A Bing ads guide serves as a strategic roadmap for digital marketers looking to extend their search visibility to the Microsoft search network. This platform allows for a direct import of Google Ads data, significantly reducing the time required for setup and campaign creation. By bridging the two platforms, businesses can reach millions of unique searchers on Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Yahoo while maintaining consistent messaging across their digital strategy.
Why should you import your Google Ads campaigns to Microsoft?
The primary reason to use the import tool is efficiency. Most search engine marketing professionals spend the majority of their time in the Google interface. Replicating that work manually in a new environment is often a barrier to expansion. Microsoft Advertising understands this and has built a tool that mirrors the Google structure, allowing you to bring over campaigns, ad groups, keywords, and even ad extensions with a few clicks.
In a typical account, you might find that while search volumes are lower on Bing compared to Google, the competition is also lower. This often leads to a lower Cost Per Click (CPC) and a better Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) for specific niches. For example, B2B companies often see better results on the Microsoft network because Bing is the default search engine on many corporate computers. By importing your successful Google campaigns, you can capture this high-intent professional audience without starting from zero.
Preparing your account for a smooth transfer
Before starting the import, it is essential to audit your Google Ads account. Only import campaigns that are performing well. If a campaign is struggling on Google, it is unlikely to perform better on Microsoft without significant changes. Check your tracking templates and custom parameters. While Microsoft can handle many of these, specific Google-only tracking tags might cause issues if not updated.
You should also verify your Universal Event Tracking (UET) tag. Just as Google uses the Google Tag for conversion tracking, Microsoft uses the UET tag. Before you go live, ensure this tag is placed in the header of every page on your website. You can find this under the ‘Tools’ menu, then ‘Conversion tracking’, and finally ‘UET tags’. Without this, you will not be able to measure the success of your imported campaigns.
- Check that all your high-performing keywords are active.
- Ensure your ad copy does not mention Google-specific promotions.
- Verify that your landing pages are mobile-friendly and load quickly.
- Review your negative keyword lists to ensure they are ready for transfer.
How do you start the Microsoft Advertising import process?
To begin, sign in to your Microsoft Advertising account and look at the top global menu bar. You will see an ‘Import’ button. Clicking this opens a dropdown where you should select ‘Import from Google Ads’. The system will then ask you to sign in to your Google account. This is a secure OAuth process that grants Microsoft temporary access to read your campaign data. You will then see a list of available Google Ads accounts to choose from.
Once you select the correct account, you have two main options: ‘Import all’ or ‘Advanced Import’. Most practitioners should choose ‘Advanced Import’. This allows you to select specific campaigns and adjust settings before the data is finalized. For instance, you might want to exclude certain campaigns that are specifically designed for Google’s Display Network, as Microsoft’s Audience Network behaves differently.
Mapping settings and choosing what to import
The mapping stage is where you decide how budgets and bids are handled. Microsoft Advertising generally recommends a 1:1 budget match, but you can choose to increase or decrease budgets by a percentage during the import. For example, if you have a $1,000 daily budget on Google, you might start with $200 on Microsoft to test the waters. You can also adjust bids to ensure your ads are competitive in the Bing auction.
Another critical setting is the ‘Bids and budgets’ section. You can choose to use the bids from Google or let Microsoft adjust them based on the local competition. A common pattern is to keep the bids the same and monitor the ‘Top of Page’ metrics after the first 48 hours of activity. Additionally, ensure that you check the box for ‘Update existing campaigns’ if you plan on running this import regularly to keep the two platforms in sync.
- Bids and budgets: Adjust according to your Bing-specific goals.
- Landing page URLs: Ensure your UTM parameters are updated to source=bing.
- Ad extensions: Sitelinks, callouts, and structured snippets usually transfer well.
- Negative keywords: These are crucial to prevent wasted spend on irrelevant queries.
What are the unique benefits of LinkedIn profile targeting?
One of the most powerful features available after you import your campaigns is LinkedIn profile targeting. Because Microsoft owns LinkedIn, they have integrated professional data into the advertising platform. This allows you to adjust bids or target users based on their Company, Job Function, and Industry. This feature is exclusive to Microsoft Advertising and is not available in Google Ads.
For a B2B software company, this means you can increase your bids by 50% for searchers who work in the ‘Information Technology’ industry or for those who hold ‘Manager’ or ‘Director’ titles. To set this up, go to your campaign settings, find ‘Edit target categories’, and select ‘LinkedIn’. This adds a layer of professional intent to your standard keyword targeting, making your spend much more efficient.
Can you automate recurring imports from Google Ads?
Yes, Microsoft Advertising offers a ‘Schedule Import’ feature. This is particularly useful for large accounts where keywords and ad copy change frequently. You can set the system to check your Google Ads account daily, weekly, or monthly for any changes. When the system detects a new keyword or a change in ad text, it automatically applies that change to your Microsoft campaigns.
When setting up a schedule, be careful with the ‘Delete items’ setting. If you delete a campaign in Google, a scheduled import might also delete it in Microsoft. Most managers prefer to keep the deletion setting turned off and manually remove campaigns to avoid accidental data loss. This automation ensures that your messaging remains consistent across both platforms without manual intervention every time a small change is made in the Google interface.
Optimizing your campaigns after the initial import
After the import is finished, your job is not done. Microsoft Advertising has its own unique search partner network and audience network. You should review your ‘Website URL (publisher)’ report after a week of running. This report shows you exactly where your ads appeared. If you see certain partner sites that are spending money without converting, you can exclude them at the account or campaign level.
You should also look at the ‘Microsoft Audience Network’ (MSAN). These are native ads that appear on sites like MSN, Outlook, and Microsoft Edge. Sometimes, a search campaign will automatically opt into MSAN. If your goal is strictly search, you might want to adjust the ‘Audience ads’ bid adjustment to -100% or a lower figure to ensure your budget is focused on the search engine results page.
Where to start this week
Start by selecting your top three best-performing search campaigns in Google Ads. Navigate to the Microsoft Advertising ‘Import’ tool and run a test import for these specific campaigns. Once the data is in the system, install the UET tag on your site and set up your conversion goals to match your Google settings. Monitor the performance for seven days, paying close attention to the CPC and the quality of traffic coming from the Microsoft network. This small-scale test will provide the data needed to decide on a full-scale account migration.
Keep reading: Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads) · Advertising