Expert Tips for Google Ads vs. Bing Ads
If you’re running a business, you may be wondering which online advertising platform is best for you — Google ads or Bing ads. The truth is that there isn’t a universal answer.
Depending on your customer, their preferences, and your business goals, Google or Bing Ads (or even Facebook ads) could be the right option. All of these function according to the pay-per-click advertising model and they’re each designed to help businesses reach targeted audiences, drive traffic, and increase revenue.
Also, both Bing Ads and Google Ads share other similarities.
For instance, both Google and Bing show display URLs underneath the ad’s headline. In addition to that, both provide a short description text of 80 characters beneath the display URL which allows SEO marketers an opportunity to add some salesmanship to their meta descriptions. From an ad platform perspective, Google and Bing provide marketers with a keyword research tool and allow for both broad match and negative keyword targeting.
So, which is better — Google Ads, Bing Ads, or Facebook ads? Let’s dive down below and find out.
A Glance at Average Position & Cost-per-Click (CPC)
Google is the world’s largest search engine, so it’s safe to say that having a high position in its search rankings would be more valuable to your business than if it happened on a Microsoft property such as Bing Ads, AOL, or Yahoo.
However, at what cost would it be to achieve a high search ranking position on Google? Bing boasts lower CPC and lower competition to achieve higher positioning. According to ReportGarden, Bing averages a $7.99 CPC compared to Google’s $20.08.
In addition, the average CPC of Bing Ads can be up to 70% lower than Google Ads, according to a Search Engine People study.
This isn’t to say that Bing is an untapped advertising market, but it has a significantly lower share of the internet than Google. So, if you’re overly conscious about your limited advertising budget, then Bing is your top option.
If you’re willing to invest highly to receive more search volume on your ads, then Google is the way to go.
Category: Click-Through-Rate (CTR)
CTR is the determining factor on if your ads are effective. The higher your CTR is, the more people are responding to your ad. Depending on your PPC budget, each platform has its own benefit.
The verdict for this category varies. For example, if you’re targeting middle-aged people with a higher income bracket, then Bing is an excellent option. If your campaign is geared towards Millenials, Google will provide you with the optimal CTR you’re looking for.
Just take a look at this graph of Bing’s typical audience structure to learn more.
If you have a blended audience, you can experiment with each platform to see which one works for you.
Category: Cost-per-Lead (CPL) and Conversion Rate
CTR is nice, but what good is a PPC campaign if it doesn’t drive leads for your business? Unfortunately, it can be difficult to decipher if Google or Bing has better CPL and conversion rate potential.
These values can be influenced by industries, seasonality, and other variables. Google generally yields more search volume, but you’ll ultimately be paying the same for leads on Bing.
Furthermore, Artificial intelligence (AI), backed by machine learning, makes it possible for marketers to optimize these values.
Nonetheless, Google wins in terms of conversions, but advertising on Bing leads to a lower CPL.
The Final Verdict
This guide may have not gotten down to granular details about the pros and cons of each platform. This is because only independent research has been created to test each platform against each other.
That would obviously not be of any use to you because you’ll need proven industry research that makes a point. What works for other businesses won’t necessarily work for you. First things first… let’s talk about who your customer is and the problem your business solves.
Let’s talk about your specific business goals and hone in on the perfect PPC advertising strategy. The only way you can know which platform to use is to contact Accunity to speak to a member of our PPC marketing team today!
