Glossary
Microsoft Ads
Microsoft Ads (formerly Bing Ads) is Microsoft's pay-per-click advertising platform serving ads on the Bing, Yahoo, and AOL search networks, as well as Microsoft-owned properties like MSN, Outlook, and the Microsoft Edge browser. It operates on the same auction-based model as Google Ads — advertisers bid on keywords, pay per click (CPC), and are ranked by a combination of bid and ad relevance. While its search market share is smaller than Google's, Microsoft Ads often delivers lower CPCs and less competition for commercial-intent queries, making it an attractive complement to Google Ads campaigns. The platform supports Search, Shopping, Display, and native advertising formats, and offers automated bidding strategies including Target CPA and Target ROAS. Microsoft Ads supports importing campaigns directly from Google Ads, reducing duplication effort. Its audience targeting capabilities — particularly LinkedIn profile targeting for B2B advertisers — offer unique advantages not available on Google Ads.