Microsoft Advertising: a second search engine worth testing
Import your best Google Ads campaigns, then tune bids, audiences and ad copy for Microsoft's network. Often a lower cost per click, so a small test budget can pay quickly. From €490 a month plus ad spend.
- You own the Microsoft Advertising account and its history.
- Fixed monthly fee, written quote within one working day.
- Judged on cost per enquiry against your Google numbers, in a plain report.
What would a test buy?
example assumptionsGoogle €2,000 Microsoft test €300
Example calculation from the numbers you enter. No market data is used. Real Microsoft click prices and conversion rates are only known after a test runs in your account.
Import from Google Ads, then make it Microsoft's
The import tool copies your campaigns in minutes. The value is in the five steps after it. A clean import of a tidy account can be live within an hour. owner to confirm
Import
Microsoft Advertising signs in to your Google Ads account and copies the campaigns you choose. I import only the campaigns that are already profitable.
- Campaigns, ad groups, keywords, ads, assets, bids and budgets copied
- Scheduled re-imports switched off after launch, so Microsoft edits are not overwritten
- Import report saved: what came over and what did not
Already profitable on Google? A Microsoft test is the cheapest next step.
Get a Microsoft Ads quoteGoogle Ads and Microsoft Advertising, side by side
Same idea, different network. These are the differences that change how I set up the account.
| Topic | Google Ads | Microsoft Advertising |
|---|---|---|
| Where search ads show | Google Search and search partners | Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo and Microsoft's partner sites |
| Getting started | Built from scratch | Imports campaigns, keywords, ads and assets from Google Ads |
| Tracking tag | Google tag, click ID gclid | UET tag, click ID msclkid, with its own consent mode |
| B2B targeting | Customer lists and audience segments | LinkedIn profile targeting by company, industry and job function |
| Role in your account | Main search channel | A second search channel, tested with a share of budget |
New to search ads? Start with Google Ads management and a landing page built for ad clicks; check your margins first in the break-even ROAS and CPA calculator.
When I would not recommend Microsoft Advertising
A second channel only helps when the first one works.
- 01Your Google campaigns are not profitable yet, or tracking is missing. Importing them copies the problem to a second network.
- 02You only sell in Finnish. Check Microsoft's keyword planner for your terms first; if monthly searches are in single digits, a test cannot teach us much.
- 03Your whole search budget is under €500 a month. Put it into one channel until it has enough data; English-language markets such as the UK and the US are where a second channel usually earns its place.
Packages
Proposed prices in euros, excluding VAT 25.5 %. Ad spend goes from your account to Microsoft and is never part of my fee. All services are on the pricing page.
Import and launch
The six steps above, done once.
- Import and review
- Bids reset for Microsoft
- UET tag and conversion goals
- Launch checklist signed off
Monthly management
The test run properly, then kept tuned.
- Import and launch included
- Weekly search-term review
- LinkedIn profile bid adjustments
- Monthly report against Google
Google and Microsoft together
One person, both search networks.
- Both accounts managed
- Budget moved to the cheaper enquiry
- Shared negative keyword lists
- One combined report
If the test does not beat or match your Google cost per enquiry after two months, I will say so and recommend pausing it. No lock-in, 30 days' notice.
Questions about Microsoft Advertising
Is Microsoft Advertising worth it?
Often, for businesses already profitable on Google search. It reaches people searching on Bing and partner sites, usually at a lower cost per click, and it imports your Google work, so a test is cheap to run. It is not worth it before your Google campaigns and conversion tracking work.
Can I import from Google Ads?
Yes. Microsoft Advertising imports campaigns, ad groups, keywords, ads, assets, bids and budgets straight from your Google Ads account. The import is the start, not the finish: I review what did not carry over, reset bids to Microsoft's own prices, then add UET tracking and audiences before launch.
What budget should I test with?
Start with about 10 to 20 percent of your Google search budget, enough for a few hundred clicks over one to two months. The calculator at the top shows what that buys at your own numbers. If your Google budget is under €500 a month, improve Google first and test later.
Get a Microsoft Ads quote
Tell me your Google spend and what one enquiry is worth. You get a written test plan and a fixed price within one working day.
Numbers from the calculator: test budget €300 a month, added on top of Google.
Or email [email protected]
Pikselipolku is an independent studio and is not affiliated with Microsoft or Google.