A complete guide to Microsoft Ads types and their benefits
Microsoft Ads, previously known as Bing Ads, lets you reach people across Bing, Yahoo, MSN and other partner sites. It may not match Google’s market share, but it offers a real opportunity to increase awareness and sales, often at a lower cost. This guide explains the main ad types available, what each one does and when to use it.
Responsive Search Ads are the core of almost every account
Product ads and Performance Max suit online shops
Audience ads work best for remarketing and awareness
Check Microsoft’s current specs before building creative
Why consider Microsoft Ads?
Google owns most of the search market, but Microsoft Ads still reaches a sizeable audience across Bing, Yahoo, AOL, DuckDuckGo, MSN and partner sites that you won’t reach on Google alone. Clicks are often cheaper, and LinkedIn profile targeting gives it an edge for B2B. I cover the wider case in why choose Microsoft Ads for your PPC campaigns.
Search ad types
These appear in Bing search results and are where most Microsoft Ads accounts start.
Responsive Search Ads
Provide up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions, and Microsoft tests combinations to show the most relevant ad for each search.
Dynamic Search Ads
Ads generated automatically from your website content and matched to relevant searches, without building keyword lists.
Vertical ads
Ads built for specific industries such as travel and automotive, created from a feed rather than keywords.
App Install Ads
Text ads that link straight to the Apple App Store or Google Play, shown on mobile devices.
Shopping and visual ad types
These ad types add images, products and video, either in search results or across Microsoft’s wider network.
Product ads
Product images, prices and seller details from your Microsoft Merchant Center feed, similar to Google Shopping ads.
Multimedia ads
Visually rich search ads combining images and text, shown in prominent positions in Bing results.
Audience ads
Native image and text ads that blend into pages on sites like MSN and Outlook, targeted by audience rather than keywords.
Video ads
Video placements across Microsoft’s network, including MSN and partner sites.
Performance Max and choosing the right ad type
Performance Max
Microsoft’s automated campaign type, running across search and audience placements from one campaign. It can be imported from Google Ads.
Image sizes, file limits and character counts change regularly, so always check Microsoft’s own guide to ad types and specifications before building creative, rather than relying on figures that may be out of date.
For most small businesses, the best starting point is Responsive Search Ads, adding Product ads for an online shop, then Audience ads for remarketing once there’s enough traffic. Done well, Microsoft Ads is a cost-effective way to reach people your Google campaigns miss. For more on what the platform can do, see my overview of Microsoft Advertising platform features.
I’ll review your account, or your Google Ads setup if you’re starting fresh, and recommend where to begin, free.
Ready to try Microsoft Ads?
I set up and run Microsoft Ads alongside Google Ads for small businesses across Essex and London.
