Why Adding Microsoft Ads Can Improve Your Overall PPC Performance
Most business owners immediately think of Google Ads when they consider online advertising. That makes sense. Google dominates the search engine advertising market and receives the vast majority of search traffic.
But that dominance creates a hidden problem.
When everyone advertises in the same place, competition increases, cost-per-click rises, and ad waste becomes harder to control. For technical businesses such as engine builders, machine shops, diesel repair facilities, and restoration garages, Microsoft Ads can quietly become one of the most profitable advertising channels available.
While the platform has lower overall search volume than Google, it often delivers lower competition, cheaper clicks, and a highly qualified audience.
And most importantly, the search volume is far larger than most people realize. So in this blog, we are going to discuss Google Ads VS Microsoft Ads, why they compliment each other, and when you should only one one vs both together.
The Microsoft Ads Opportunity Most Shops Ignore
Microsoft Ads powers search traffic across a network that includes:
Bing
Yahoo
DuckDuckGo
Microsoft Edge browser searches
Windows built-in search integrations
Because most advertisers focus exclusively on Google, these platforms tend to have much less competition for the same high-intent keywords. For service businesses, that can create a powerful opportunity.
Millions of People Use Microsoft’s Search Network Every Day
One of the most common objections business owners have is simple:
“Does anyone actually use Bing or Yahoo?”
The answer is yes — millions of people every day.
Here are a few statistics that put the scale of Microsoft’s search ecosystem into perspective.
Bing generates more than 10-12 billion searches per month
Yahoo generates 2-3 billion searches per month
DuckDuckGo generates roughly 3 billion searches per month
Miscrosoft Edge produces around 500 million searches per month
Google sits at approximately 150 billion per month, but if you really want to drop your CPC without losing search intent, Microsoft Ads appear on all these search platforms above.
Lower Competition Means Cheaper Clicks
Another major advantage of Microsoft Ads is the lower level of competition.
Compared to Google Ads, many industries experience:
significantly lower cost-per-click
less advertiser competition
better ad placement for the same bid
Solving the Google Ads Volume vs Quality Problem
Instead of loosening your targeting on Google and accepting lower quality traffic, you can duplicate your best exact-match campaigns on Microsoft Ads.
This allows you to:
keep strict keyword targeting
maintain high intent traffic
add additional search volume from another platform
A Simple Budget Strategy
A common strategy used by experienced advertisers is to split the budget across platforms.
For example:
70-80% of the budget on Google Ads
20–30% on Microsoft Ads
This approach captures the majority of Google’s search demand while still benefiting from the cheaper clicks and additional volume available through Microsoft’s network.
PPC Strategy for Solo-Entrepreneurs and Micro Ad Spend Budgets
For very small businesses or solopreneurs working with limited budgets, Microsoft Ads can sometimes be the most practical starting point. If your monthly ad budget is only $300–$500, the lower cost-per-click on Microsoft’s network often allows advertisers to generate significantly more traffic for the same spend—in some industries, clicks can cost 20–40% less than Google Ads.
That said, businesses in smaller towns or highly specialized niches may still perform well running only Google Ads due to lower competition. In larger cities with more advertisers competing for clicks, however, allocating a portion of your budget—or even starting entirely—with Microsoft Ads can help stretch a small budget further while still capturing high-intent search traffic.
The Bottom Line
Google Ads will likely remain the largest source of paid search traffic.
But smart advertisers rarely rely on only one channel.
Microsoft Ads offers a powerful advantage for businesses willing to look beyond the obvious platform:
lower competition
cheaper clicks
a different and often wealthier audience
millions of additional searches happening outside of Google
For technical service businesses such as mechanic shops, engine builders, and restoration garages, this combination makes Microsoft Ads one of the most underrated opportunities in online advertising.
