Back to blogGoogle Ads vs. Bing Ads: Which Is Right for Your Business?
If you’re running a business and looking to dip your toes (or dive headfirst) into online advertising, chances are Google Ads is the first name that comes to mind. And for good reason — it’s the most popular pay-per-click (PPC) platform in the world.
But wait — what about Bing Ads? Or rather, Microsoft Advertising, as it’s officially known now.
Despite being in Google’s shadow, Bing Ads can be surprisingly effective — and in some cases, even more cost-efficient. So how do you choose between Google Ads and Bing Ads for your business? Or should you use both?
Let’s break it down in plain English, so you can make the right call for your marketing goals and budget.
🔍 The Basics: What Are Google Ads and Bing Ads?
Google Ads is Google’s online advertising platform. It allows businesses to show ads on Google Search, YouTube, Google Maps, and across millions of partner websites via the Display Network. It’s powerful, flexible, and can reach billions of users.
Bing Ads (Microsoft Advertising) works similarly, showing ads on Bing, Yahoo, AOL, and Microsoft-owned properties like Outlook, MSN, and even Windows apps. It’s smaller in reach, but still serves millions of users — and has some unique advantages.
📊 Market Share & Reach
Let’s talk numbers.
- Google owns about 90% of the global search engine market.
- Bing holds around 6–7% globally — but in the US, that share can climb to 30%, especially among older and desktop users.
While Google clearly dominates in sheer volume, Bing’s network isn’t exactly tiny — and the users it reaches tend to be slightly older, more affluent, and often more brand-loyal.
So if your audience skews older or is U.S.-based, don’t count Bing out.
💰 Cost Comparison
One of Bing Ads’ biggest selling points? Lower cost per click (CPC).
On average:
- Google Ads CPC can range from $1 to $5 (and much more in competitive niches like legal or finance).
- Bing Ads CPC is often 30–50% cheaper than Google for similar keywords.
Why? Less competition. Fewer advertisers are bidding on Bing, so your dollar stretches further.
That said, Google’s higher volume means you can often scale faster, while Bing is more of a hidden gem with lower costs and potentially better ROI — especially if you're working with a limited budget.
🧑💻 Audience & Demographics
Here’s where things get interesting.
Google Users:
- Broad demographic — includes just about everyone
- Skews mobile
- Popular with younger audiences
Bing Users:
- Tend to be 35+ years old
- More likely to use desktop devices
- Often include white-collar professionals, government workers, and Windows users
Microsoft also has deals with companies and devices that default to Bing (like some corporate PCs and Edge browsers), which means users may not even switch search engines — they just search from their desktop and click.
If your product or service targets professionals or B2B audiences, Bing could actually outperform Google.
🛠 Platform Features & Tools
Both Google and Bing Ads offer powerful targeting and reporting tools, but Google does have a slight edge in terms of sophistication and innovation.
Google Ads Features:
- More advanced machine learning and Smart Bidding
- Access to YouTube Ads
- Broader Display Network
- Stronger integration with Google Analytics and other tools
Bing Ads Features:
- Offers similar targeting: keywords, location, device, demographics
- Integrates well with LinkedIn targeting (since Microsoft owns LinkedIn!)
- Allows easy import of Google Ads campaigns, saving tons of setup time
- Better control at the ad group level for things like language and scheduling
While Google’s tools might be a bit flashier, Bing has quietly made major improvements in recent years and continues to evolve.
📱 Mobile vs. Desktop Performance
If your audience is primarily on mobile devices, Google Ads wins — hands down. Google Search is the go-to app and search engine for most mobile users, with lightning-fast results and high engagement.
But if your audience is desktop-heavy — think office workers, older professionals, or B2B buyers — Bing Ads can be a great opportunity. Desktop users are more likely to use Bing, and they tend to spend more time researching, comparing, and purchasing.
⚖️ Pros and Cons at a Glance
Let’s make this easy:
| Google Ads | Legal Services | |
|---|---|---|
| Bing Ads (Microsoft Advertising) | Reach | Huge — dominates search traffic |
| Smaller, but solid — especially in the US | Cost | Higher CPC due to more competition |
| Lower CPC and often better ROI | Demographics | Broad, skewing younger and mobile |
| Older, desktop users with higher income | Targeting | Very advanced, especially with Smart Bidding |
| Great targeting, plus LinkedIn integration | Ease of Use | Robust tools, but learning curve |
| Easier to manage, and can import Google campaigns | Best For | High-volume lead gen, mobile-first campaigns |
| Budget-friendly B2B, desktop-heavy niches |
🤔 So... Which One Is Right for You?
Go with Google Ads if:
- You need high volume and fast results
- You’re targeting a broad audience or younger demographics
- Mobile traffic is important for your business
- You want access to YouTube or Google Display Network
- You’re running large-scale eCommerce or app promotion campaigns
Go with Bing Ads if:
- You have a smaller budget but still want quality traffic
- Your audience is more professional, older, or desktop-based
- You’re in a competitive industry and want to reduce CPC
- You’re doing B2B marketing (hello, LinkedIn targeting!)
- You want to test and optimize before scaling
Or honestly… why not both?
Many successful advertisers use Google as their main traffic driver and Bing to supplement or diversify their campaigns. Since you can import campaigns from Google to Bing, managing both doesn’t have to be double the work — and it could double your reach.
Final Thoughts
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer in the Google Ads vs. Bing Ads debate. It all comes down to your audience, goals, and budget.
Google is the giant with unmatched reach and tools — but Bing has some serious advantages, especially if you're strategic about who you’re targeting. Think of Bing as the underdog with a solid right hook: not as loud, but very effective when used well.
So whether you’re team Google, team Bing, or team “let’s try both,” the best thing you can do is test, track, and tweak your campaigns based on real results.
Happy advertising!
Need help deciding which platform to start with? Drop your industry or campaign goal in the comments and let’s brainstorm together.
