We are seeing our Google CPCs skyrocket. I’m considering moving 20% of the budget to Microsoft Advertising to take advantage of the LinkedIn profile targeting and the older, more affluent demographic. Has anyone seen a significantly better ROI on Bing lately, especially with the integration of ChatGPT/Copilot?
3 answers
We actually moved 30% of our B2B spend to Microsoft Advertising last year and saw a 40% lower CPC compared to Google. The LinkedIn profile targeting is the real "killer feature"—being able to target users based on their Job Function or Industry directly within a search campaign is something Google just can't match. However, the volume is much lower. You will likely exhaust your "high-intent" audience quickly on Bing. My advice is to use it as a supplementary channel for your highest-converting keywords rather than a total replacement for the reach you get on Google’s network.
Have you noticed any difference in the lead quality? I've heard Bing sometimes has higher "bot" traffic or lower-quality search partner placements.
The demographic on Bing definitely trends older and has higher household income. For financial services or luxury goods, it often outperforms Google on a pure ROI basis.
Agreed, Laura. We’ve seen similar results for our real estate clients. The conversion rate is often higher because the audience is more settled and has more immediate purchasing power.
Steven, you have to be careful with the "Audience Network" on Microsoft. To answer your question, the lead quality is high on "Core Search," but if you don't opt out of the audience network, you will see a lot of low-quality clicks. Always uncheck the "Microsoft sites and select traffic" box initially.