Summary: Microsoft Advertising (Bing) gets a fraction of Google’s search volume, but the clicks are typically 30 to 50 percent cheaper and the audience often has more buying power. For most local service businesses, Bing is not a replacement for Google. It is a cheap, incremental layer you add once your Google account is profitable. You can import your Google campaigns into Microsoft in a few clicks, so testing it is almost effortless once you know what to watch for.
Why this question keeps coming up
If you run a local service business, your Google Ads budget feels stretched. CPCs in trades like plumbing, HVAC, roofing, and law have climbed steadily, and a single click in a competitive market can cost $15 to $40. Then a peer at a chamber meeting mentions Bing Ads and how cheap they are, and you start wondering if you have been leaving money on the table. The answer is usually somewhere in the middle, and it depends on what you sell and who buys from you.
How big is Microsoft Advertising, actually?
Microsoft Bing has roughly 10 percent of the U.S. search market in 2026, an all-time high driven by Copilot integration across Windows and Edge. That is still well behind Google, which sits around 84 percent, but it is meaningfully larger than most local business owners assume. On desktop alone, Bing is closer to 18 percent. With the Yahoo, AOL, and partner network factored in, you are reaching closer to 13 to 15 percent of total U.S. searches when you advertise there.
For a local plumber doing $20,000 a month in revenue, Bing is not going to double your business. But if Google is currently bringing you 60 calls a month, Bing could realistically add 6 to 10 more at a significantly lower cost per call. That is not nothing.
Why clicks tend to cost less on Bing
It comes down to competition. Most advertisers, especially in the small and mid-market segment, set up Google Ads and stop there. Fewer advertisers means lower bid prices in the auction. In categories like “water heater repair near me,” I have seen Google CPCs of $14 to $18 and Bing CPCs of $5 to $9 for the same keyword in the same metro. That is not a guarantee, but it is a pattern that holds across most local service categories.
The audience also skews differently. Bing users tend to be older, more often on desktop, and have a higher average household income than Google users. For service categories where the decision-maker is a homeowner over 40 (think roofing, foundation repair, tree service, estate planning), that demographic match alone can be worth testing.
When Bing actually makes sense for a local business
Bing makes sense when three things are true. First, your Google Ads account is already running profitably (you are not breaking even, you are clearing real margin). Second, you have at least $1,500 to $2,000 a month in total ad budget so you can carve out $300 to $500 for Bing without starving Google. Third, your service category skews toward an older, more affluent customer.
Bing does not make sense as your first paid channel. The volume is too low to learn from quickly, and you will get more data per dollar on Google. It also does not make sense for service categories that skew young (mobile-first food delivery, certain beauty services) because the Bing user base underweights that demographic.
How to test Bing without rebuilding everything
The single best thing about Microsoft Advertising is the Google Ads import tool. From inside your Microsoft Advertising account, you can connect your Google Ads account and pull in your existing campaigns, ad groups, keywords, and ad copy in a couple of clicks. You should still go through and review the import (some Google-only features like Performance Max do not translate cleanly), but you can have a mirror version of your Google account live on Bing in under an hour.
Set a small daily budget, run it for 60 to 90 days, and judge it on cost per lead, not click volume. If your Google cost per lead is $80 and Bing comes in at $50, you have found a profitable expansion channel. If Bing is at $120 with no leads after 90 days, you shut it off. The downside is capped at whatever budget you set.
Conclusion
Bing is not a Google replacement. It is a low-cost layer on top of a working paid search program. For a local service business with a working Google Ads account and a customer base that skews older or more affluent, an extra $300 to $500 a month tested on Microsoft Advertising can produce real, incremental leads at a noticeably lower cost. Reach out to Aragon Group if you want help deciding whether your account is ready for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bing Ads the same thing as Microsoft Advertising?
Yes. Microsoft rebranded the platform from Bing Ads to Microsoft Advertising back in 2019. The interface, account structure, and ad formats are functionally the platform formerly known as Bing Ads, just with a broader name to reflect the inclusion of Yahoo, AOL, and partner networks. People still call them Bing Ads in conversation and Microsoft is fine with that.
Can I just run the same ad copy on both platforms?
Mostly yes, but review it. The Google Ads import handles ad copy automatically. The two things to watch for are extensions (some translate, some do not) and Performance Max campaigns, which have no direct Microsoft equivalent. You will also want to add Bing-specific negative keywords as the search behavior on Bing is slightly different.
How long should I test Bing before I decide if it is working?
Plan on 60 to 90 days at a budget large enough to produce at least 30 to 40 clicks per week. Bing volume is lower than Google, so a tiny budget can take months to produce statistically useful data. Judge it on cost per lead and lead-to-sale rate, not on impressions or click count.
If Bing is cheaper, why isn’t everyone on it?
Because Google built the habit. Most agencies and DIY business owners start with Google, get it working, and stop. The cost difference exists precisely because of that lower advertiser competition. The trade-off is volume: Bing will never deliver the same call count as Google in the same market, so it pairs with Google rather than replacing it.
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