Google AdWords and Bing Ads are the two giants of the paid search advertising. Google has kept its allure alive with the users with the launch of 360 Suite recently. On the other hand, Bing has added to its following in the past few years especially among the budget small businesses. However, with similar basic service, it gets quite perplexing to differentiate between the two. So, what’s the difference between the two and how do both stacks up to each other’s features?
Where Google AdWords Shines
Google AdWords is the one that started it all and it’s still the Defacto choice for most businesses when it comes to paid search marketing. With time, this popularity has somewhat diminished considering the ever increasing costs and competition.
- Search Volume – No doubt that Google leads the pack in search volume compared to any other platform. For businesses with limited geographical region targeting, Google can be nothing short of a messiah. Google’s reach and flexibility simply mean more potential customers. Depending on the keywords, you can experience significant traffic considering the search volume Google commands.
- Ad Extensions – Paid search ads are very short. You have very few characters to capture your targeted audience’s attention. Extensions can come in real handy when you need more exposure at fewer prices. Google has you covered here. With review extensions and mobile-click-to-call, you can expect more people to notice your brand.
- Platform and Ads Management – When it comes to ease of use, AdWords wins hands down. It’s built on years of improvements and is the more intuitive platform to use. Many features are straight forward and more users can grab information easily to take actions.
What Makes Bing Ads Superior
- Improved Device Targeting – Device targeting is something Bing does much better than AdWords. Bing ads can be chosen not to be displayed on desktops when you want to target mobile devices. In Google, you cannot opt out of the desktop advertisements.
- Lower Cost – Bing is relatively less costly than Google. Since the traffic is comparatively low, you can expect low prices for good keywords. This can be really useful for small businesses who are just starting out and seek budget paid advertising. For some keywords, the costs can be half!
- Less Competition – Lower search volumes mean that there is less competition which translates to more keyword targeting. The volumes are not so low as to negate any potential customers. But it does help to lower competition for high-frequency keywords.
- Customer Service – Over the years, Bing has improved its customer services. This is not a huge factor but it can be a deal breaker for novices. For the average user, someone helpful on the other end of the line can be quite handy.
- More Granular Control – Different campaigns can be assigned varying time zones as per the marketing strategy. Bing allows you to manage campaign timings more effectively in case your target market is fragmented in various time zones. Unlike Google AdWords, group level settings can be changed and assigned different time zones.
So, who’s the Winner?
It all boils down to the user requirements. If you have the budget and resources to run a sophisticated campaign, Google AdWords will deliver more return on investment. Bing is fast catching up and now owns a significant portion of the search volumes. As for the final verdict, we think Bing deserves a marginally won battle crown!
Author Bio:
Mike Hall is an experienced professional in the field of Internet Marketing. His years of experience in the field of SEO, Pay per Click and Social Media Marketing has made him an authority on all things digital. He is an experienced writer having written and published several articles on the subject of Internet Marketing.
