You’ve probably already heard a lot about pay-per-click advertising and how it can help you improve your online visibility while driving tons of traffic to your website.
So it stands to reason that when your business is on the brink of growth, the time is right to get involved with paid search advertising and take your customer targeting to the next level.
The first thing that comes to mind when you consider PPC is Google AdWords. As the biggest player in the paid advertising market, it’s no surprise that Google AdWords is the largest and most popular PPC advertising channel in the world.
However, we recommend that you do not rush to invest in AdWords without any foresight. Just because it’s the world’s preferred advertising platform doesn’t mean it’s also the best option for your business. You may want to try other platforms, particularly Bing Ads, which certainly has a smaller market share but can serve the same purpose as AdWords at lower costs, especially if you’re on a budget.
This brings us directly to the comparison between Google AdWords and Bing Ads as advertising platforms.
The prelude: the two most important giants of search engine advertising
As a business owner or consumer, you’re probably more familiar with Google AdWords than Bing Ads. There is no denying the fact that AdWords continues to be the preferred choice among Internet advertisers and businesses for providing access to a broader audience of potential consumers and generating a great return on investment.
But before you dismiss Bing Ads as a viable ad channel, it’s worth learning the key differences between the two platforms that make one better than the other. Let’s distinguish both platforms using key performance metrics, which will help you make an informed decision for your advertising project.
Cost per click and ad position
It turns out that the lack of competition and low popularity of Bing Ads gives advertisers a competitive advantage over AdWords. Bing Ads’ smaller advertiser base creates better opportunities for your ad to appear in better positions, making the platform a lucrative option for budget-conscious advertisers.
However, remember that AdWords still has a higher search volume and more potential customers clicking on your ads.
Conversion and click-through rate (CTR)
CTR is a metric that determines ad rank and cost per click. The higher your CTR, the better your ranking and the less you pay. Studies have shown that advertisers are more likely to get lower costs per conversion or leads on Bing than on AdWords.
Interface and Management
Another important factor particularly considerable for PPC beginners is the interface. When it comes to setting up and managing ad campaigns, Google AdWords still outperforms Bing with a wide range of ad extensions and features that make it easy to target, set up, and optimize.
traffic quality
When it comes to search volume and audience size, Google simply dominates Bing ads. Google is more powerful and has a broader reach and therefore attracts more traffic.
However, it is important to note that not all markets are created equal. Google may have a larger market share, but there are some markets where Bing can offer advertisers better opportunities to increase traffic, conversions, and sales. So it depends on the advertiser’s target audience whether AdWords or Bing would be a better channel to drive traffic to your website.
So who wins the battle?
While there’s no doubt that Bing Ads is still a loser for Google AdWords, we can’t get past the fact that Bing’s market share is steadily increasing and the platform is making leaps and bounds in the areas where AdWords struggles.
Both advertising platforms focus on effective customer targeting, but depending on your industry, budget, competition, demographics, and specific goals, one platform may work better for your business than the other.
We recommend that you allocate some of your advertising budget to Bing Ads marketing or vice versa and see which platform works best for you.
Additionally, you can invest in professional PPC advertising services to ensure the success of your internet advertising venture. A professional service provider can help you get maximum ROI by running custom PPC ad campaigns to meet your specific advertising goals. You get to work with a dedicated team who work closely with you to understand your industry, needs and market, as well as advise you on which ad platform will benefit your business the most and how you can get started with PPC advertising from scratch.