If you’ve been diving into online advertising, you might have come across both Microsoft Ads and Bing Ads. You might wonder, are they the same thing or different? Let’s clear up the confusion with a simple explanation.
What is Bing Ads?
Bing Ads used to be the official name for the advertising platform where businesses could create ads that show up on Bing’s search engine. Bing, owned by Microsoft, is the second-largest search engine after Google, so advertising there is a way to reach a wide audience. For years, marketers knew this platform simply as Bing Ads.
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What is Microsoft Ads?
In recent years, Microsoft decided to rebrand Bing Ads to Microsoft Ads. This change was to reflect a bigger scope. Microsoft Ads isn’t just about Bing anymore; it covers ads on Microsoft’s entire network. This includes search ads on Bing, as well as ads on other Microsoft platforms, such as MSN, Outlook, and select partner sites.
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Basically, yes and no.
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- Yes, because Microsoft Ads is the new name for Bing Ads.
- No, because Microsoft Ads now includes more than just Bing’s search engine. It’s a broader platform.
If you were used to managing campaigns on Bing Ads, you’ll find the same tools and options in Microsoft Ads, but with added reach across more Microsoft services.
Why Did Microsoft Make This Change?
The main reason was to unify all advertising under one brand and to highlight the variety of places where ads can appear. Microsoft wants advertisers to know that their ads can go beyond Bing search results to reach people across Microsoft’s ecosystem.
What Should Advertisers Know?
If you’re new to advertising, start with Microsoft Ads because it’s the current platform. If you had a Bing Ads account, it’s already transitioned to Microsoft Ads, so there’s no need to create a new one.
The user interface and bidding system remain very similar, so the learning curve isn’t steep. Plus, Microsoft Ads offers great tools and analytics to help you track and optimise your ads.
Final Thoughts
In short, Microsoft Ads and Bing Ads are closely related. Microsoft Ads is the new and improved version of Bing Ads with a wider reach. If you want to advertise on Bing or Microsoft’s network, Microsoft Ads is the platform to use.
Written by Uzair Kharawala
Partner at SF Digital Studios, a Google Premier Partner agency. Uzair has been helping businesses grow with Google Ads since 2002 and teaches it every week on YouTube.
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