Half way through 2017, Statista revealed that Google held an 83.49 per cent market share of online searches. Of that remaining 16.51 per cent, 11.06 per cent belongs to Bing.
Bing ads are highly effective and, although we wouldn’t suggest dodging Google and using these alone, a combination of ads on both search engines’ results pages could yield promising results.
Here an at-a-glance guide to a few of the benefits of using Bing ads:
Less Competition And Cheaper CPCs
With around a tenth of the search market, it is understandable that many marketers are ignoring Bing and focusing their attention on Google. However, Bing could provide a great opportunity for small and medium-sized businesses who simply don’t have the time or budget to compete with major competitors on Google SERPs.
Like with AdWords, Bing uses an auction style system, so less competition could be highly beneficial resulting in better ad positions and lower costs.
It Can Be More Relevant
In a December 2016 blind study of the UK’s most popular searches, more people picked Bing results (49.8 per cent) than Google’s (34.9 per cent). Furthermore, 15.3 per cent of instances saw Bing and Google chosen equal times. This clearly suggest that Bing’s results could be seen as more relevant to users and answer their search queries more effectively.
Effective Expanded Text Ads
For some time, Bing has been offering expanded text ads which have longer titles and longer ad copy possibilities. This provides advertisers with more flexibility and improves click-through rates (CTRs). In another WordStream study, it was revealed that despite having a smaller user-base Bing ETA gives nearly 20 per cent higher CTRs than AdWords.
Greater Ad Space
Google has got rid of its sidebar ads in a bid to streamline its SERPs and improve user experience in line with its mobile site, however sidebar ads on desktop are still available on Bing. So, if you’re worried about getting your ads to the top of the results pages, your activities may prove more fruitful on Bing where there are greater possibilities on offer.
Need Help with Your PPC Strategy?
Whether you’re looking into the possibility of running Microsoft Bing ads as an addition to your current Google AdWords advertising, or you simply want to learn a bit more about the Bing ad network and what it can offer you, sign up to our next digital marketing event.
