Microsoft Ads vs Google Ads: Same Keyword, 2 Price Tags
Quick answer: Microsoft Ads vs Google Ads comes down to price vs volume. Google Ads reaches far more people but usually costs more per click. Microsoft Ads (formerly Bing Ads) is often cheaper per click, reaches a more desktop-heavy audience, and lets you raise bids for people based on their LinkedIn profile. As a starting point, most US businesses should start with Google Ads and then test putting 10 to 30% of their budget into Microsoft Ads.
You bid on a keyword in Google Ads. Every few months, the price goes up. Then you check the same keyword in Microsoft Ads, and it costs less. Same search. Same customer. Two different prices.
In this guide, we'll show you why that gap exists, who you reach on each platform, and how much of your budget should go where. We run both platforms for US businesses every day at DemandTab. Where a claim comes from a platform or data provider, we link to it. Where we share our own starting numbers, we label them as starting points to test, not proven benchmarks.
Key Takeaways
Google Ads is the biggest search ad platform in the US (StatCounter). Use it when you need lots of leads.
Microsoft Ads often costs less per click, partly because fewer businesses bid there. Check this against your own keywords.
Microsoft's own audience data describes its searchers as desktop-heavy, well-educated, and higher income. That can suit B2B, legal, finance, and high-value local services.
Only Microsoft Ads lets you adjust bids based on someone's LinkedIn company, industry, and job function.
Judge both by cost per lead, not cost per click (CPC).
You can copy your Google campaigns into Microsoft Ads in a few minutes.
Microsoft Ads vs Google Ads: What's the Difference?
Google Ads is Google's pay-per-click platform. Your ads can show on Google Search, YouTube, Gmail, Discover, the Display Network, and around AI Overviews.
Microsoft Advertising, which most people still call Bing Ads, is Microsoft's version. Your ads show on Bing, Yahoo, AOL, DuckDuckGo, and other partner sites. This group is called the Microsoft Search Network. Ads can also show on MSN, Outlook, Edge, and Microsoft Copilot.
Both work the same way. You pick keywords, write ads, set a budget, and pay when someone clicks. The real differences are price, reach, audience, and targeting. Businesses planning campaigns across both platforms can also explore Demand Tab's PPC campaign management.
Microsoft Advertising CPC vs Google Ads: Why Bing Is Cheaper
When people compare Google Ads vs. Bing Ads, price is the first thing they notice. Here's why the same keyword often costs less on Microsoft.
Fewer businesses are bidding
Every click is sold in an auction. If 40 businesses bid on "emergency plumber" in Google but only 12 bid on it in Microsoft Ads (illustrative numbers), the Microsoft click usually sells for less. Many businesses run Google Ads and never set up Microsoft at all, which keeps those auctions quieter.
There are fewer searches
Bing gets far fewer searches than Google (see StatCounter for current US search engine share). That keeps prices down, but it also limits how much you can spend. You can't push the same budget into Microsoft Ads that you can into Google. Most comparison posts leave this part out.
Ad quality still counts
Both platforms use a quality score. A relevant ad with a good landing page pays less on either one. A cheaper platform won't fix a bad ad. Reviewing ad relevance and landing page performance is also part of effective PPC campaign management.
Check the gap for your own keywords
Open Google Keyword Planner and Microsoft Keyword Planner. Set both to the same US location. Enter your 10 most expensive keywords and compare the bid ranges. It takes 15 minutes and tells you more than any industry average.
Cost of Advertising on Bing
Bing pay-per-click advertising works just like Google. You pay per click, set your own daily budget, and can stop anytime. There's no minimum monthly spend, though Microsoft does set its own minimum bids and daily budgets, so small businesses can start small.
What you pay depends on your industry, your city, and your ad quality. Legal and insurance keywords are pricey on both platforms. Local services are usually cheaper. Big cities like New York cost more than smaller towns.
A good first test: put 10 to 20% of your Google Ads budget into Microsoft Ads for 30 days. That's enough to see real results without much risk. A coordinated digital marketing strategy can help businesses evaluate how paid search fits with their other acquisition channels.
Microsoft Ads vs. Google Ads Audience Targeting Differences
Price is only half the story. The bigger question is who sees your ad.
Who uses Bing
Bing is the default search engine on Windows and Edge, so it gets much more desktop use than mobile. You can check the latest US share by device on StatCounter Global Stats, but StatCounter doesn't measure age or income.
For those, the main published source is Microsoft itself. In its US audience infographic (comScore, desktop data from 2018–2019), Microsoft reports that fewer than half (47%) of Microsoft Search Network users were aged 18–44, about half had a college degree, and 38% had a household income of $100K or more. These figures are several years old and come from the platform selling the ads, so treat them as directional.
That's a good match for B2B, law firms, finance, healthcare, and big home projects, in our view, but it's a hypothesis to test in each account. It's usually a weaker match for brands selling to young people on their phones.
LinkedIn targeting, only on Microsoft
Microsoft owns LinkedIn. So in Microsoft Ads, you can set bid adjustments based on someone's company, industry, and job function. These adjustments make your ads show more often to those people, but they don't limit your ads to them. Microsoft calls this "bid only": people outside your chosen profiles can still see your ads. If you want to keep certain profiles out, you have to exclude them separately.
LinkedIn profile targeting works in Search, Dynamic Search Ads, Shopping, and Audience campaigns, and only for campaigns targeting the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, France, and Germany (Microsoft Advertising Help).
Say you sell cybersecurity. You can bid more when the person searching works in IT at a bank. Google Ads does offer broader employment segments on Search, such as industry and company size, through detailed demographics (Search Engine Land). What it doesn't offer is LinkedIn's named-company and job-function data. In B2B, where one click from a student wastes money, bidding more for the right professionals can make a real difference to lead quality.
What both platforms offer
Both let you target by device, location, and time of day. Both offer remarketing to people who visited your site and in-market audiences based on what people are shopping for.
Where Google targeting is stronger
Google simply has more data and more places to show ads. YouTube, Gmail, and Discover give you reach Microsoft can't match. For consumer brands and mobile users, Google usually has the edge.
For businesses focusing on Google campaigns, Demand Tab's Google Ads services cover campaign setup, targeting, conversion tracking, and ongoing optimization.
Ads in AI Search: Copilot vs AI Overviews
Both platforms now show ads alongside AI answers, but the placements work differently, and eligibility is narrower than it sounds.
Google. Keep two placements apart. Ads above or below an AI overview run through Google's normal search auction. Ads inside an AI Overview are more limited. They're only available in certain countries and languages (they launched in the US and have since expanded to selected markets); they need a campaign Google supports for this placement (broad match keywords, AI Max for Search, Performance Max, Shopping, or Dynamic Search Ads); and the ad must be relevant to the Overview's content, not just the search.
Some sensitive categories are excluded. One ad can show above/below or inside the overview, but not both at once. Google reports these as top ads, doesn't break out in-Overview results separately, and doesn't let you target or opt out of the placement directly. Check Google's About ads and AI Overviews page for the current rules.
Microsoft. Ads in Copilot show below Copilot's answer, labelled as sponsored, with a short line linking the ad to the conversation (Search Engine Land). Microsoft picks them from your existing campaigns based on the conversation as a whole, so there's no separate Copilot campaign to build, and you can't guarantee a placement. Formats and markets are still changing, so check eligibility and reporting in your own account rather than assuming every campaign qualifies.
What this means for you: keep your ad copy specific, because the AI answer already covers the basics. And make sure your landing page delivers exactly what the ad promises.
Where Google Ads Still Wins
Any honest Bing vs Google Ads comparison has to admit this. Google is better in a few big ways.
Volume. Google handles far more US searches than Bing (StatCounter). If you need hundreds of leads a month, most of that volume will usually have to come from Google, because Microsoft's search volume runs out sooner.
Smart bidding. Automated bidding learns from conversions. Both platforms offer it, but the algorithm needs conversion data, and Google accounts usually collect it faster because they get more traffic.
Reach. YouTube, Display, Gmail, and Discover all sit in one account, and Performance Max can use all of them.
Mobile. Google holds most of the US mobile search share (StatCounter). If your customers search quickly on their phones, Google matters most.
Features Compared
Keywords: Both have broad, phrase, and exact matches, plus negative keywords.
Ads: Both use responsive search ads with sitelinks, callouts, and call buttons.
Bidding: Both offer manual and smart bidding. Google's automation is more advanced.
Performance Max: Available on both. Microsoft's version is newer.
Shopping: Google uses Google Merchant Center. Microsoft uses Microsoft Merchant Center, which can import your Google product feed (Microsoft Advertising Help).
Tracking: Google uses the Google tag and GA4. Microsoft uses the UET tag. Skip the UET tag and Microsoft can't see your conversions, so smart bidding won't work.
How to Split Your Budget Between Google Ads and Microsoft Ads
Most articles say "test both" and stop there. Below are the starting splits we use when setting up a first test at DemandTab. They are starting hypotheses, not established benchmarks. They're based on how each industry's customers tend to search (desktop vs. mobile, planned vs. urgent), not on a published study, so treat them as a place to begin and let your own cost-per-lead data decide.
B2B services: 70% Google, 30% Microsoft
Legal, finance, and insurance: 75% Google, 25% Microsoft
Home services: 85% Google, 15% Microsoft
Healthcare and dental: 85% Google, 15% Microsoft
E-commerce: 90% Google, 10% Microsoft
Young, mobile-first brands: 95% Google, 5% Microsoft
How to adjust after 30 days
Compare cost per lead, not cost per click. A cheap click that doesn't convert is still wasted money.
If Microsoft gets cheaper leads and says "limited by budget," move 5 to 10% more budget there.
If Microsoft gets cheaper leads but already shows most of the time, you've hit its limit. More money won't help.
If Microsoft leads still cost 30% more than Google after 60 days, cut it back or pause it.
Check every month, especially before busy seasons like Black Friday.
Hypothetical example: An IT company spends $5,000 a month. It starts with $3,500 on Google and $1,500 on Microsoft. After 30 days, Microsoft brings cheaper leads and hits its budget cap. Next month, the split becomes $3,200 and $1,800. That's all there is to it.
Bing Ads vs Google Ads by Industry
B2B: Run both. Use LinkedIn profile bid adjustments on Microsoft to bid more for the right companies, industries, and job functions. This is where we most often see Microsoft compete with Google on cost per lead, so test it first.
Law firms: Legal clicks are very expensive on Google. Bing's desktop-heavy audience may research lawyers carefully before calling, which makes Microsoft worth testing.
Home services: Emergency searches like "AC not working" happen on phones, so Google leads. Microsoft works well for planned jobs like a new roof or HVAC system.
Dentists: Use Google for “dentist near me” searches. Use Microsoft for high-value work like implants and braces, which patients often research on a computer.
E-commerce: Copy your Google product feed into Microsoft Merchant Center and run Shopping ads. It's an easy way to pick up extra sales.
How to Launch Microsoft Ads in One Hour
You don't need to start from scratch. Microsoft can copy your Google Ads account.
Sign up at Microsoft Advertising. Use the same currency and time zone as your Google account.
Add the UET tag to your website and set up the same conversions you track in Google.
Use Google Import. Sign in with Google and pick only your best search campaigns.
Lower the imported budgets to your planned Microsoft amount.
Drop the imported bids by 20 to 30% as a starting point, since Microsoft clicks often cost less. Note that Microsoft raises any imported bids or budgets below its minimums by default.
Turn off scheduled imports if you manage Microsoft on its own. Otherwise, new imports can undo your changes.
If you're B2B, add LinkedIn profile bid adjustments.
If the import doesn't work
Look at the import summary first. It tells you what failed. The usual causes are a currency or time zone mismatch, campaign features that don't transfer, ads Microsoft rejected, tracking settings that didn't carry over, or scheduled imports overwriting your edits.
5 Mistakes That Waste Money
Looking at CPC instead of cost per lead. A cheap click only matters if it turns into a lead.
Forgetting the UET tag. Without it, Microsoft can't track anything.
Importing and walking away. Bing users are different. Adjust your ads, bids, and negative keywords.
Ignoring partner sites. Check where your ads show and cut the sites that don't convert.
Spreading a small budget too thin. Under about $1,000 a month (our rule of thumb), stick with Google first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Microsoft Ads cheaper than Google Ads?
Often, yes. Fewer businesses bid on Microsoft Ads, so clicks often cost less. But Bing also has fewer searches, so you can't spend as much there. Always compare cost per lead, not just cost per click.
Is Microsoft advertising worth it?
For most US businesses already doing well on Google, it's worth testing. In our experience it tends to work best for B2B, legal, finance, and high-value local services. Start with 10 to 20% of your Google budget.
Which is better, Bing Ads or Google Ads?
Google is better for volume, mobile, and automation. Bing often offers cheaper clicks, a desktop-heavy audience, and LinkedIn profile bid adjustments. For most businesses, the answer is Google first, then Bing as a cheaper add-on.
Why is Bing Ads CPC lower than Google Ads?
Fewer advertisers and fewer searches. Less competition in each auction usually means lower prices. The trade-off is that you can only buy so many clicks.
How much does it cost to advertise on Bing?
There's no minimum monthly spend. You set a daily budget and pay only for clicks. Prices depend on your industry and location and are often lower than Google for the same keyword.
Who uses Bing?
Microsoft's own data describes a desktop-heavy, well-educated, higher-income audience, partly because Bing comes built into Windows and Edge. Microsoft Ads also reach people on Yahoo, AOL, and DuckDuckGo.
Do Microsoft Ads show on Yahoo and DuckDuckGo?
Yes. They show across the Microsoft Search Network, which includes Bing, Yahoo, AOL, DuckDuckGo, and other partners.
Do Microsoft Ads show in Copilot?
Yes. Eligible ads from your existing Microsoft Advertising campaigns can appear below Copilot's answers. You don't buy this placement separately, and it isn't guaranteed.
Can I import Google Ads into Microsoft Ads?
Yes. Google Import copies your campaigns, keywords, and ads. You can run it once or set it to repeat.
Should I run both Google Ads and Bing Ads?
If you spend more than about $1,000 a month, yes. Start with Google, add Microsoft with 10 to 30% of your budget, and adjust every month.
Is Microsoft Ads good for B2B?
Yes. You can raise bids based on the LinkedIn company, industry, and job function. Google offers broader industry and company-size segments on Search, but not LinkedIn profile data. That can mean better quality leads.
What to Do Next
Now you know why the same keyword has two prices, who you reach on each platform, and how to split your budget based on real results.
This week, check your 10 most expensive keywords in both keyword planners. Then launch a small Microsoft Ads test using Google Import.
Want us to do it for you? DemandTab will review your Google Ads account, compare your top keywords on both platforms, and send you a budget split built for your business. It's free. Get your free PPC audit from DemandTab.