At Donutz Digital, we love testing new levers to uncover growth, especially when your Google volumes plateau and your market deserves to be expanded. An exploration we often recommend: Bing Ads, especially for a B2B client. On paper, the idea is simple: reach a qualified audience less exposed to competition, capitalize on Microsoft environments, and benefit from differentiating targeting tools. In real life, it’s a bit more… challenging. A fast-evolving platform, settings not always where you expect them, and an (overly) enthusiastic tendency to push display when you want search.
This rewritten and optimized case study shares what happened, why, how to avoid it, and especially how to make Bing Ads a truly profitable complement to Google Ads when you are an SME/SMB leader, CMO, or C-level executive. We keep all essential information, structure it properly, and add concrete tips.
The Context: when Bing Becomes a Real Business Bet
Our client was performing well on Google Ads, but volume was plateauing. To expand the audience pool, especially in B2B, where the Microsoft ecosystem (Windows, Edge, Bing, Outlook, MSN) holds sway, we decided to activate Bing Ads (yes, the platform is now called Microsoft Advertising, but everyone still says “Bing Ads,” we see you 😉).
Objective: Search campaigns primarily, complemented by a controlled Display test. Clean setup, intent-based structure, exact and phrase match keywords, conversion tracking and UET (Microsoft tag) properly implemented, GA4 import verified. In short, the foundation is solid.
Why Bing for a B2B Player?
- A larger share of professional audience, driven by the use of Edge and the Microsoft ecosystem in businesses.
- Costs sometimes lower than Google for certain topics (but not always, we’ll come back to that).
- Unique targeting options linked to LinkedIn (depending on the country), which allow targeting job functions, industries, and company sizes.
The Catch: when Search Looks Too much like Display
The launch is clean, distribution begins. And very quickly, a signal flashes on the dashboard:
- An average CPC of €0.15, when the Google equivalent is around €6.
- On GA4: average session duration = 4 seconds, stratospheric bounce rate.
You guessed it: it’s not search. It’s Display that’s showing up without being explicitly requested, or, to be more precise, audience inventories activated by default that are exploding volume… at the expense of quality.
Quick Diagnosis
The search terms report seemed correct (the right keywords were there), but it was by going into Reports > URL Reports that we saw the elephant in the room: impressions on publisher sites, typical of display/audience networks. Result: €50 spent in a few hours on worthless traffic.
We contacted Bing Ads support, who confirmed the situation and approved a refund (the configuration was deemed misleading for a user expecting to launch only Search). Support also pointed out optimization avenues… and geographical limitations on certain features.
Why it Happens and how to Avoid It
Bing Ads (Microsoft Advertising) has an interest in maximizing distribution. So far, nothing abnormal. But the interface sometimes tends to activate or reactivate inventories beyond strict Search. Result: if you don’t check the boxes and sub-menus very carefully, you might fund display placements you didn’t anticipate.
Points to Watch in the Interface
- Search Network vs. Audience Network: ensure that only the Search Network is active when that is your initial intention.
- Search Partners: sometimes very useful, sometimes very noisy. Test with/without, compare CTRs and conversion rates.
- Placements / Publisher reports: under Reports, open the URL distribution report. If you see many irrelevant third-party publishers, you have probably exited pure search.
- Google Ads Import (if you use it): some network options may be mapped differently. Never assume exact equivalence.
- “Smart” campaigns or “one-click” recommendations: convenient, yes, but not neutral. Read the scope descriptions.
The “Pure Search” Checklist
- Dedicated Search campaign (no mixing with Audience/Display).
- Audience Network disabled if not desired.
- Search Partners: start OFF, then test ON if needed.
- URL report monitored within the first 24/48 hours.
- Known and regularly updated placement exclusion lists.
- Consistent GA4 + UET tracking (source/medium, average time, engagement events).
The Advantages… And Their Limitations
One of the major appeals of Bing Ads lies in its LinkedIn integrations (job function, industry, company size) that allow you to weight your bids on very specific B2B segments. For a CMO, it’s almost the promise of “light” ABM targeting directly within paid search.
However, and this is important, at the time of our test, these options were only available in the United States according to support. Nothing prohibitive: the platform remains relevant, provided you adapt your battle plan.
Recommended Strategy: Making Bing a True Growth Driver
When managing a marketing budget with ROI stakes, we must avoid two pitfalls: overpromising and under-utilizing. Here’s our approach to leveraging Bing Ads in a healthy and scalable way.
1) Start with a Truly Clean Search
- Intent-based structure (brand / non-brand / competitor / pain points).
- Controlled match types: exact + phrase match as a priority; broad with caution and robust exclusion lists.
- Ads: RSA + 2 imported ETAs if you have them (to test message stability). Consider Extensions (sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, prices if relevant).
2) Set Network Guardrails
- Audience/Display: OFF at startup if the objective is intent capture.
- Search Partners: OFF, then A/B test on a mirror group ON to measure the real increment (CPC, CTR, conv.).
- Exclusion lists: create a shared list of publishers to exclude, and enrich it as soon as a site generates an abnormally low engagement rate.
3) Measure Quality, not just Volume
- For GA4: track engagement time, pages/session, scroll, key events (micro-conversions) in addition to final conversions.
- For CRM: report source/medium and compare lead-to-opportunity and win rate by channel. A cheap click has no value if it never becomes an opportunity.
4) Establish Clear Decision Thresholds
- Cut any ad group that combines: very low CPC + meager engagement + 0 downstream signals (forms, demos, qualified calls).
- Reallocate to ad groups/keywords that generate quality signals.
- Test progressive expansion: Search Partners, then small audience insertions with strict target CPAs.
5) Weekly Review Process
- Search Terms Report: new queries to add as exact match or exclude.
- Publisher URL Report: check that no unwanted inventory has reactivated.
- Alerts: set up thresholds (e.g., if CPC < €0.30 AND engagement < 10s → urgent review).
Benchmarks, Expectations, and Reality
Let’s revisit the shocking observation: average CPC of €0.15 vs. €6 on Google, but 0 business value behind it. The message is not “Bing Ads is bad,” the message is: a low CPC is not a KPI, it’s a signal. What matters is:
- Session quality (engagement time, depth, micro-conversions).
- CRM quality (qualification, appointments, opportunities, revenue).
- Performance stability over time (avoiding the yo-yo effect of opportunistic network inventory).
When properly configured, Bing Ads can offer:
- A comparable CPA to Google for certain intents.
- Incremental impressions for professional queries.
- A share of net opportunities you wouldn’t have captured elsewhere.
How Donutz Can Help You
Our promise is simple: a pragmatic acquisition plan, orchestrated to deliver real opportunities. For Bing Ads, we support you with:
- Express audit of your activated campaigns and networks (Search/Audience).
- Cleanup (exclusion lists, match types, Search Partners).
- Instrumentation (GA4, UET, CRM mapping, lead scoring).
- Controlled experiments (A/B tests, limited budgets, stop thresholds).
- Revenue-oriented reporting (no vanity metrics).
Want a diagnosis? Visit us on the Donutz Digital website and contact us, we love getting our hands dirty.
FAQ
How to Know if My Bing Search Campaigns are Running on Display without My Knowledge?
Consult Reports > URL Reports: if you see a list of publisher sites (and not search results pages), you are on display/audience network. Cross-reference with GA4: very low session duration + high bounce rate = alert. Remember to disable the Audience Network and exclude irrelevant publishers.
Are Very Low CPCs on Bing Ads Necessarily Good News?
No. An abnormally low CPC can signal a shift from Search to less qualified inventories. Measure engagement quality, micro-conversions, and ultimately, CRM value (opportunities, revenue). If the value isn’t there, cut it.
Are LinkedIn Targeting Options Available in France/Europe?
At the time of our test, support indicated that these options were limited to the United States. Availability may change, but don’t make it a prerequisite. First, build a solid Search execution with first-party audiences.
Should I Activate Search Partners on Bing?
Test it. Start without partners to establish a quality benchmark, then open a mirror group with partners ON. Compare CTR, CPC, conversion rate, and CRM quality. Keep only if the increment is profitable.
How to Structure a Healthy Ramp-Up on Bing Ads?
- Pure Search locked down.
- Partners tested in mirror groups.
- Strengthened exclusions.
- Audiences (remarketing/clients) with controlled bids.
- Weekly business reporting. Each step must prove its value before increasing budgets.
