedIn Profile Targeting, which allows businesses to target professionals based on their LinkedIn profile information, such as job title, company size and industry. 

Below, you can see the keyword dashboard for Bing Ads on Digital Silk’s account: 

Overall, Google Ads boasts an extensive keyword targeting system with a larger reach, which means the stakes are higher and the competition is tougher.  

In contrast, Bing Ads offers a more targeted approach with lower competition, which could be more effective for niche businesses or industries. 

4. Ad Copy Requirements 

Most businesses start their marketing strategies with a text ad — a clear, concise and actionable message that prompts users to click. 

Both Google Ads and Bing Ads have character limits for ad copy and specific copywriting guidelines, including restrictions on capitalization, symbols and special characters. 

For example, Google Ads has the following characteristics: 

• One to three headlines of up to 30 characters 
• One to two descriptions of up to 90 characters 
• One display URL with up to 15 characters 

This is what the advertisement editor looks like on the Google Ads dashboard: 

Conversely, Microsoft Ads has the following guidelines: 

• One title of up to 25 characters 
• One description of up to 75 characters 
• One display URL with up to 35 characters

Evidently, Google Ads offers more flexibility with up to three headlines and two descriptions, whereas Bing Ads is more rigid with its requirements. 

However, one standout feature of Microsoft Advertising is the ability to directly import your existing Google Ads campaigns.  

You can sync keywords, ad groups, budgets and even negative keywords, which allows you to seamlessly replicate your high-performing Google Ads strategies on Bing.  

This process significantly reduces setup time and ensures brand consistency across both platforms. 

5. Cost Breakdown 

While both platforms operate on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, the actual cost per click (CPC), competition level and return on investment (ROI) can vary significantly. 

Nearly 60% of marketers agree that how they spend their budget is more scrutinized now than in the past. 

This highlights the importance of well-managed, strategic and cost-effective advertising on both Google Ads and Bing Ads.  

In general, Google Ads has higher cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-acquisition (CPA) rates due to its larger reach and tougher competition, which could be expensive for some industries. 

However, careful audience targeting and well-optimized ads can lead to higher click-through rates (CTR) and conversions. 

Interestingly, some businesses and industries report higher CTRs and conversions on Bing Ads due to distinct audience characteristics and lower competition.  

Here’s a brief overview of the Bing Ads advertising cost and the Google Ads cost, along with key performance metrics: 

6. User Interface Features 

Your advertising platform’s user interface (UI) directly influences how quickly you achieve your marketing goals, increase brand recognition and drive sales.  

Google Ads is a behemoth of a platform, with powerful analytics tools and sophisticated targeting options but a steep learning curve. 

The platform offers a robust and comprehensive dashboard with detailed keyword insights, extensive customization options and advanced AI features. 

However, the sheer number of options may be more challenging for beginners and Google’s frequent software updates require consistent platform monitoring and optimization. 

Take a look at the Google Ads dashboard below, featuring Digital Silk’s ad account: 

In contrast, Microsoft or Bing Ads features simplified user navigation, fewer required fields and integrations with other Microsoft products. 

While this simplicity may appeal to beginners, it may also limit the platform’s capabilities for more advanced advertisers. 

For comparison, Digital Silk’s Bing Ads account dashboard offers a more straightforward layout: 

Bing Ads Vs Google Ads — Key Similarities 

While our Google Ads and Bing Ads comparison outlines the major differences between the two platforms, they do share some similarities: 

1. PPC Advertising Capabilities 

Both platforms use an auction-based system for search and display advertising, where businesses can bid on keywords and pay for clicks or impressions. 

Despite differences in audience size, competition and costs, the fundamental mechanics of PPC remain consistent for both Google Ads and Bing Ads. 

Moreover, both tools offer keyword match types, dynamic search ads and ad formatting and extensions so businesses can consistently adapt their content marketing strategies and collaterals. 

2. Campaign Overviews And Customizations 

The two platforms offer similar campaign settings, so you can create, manage, customize and optimize your ads for specific goals, schedules and budgets. 

Below is an overview of the Google Ads campaigns tab featuring Digital Silk’s ad account: 

And here’s Bing Ads’ main campaign dashboard, featuring segmented campaign views, clicks, impressions and average click-through rates: 

3. Performance Tracking 

Finally, both platforms have similar performance-tracking capabilities that can help you monitor and analyze your campaigns’ effectiveness.  

This includes various metrics such as impressions, clicks, click-through rates, conversions and cost-per-click data. 

You can use this data to determine which keywords, ads and targeting options are performing well and adjust your campaigns accordingly. 

Key Elements Of The Bing Ads Vs Google AdWords Comparison 

Although diversification can improve your online visibility and drive organic traffic, many marketers may not have the luxury of running both Google Ads and Bing Ads campaigns simultaneously while balancing costs. 

Here’s what you should consider when assessing the Microsoft Ads vs Google Ads comparison: 

• Campaign goals: Think about your specific business goals and which platform can better support them. Google Ads may have the upper hand in terms of reach and ad formats, but Bing Ads can be more cost-effective for certain industries. 
• Target audience: Only 42% of marketers have in-depth demographic information about their target audience. Avoid making the same digital marketing mistake by analyzing, segmenting and understanding your target audience before choosing a platform. Depending on your audience’s pain points, interests and browsing behavior, one platform may be more suitable than the other. 
• Industry relevance: Google Ads may be more suitable for highly competitive industries with proactive bidding strategies for high-volume keywords. Since there’s less competition on Microsoft Ads, you could get better ad placement at lower costs. 
• Budget considerations: Consider how much you’re willing to spend on advertising and which platform can offer the most cost-effective results. For example, if you have a limited budget, consider Bing Ads’ lower keyword costs and potentially higher ROI. 

Which Platform Is Best For You? 

• Choose Google Ads if: You need maximum global reach, have a flexible budget for higher CPCs and want access to the most robust AI features. 
• Choose Bing Ads if: Your audience tends to be older or more affluent, you have a tighter budget or you’re focusing on a B2B demographic. 
• Consider both: Larger eCommerce brands, B2B companies or those aiming for extensive coverage can benefit from a dual-platform strategy to maximize ROI. 

Create A Comprehensive Advertising Strategy With Digital Silk 

Opting for one platform or the other is merely the first step in creating a results-driven and conversion-focused digital marketing campaign. 

Digital Silk can help you plan, launch and optimize your campaigns to drive qualified traffic, generate leads and increase sales. 

As an end-to-end web design agency, our services include: 

• Digital marketing 
• eCommerce SEO
• Social media marketing 
• eCommerce PPC 

Our in-house team takes full project ownership for each client we partner with, offers timely and transparent updates and guarantees measurable results. 

Contact our team, call us at (800) 206-9413 or fill in the Request a Quote form below to schedule a consultation.  

Jordan Park

With over 15 years of experience in performance and data-driven marketing, Jordan is passionate about creating and executing effective strategies that grow brands online. As the Marketing Director at Digital Silk, he leads a talented team of marketers who deliver high-quality campaigns across various channels and platforms. His experience in industries like Tech, SaaS, Blockchain & Process Manufacturing gives him a unique perspective and skill set in digital marketing.