'Bing' It On
When I log onto my computer at work, my browser pops up automatically with Bing as the homepage. Whether due to laziness or some inexplicable, deep seated animosity towards Bing, I always type in 'Google' into their search engine, as opposed to the URL bar, and click on the first suggested link to get me to my preferred search engine. I'm not the only one who does this and the competition that exists between Bing and Google is as well known as it is well ridiculed.
But besides this search engine rivalry, there also exists a stiff competition between Google AdWords and Bing Ads. While there are an array of benefits and downsides with both services, companies that can afford it will often find using both to be beneficial as it expands the reach of their advertisements.
User Demographics
Something to consider when selecting a search engine to advertise with, is the type of audience that typically utilizes the search engine and would therefore be more likely to see an advertisement. In the case of Bing, statistics show that searchers are more likely to be blue-collar workers that are over the age of 35 and have kids. Meanwhile, users of Google are more likely to be white collar workers, in a younger age range and are less likely to have children. Additionally, it would be worth identifying whether a businesses' target audience is heavier domestically (within the U.S.) or internationally. Google, as an international entity, would be of greater use to companies with a more geographically diverse customer base while Bing would be helpful for those whose audience is largely located within the continental U.S. While these two sets of demographics are worth looking into, they should be taken with a grain of salt. These audience profiles are not absolute and there are a plethora of individuals who do not fit into these aforementioned demographic molds. Therefore, deciding on a search engine through which to advertise should not only be based on rough demographic estimates but should entail comparing and contrasting the various pros and cons of each service.
Device Targeting
With mobile technology becoming increasingly important, companies often have to decide how they want to allocate their marketing funds between mobile and desktop campaigns. In the case of AdWords, there is the option to specify a final URL that can be used for both the desktop and mobile advertisements as opposed to having to create two completely separate campaigns. Meanwhile, Bing Ads is still working on rolling out more advanced URL options that would allow for similar capabilities. For businesses who anticipate utilizing both desktop and mobile platforms often, using Google AdWords to condense the workload may make the most sense.
Ad Scheduling
This was an area that really surprised me and, for the life of me, I can't figure out why Google has not updated this policy. When scheduling ads through AdWords, users are forced to set them on a time schedule that aligns with the time zone in which they are operating. For example, if I were to create an AdWords account here on the West Coast, all of my scheduling would be locked into Pacific Time, forcing me to calculate and recalculate times for any ads that I wanted to have displayed in a geographical location that falls under a different time zone. Bing Ads, on the other hand, allows users to schedule advertisements by targeting times that are, "based on the location of the person searching for or viewing your ad". Bing essentially removes an unnecessary step from the scheduling equation by automatically setting the ad schedule to match the geographical location in which the ad will be deployed.
Budget
The marketing budget largely dictates which service a company will choose when embarking upon paid search. In the case of Bing Ads and GoogleAdWords, there are a number of pricing factors to consider. First off, Bing's CPC, on average, is 33.5% cheaper than on Google AdWords. Additionally, according to WordStream, a company specializing in SEO, their clients that used Bing had a lower CPC, ranked higher than their Google AdWords counterparts and had greater click-through rates (CTR). Between a lower CPC and a less intense level of competition, Bing may be a more attractive option for a business trying to conserve funds - for instance a small, local shop. Larger companies, on the other hand, with greater resources at their disposal may find it worthwhile to pay the higher costs charged by Google AdWords.
A company that has found success through Bing Ads is a family-owned gardening company that began back in 2005 called Gardner's Edge. With a target market of women aged 45 and above, Gardener's Edge worked with Wheelhouse Digital Marketing Group to construct a paid search strategy utilizing Bing. Through their use of Bing Ads, Gardener's Edge has seen year-over-year growth and has achieved a 108% higher non-brand conversion rate. As a company whose target audience lined up well with the typical user of Bing and whose smaller budget and scale made Bing Ads an attractive option, Gardner's Edge is an example of a company who has found great success despite not using the much acclaimed Google AdWords.
Whether you should use Bing Ads, Google AdWords or both, like most things in marketing, depends. It depends upon what the company budget is, the target audience, the location and device usage of the consumer and a number of other factors. The important thing to remember is, while Google may seem like the obvious choice for paid search, Bing may prove a more advantageous option for many companies. By being continually innovative, staying up to date on changes within the industry, and making decisions about advertising platforms based on their companies' needs, businesses can utilize paid search to improve overall traffic and conversion and, just maybe, "make Bing happen".