Bing Ads Optimization Checklist: The 2026 Microsoft Ads Guide | Hustle Marketers
Ishant
Published : August 29, 2026 at 8:10 am
Updated : September 11, 2026 at 7:29 am
Ishant
Ishant Sharma is the Founder and CEO of Hustle Marketers, a Google Partner digital marketing agency. With 12+ years of experience in Google Ads, Meta Ads, SEO, and e-commerce PPC, he has helped 2500+ brands generate $780M+ in trackable revenue. Upwork Top Rated Plus with 99% Job Success Score. Ishant Sharma is the digital marketing specialist, not the Indian cricketer of the same name.
Summarize this blog post with:
By Ishant Sharma, Bing Ads Expert and Founder of Hustle Marketers, a Bing Ads agency | Last updated: August 2026
Quick Discussion
- Microsoft Ads optimization is not Google Ads optimization with the names swapped. We audited the 11 pages currently ranking for this topic and found the average page covers only 3.4 of 8 Microsoft-specific features.
- Zero of 11 ranking pages mention Microsoft Clarity, despite it being free, Microsoft-owned, and the fastest way to fix the landing page experience component of Quality Score.
- Quality Score does not affect what you pay. Microsoft’s own documentation states it is historical and is not used at auction time. Several competing guides claim the opposite.
- Exclude Syndicated Search Partners first. This single setting change is the fastest way to stop bot traffic draining a Microsoft Ads budget.
- Turn off Google Ads auto-import. If you leave it on, every optimization you make gets overwritten on the next sync.
- LinkedIn Profile Targeting is the one thing Google cannot do. Company, industry, job function and seniority targeting on a search network.
- This works. We ran this exact process on a commercial flooring ecommerce account and hit 10.9x ROAS across the account, with one campaign at 16.2x, over five and a half months.
- Free ungated checklist below. No email required.
Key Facts
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Quality Score is not used at auction time | It is historical and does not affect your cost | Microsoft Advertising documentation |
| Quality Score scale | 1 to 10, built from three sub-scores each rated 1 to 3 | Microsoft Advertising documentation |
| Quality Score components | Expected click-through rate, ad relevance, landing page experience | Microsoft Advertising documentation |
| Account ROAS achieved using this process | 1,090.99% (10.9x) over 5.5 months | Hustle Marketers client account, Mar to Aug 2026 |
| Best single campaign ROAS | 1,622.81% (16.2x) on generic Search | Hustle Marketers client account, Mar to Aug 2026 |
| Shopping campaign ROAS | 1,202.17% (12.0x) on a Best Sellers campaign | Hustle Marketers client account, Mar to Aug 2026 |
| Ranking guides covering Microsoft Clarity | 0 out of 11 | Hustle Marketers competitor audit, August 2026 |
| Average Microsoft-specific feature coverage in ranking guides | 3.4 out of 8 | Hustle Marketers competitor audit, August 2026 |
| Ranking guides that are substantially recycled Google Ads advice | 4 out of 11 | Hustle Marketers competitor audit, August 2026 |
| Minimum conversions before Target CPA is reliable | Around 30 per month per campaign | Industry standard threshold |
Table of Contents
- What is Microsoft Ads optimization?
- The free checklist
- Proof this process works
- Original research: what competing guides miss
- Step 1: Fix your Google Ads import
- Step 2: Get UET right
- Step 3: Exclude Syndicated Search Partners
- Step 4: Connect Microsoft Clarity
- Step 5: Keywords and search terms
- Step 6: Quality Score, and what everyone gets wrong
- Step 7: LinkedIn Profile Targeting
- Step 8: Microsoft Audience Network
- Step 9: Bidding and budget
- Step 10: Ad copy, RSAs and extensions
- Step 11: Shopping and Merchant Center
- Step 12: AI Max and Copilot placements
- Step 13: Microsoft Advertising Editor
- Your optimization cadence
- Microsoft Ads vs Google Ads
- FAQs
What Is Microsoft Ads Optimization?
Microsoft Ads optimization is the ongoing process of improving a live Microsoft Advertising account so it produces more conversions or revenue from the same spend. It covers Universal Event Tracking accuracy, network and search partner settings, search term and negative keyword management, bidding targets, LinkedIn and audience targeting, Microsoft Audience Network placements, Merchant Center feed health and creative assets.
Microsoft Advertising, formerly Bing Ads, serves ads across Bing, Microsoft Edge, MSN, Outlook, Yahoo and DuckDuckGo. It is a separate platform with its own feature set, not a mirror of Google Ads. If you are new to the platform, start with our complete guide to advertising on Bing.
This guide is written by Ishant Sharma, a Bing Ads expert who manages Microsoft Advertising accounts across B2B, ecommerce and local service verticals at Hustle Marketers, a Bing Ads agency. Every process below is one we run on live client accounts, not theory.
Why does Microsoft Ads need its own optimization process?
Because roughly half of what makes Microsoft Ads valuable has no Google Ads equivalent. LinkedIn Profile Targeting, the Microsoft Audience Network, Universal Event Tracking, Syndicated Search Partner controls, Microsoft Clarity integration and Microsoft Advertising Editor are all platform-specific. Advice written for Google Ads and relabelled will miss all of them.
The Free Microsoft Ads Optimization Checklist
No email gate. No form.
→ [Open the Microsoft Ads Optimization Checklist (Google Sheet)] then go to File → Make a copy.
| Column | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Task | The specific action to take |
| Category | Tracking, Import, Network, Keywords, Bidding, Creative, Targeting, Feed |
| Priority | Critical, High, Medium, Low |
| Cadence | Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly |
| Owner | Who is responsible |
| Date Checked | When it was last done |
| Notes | What changed and why |
Proof This Process Works
Most Microsoft Ads guides are written by people who have never scaled a Microsoft account. Here are our own numbers.
Ishant Sharma ran this process as the lead Bing Ads expert on the account: a commercial and residential epoxy flooring manufacturer running a BigCommerce storefront, across Bing Search and Shopping, from 1 March to 15 August 2026.
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Account ROAS | 1,090.99% (10.9x) |
| Conversions | 239 |
| Impressions | 604,603 |
| Channels | Bing Search and Shopping |
| Period | 5.5 months |
Campaign level:
| Campaign | ROAS | Clicks | Impressions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search (Generic) | 1,622.81% (16.2x) | 1,333 | 25,077 |
| Best Sellers (Shopping) | 1,202.17% (12.0x) | 3,935 | 195,852 |
| Commercial-focused (new) | 687.76% (6.9x) | 5,444 | 383,674 |
What drove it: Merchant Center feed optimization with strong product titles, intent-based campaign segmentation splitting branded, generic and shopping, a dedicated Best Sellers campaign for high-converting products, full ad extension coverage, and commercial buyer targeting. The commercial-focused campaign was profitable from launch.
Full write-up: How a commercial flooring brand hit 10.9x ROAS on Microsoft Advertising.
Original Research: What the Competing Guides Actually Cover
Before writing this guide we audited the 11 pages ranking for Microsoft Ads optimization queries in August 2026. We scored each on eight Microsoft-specific features: Universal Event Tracking, Microsoft Clarity, LinkedIn Profile Targeting, Microsoft Audience Network, Microsoft Merchant Center, Copilot and AI Max placements, Google Ads import, and Microsoft Advertising Editor.
The average ranking page covered 3.4 of those 8 features. Not one page mentioned Microsoft Clarity.
| Ranking page | Microsoft-specific features covered | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Gravitate Design | 6 / 8 | Microsoft-native |
| Stackmatix | 6 / 8 | Microsoft-native |
| BullsEye Internet | 6 / 8 | Microsoft-native |
| Aureate Labs | 6 / 8 | Microsoft-native, most current on AI |
| Stape | 3 / 8 | Partly native, strong on tracking |
| HawkSEM | 3 / 8 | Mixed |
| Optmyzr | 3 / 8 | Microsoft-specific spine, generic tips |
| WordStream | 2 / 8 | Substantially recycled |
| LSEO | 2 / 8 | Substantially recycled |
| Marin Software | 1 / 8 | Recycled, not updated since 2023 |
| OutsourceSEM | 0 / 8 | Fully recycled |
Four of eleven pages are substantially recycled Google Ads content. The clearest tell: one of them closes a Microsoft Ads article by promoting a Google Ads grader tool.
This guide covers all eight, plus Syndicated Search Partner controls, which none of them cover properly.
Step 1: How Do You Fix a Google Ads Import in Microsoft Ads?
Turn off Google Ads auto-import first, then run a settings QA on everything that came across. Auto-import silently overwrites your Microsoft-specific optimizations every time it runs, undoing your work. Import once deliberately, then manage the account independently.
Why turn off auto-import?
If auto-import stays on, every negative keyword you add, every bid adjustment you make and every budget change you set in Microsoft Ads can be overwritten by the next sync from Google. You end up optimizing an account that resets itself.
Post-import QA checklist
| Check | Why it matters | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Budgets | Google budgets rarely suit Microsoft’s lower CPCs and lower volume | Critical |
| Bid strategies | Not all Google strategies map across. Some default to Manual CPC | Critical |
| Network settings | Syndicated Search Partners are on by default. See Step 3 | Critical |
| Location targeting | Set to “People in your targeted locations” rather than the broader option | Critical |
| Conversion goals | Google conversions do not import. You must rebuild them in UET | Critical |
| Tracking templates | Google-specific parameters like GCLID will break | High |
| Ad extensions | Some do not transfer and need rebuilding | High |
| Negative keyword lists | Shared lists often do not carry across | High |
| Ad schedules | Time zone settings can shift | Medium |
| Disapproved ads | Microsoft’s policies differ from Google’s | High |
Common import pitfalls
- Conversion goals do not import, so the account runs blind until you rebuild them
- Broad match behaves differently, so imported broad keywords can pull wider traffic
- Google Ads budgets applied to Microsoft volume often means campaigns never spend
- Landing page URLs with Google-specific tracking parameters can 404
Step 2: How Do You Set Up Universal Event Tracking (UET)?
Universal Event Tracking, or UET, is Microsoft Advertising’s conversion tracking tag. Install one UET tag across every page of your site, usually through Google Tag Manager, then build conversion goals on top of it. Without UET you cannot use Smart Bidding, build remarketing lists, or connect Microsoft Clarity.
Installing the UET tag via Google Tag Manager
- In Microsoft Advertising go to Tools → UET tag and create a tag
- Copy the UET Tag ID
- In Google Tag Manager create a new tag using the Microsoft Advertising UET template
- Paste the Tag ID
- Set the trigger to All Pages
- Publish the container
- Validate with the UET Tag Helper browser extension before relying on any data
How do you check if your UET tag is working?
Install the UET Tag Helper extension and load your site. The tag status in Microsoft Advertising should move to Active within a few hours of receiving traffic. A status of “Inactive” or “No recent activity” means the tag is not firing and every optimization decision you make is running on incomplete data.
Primary vs secondary conversion goals
Only count what you want to bid toward.
- Primary: purchases, qualified leads, booked calls
- Secondary: newsletter signups, PDF downloads, page views
If low-value actions are counted as primary, Smart Bidding will chase whichever is cheapest to acquire, which is rarely the one that generates revenue.
What is Microsoft Consent Mode?
Microsoft Consent Mode adjusts how UET behaves based on a visitor’s cookie consent choices. When a user declines tracking cookies, consent mode restricts data collection and Microsoft models the missing conversions instead. If you serve EU traffic and have not configured it, your conversion data will undercount.
Offline conversion import
For lead generation accounts, upload which leads actually became customers. This lets Microsoft optimize toward revenue rather than form fills. It is the single biggest lever available to B2B advertisers and almost nobody uses it.
Step 3: Should You Exclude Microsoft Syndicated Search Partners?
In most accounts, yes. Syndicated Search means your ads can appear on Bing, Yahoo and a network of third-party partner sites using Microsoft’s search technology. Those partner sites do not carry the same spam protections as Microsoft’s own properties, so they are a common source of bot traffic and low-quality clicks that drain budget without converting.
This setting is enabled by default, including on campaigns imported from Google Ads. It is the fastest single change you can make to a wasteful Microsoft Ads account.
How to spot bad syndicated partner traffic
- Unnaturally high click-through rate paired with zero conversions
- Sudden click volume spikes with no matching conversion movement
- Very short session durations from paid traffic in analytics
- Traffic concentrated on non-brand terms at odd hours
How to exclude Syndicated Search Partners
- Sign in to Microsoft Advertising and select the campaign
- Open Campaign Settings using the gear icon
- Find the Network Settings section
- Uncheck Syndicated Search Partners Top and Syndicated Search Partners Other
- Save
Alternatively, exclude at ad group level: select all ad groups, choose Edit, then select Microsoft sites and Select Traffic to remove syndicated sources entirely.
After excluding, track conversion rate and cost per acquisition for two to four weeks to confirm the improvement. Full walkthrough here: how to remove Microsoft syndicated search partners from ad campaigns.
When to keep them on: if you are volume-constrained, running brand-only campaigns, or your conversion tracking shows partner traffic converting at an acceptable CPA. Test rather than assume.
Step 4: Can You Use Microsoft Clarity With Microsoft Ads?
Yes. Microsoft Clarity is a free behaviour analytics tool made by Microsoft that links natively to a Microsoft Advertising account. It provides heatmaps, session recordings and scroll maps with no traffic limits and no cost. It is the most direct way to diagnose the landing page experience component of Quality Score.
Not one of the eleven guides currently ranking for Microsoft Ads optimization mentions Clarity. This is the largest unclaimed opportunity on the platform.
Why does Clarity matter for Microsoft Ads?
Every optimization guide tells you to improve landing page experience. Almost none tell you how to see what is actually going wrong on the page. Clarity shows you:
- Where paid visitors stop scrolling
- Which elements they click and which they ignore
- Rage clicks, where users repeatedly click something that is not responding
- Dead clicks, where users click something that is not interactive
- Where forms are abandoned, field by field
How to connect Clarity to Microsoft Advertising
- Create a free account at clarity.microsoft.com
- Install the Clarity tracking code, or deploy it through Google Tag Manager
- In Clarity, open Settings → Integrations and link your Microsoft Advertising account
- Filter recordings and heatmaps to Microsoft Ads traffic specifically
- Review your highest-spend landing pages first
Turning Clarity findings into Quality Score improvements
| What Clarity shows | What it usually means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Rage clicks on a button | Element is broken or too slow | Fix the interaction or the load time |
| Heavy scroll drop-off above the fold | Message mismatch with the ad | Align the headline to the ad copy |
| Dead clicks on non-links | Users expect it to be clickable | Make it a link or remove the affordance |
| Form abandonment at one field | That field is creating friction | Remove it or make it optional |
| Very short sessions from paid traffic | Wrong traffic or slow page | Check search terms and page speed |
Step 5: How Should You Manage Keywords and Search Terms in Microsoft Ads?
Review the search terms report weekly, add irrelevant queries as negative keywords, and prioritise exact and phrase match over broad match. Microsoft’s broad match behaves differently from Google’s and tends to pull wider without equally strong automated controls.
Match type notes specific to Microsoft
- Broad match on Microsoft can expand further than the Google equivalent, so pair it with strong negatives
- Exact and phrase match give you more reliable control at Microsoft’s lower volumes
- With smaller data volumes, tightly themed ad groups matter more, not less
Negative keyword themes worth having as a shared list
- Jobs, careers, salary, hiring
- Free, cheap, discount, coupon
- DIY, how to, tutorial, template
- Courses, training, certification
- Competitor brand names, where appropriate
- Review, complaints, scam, lawsuit
How often should you review search terms in Microsoft Ads?
Weekly for active campaigns. Because Microsoft accounts typically run at lower volume than Google, a single week of wasted spend on irrelevant queries represents a larger proportion of your data than it would on Google. Small leaks matter more here.
Campaign segmentation by intent
In the case study above, the biggest structural driver was splitting campaigns by intent rather than lumping everything together: branded, generic Search, Shopping best sellers, and a separate commercial buyer campaign. The generic Search campaign hit 16.2x ROAS precisely because it was not diluted by branded traffic inflating the average.
Step 6: Does Quality Score Affect Your Cost in Microsoft Ads?
No. According to Microsoft’s own documentation, Quality Score is historical and is not used at auction time, and it does not affect what you pay. It is a diagnostic indicator of past performance, not a live cost multiplier. Several widely-read guides state the opposite, and acting on that misunderstanding leads advertisers to chase a number instead of fixing the underlying problem.
What is Microsoft Ads Quality Score?
Quality Score is a 1 to 10 diagnostic rating built from three sub-scores, each rated 1 to 3: expected click-through rate, ad relevance and landing page experience. It tells you how your keyword has performed historically relative to competitors.
| Component | What it measures | How to improve it |
|---|---|---|
| Expected click-through rate | Whether your ad is likely to be clicked | Sharper, more relevant ad copy |
| Ad relevance | How closely your ad matches the search intent | Tighter ad groups, keyword in headline |
| Landing page experience | Whether the page delivers on the ad’s promise | Use Microsoft Clarity to diagnose, then fix |
What should you fix instead of chasing the score?
Treat Quality Score as a symptom report. A low landing page experience sub-score is a signal to open Clarity and look at what users actually do on the page. A low ad relevance sub-score is a signal that your ad group contains keywords that do not belong together.
Step 7: How Does LinkedIn Profile Targeting Work on Microsoft Ads?
LinkedIn Profile Targeting lets you target or adjust bids by company, industry and job function using LinkedIn profile data. It is available on Search, Audience Ads and Performance Max campaigns. Google Ads has no equivalent, which makes it Microsoft Advertising’s single strongest differentiator for B2B advertisers.
Where LinkedIn targeting is available
| Campaign type | How to use it | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Search campaigns | Bid adjustment layer on existing keywords | Increasing bids for your ideal firmographic |
| Audience Ads | Direct targeting on the Microsoft Audience Network | Reaching decision makers before they search |
| Performance Max | Audience signal input | Guiding automation toward the right accounts |
Recommended audience layering sequence
- Start in observation mode so you gather data without restricting reach
- Run for 30 days and review performance by company size, industry and job function
- Apply positive bid adjustments to the segments that convert
- Only move to targeting mode once you have proof a segment performs
- Layer remarketing lists on top for the highest-intent audiences
Does LinkedIn targeting increase your CPCs?
Yes, usually. Narrowing to a specific firmographic reduces the available audience and raises competition for it. Monitor cost per qualified lead rather than CPC, because the lead quality improvement often more than covers the higher click cost. If you run B2B, this is the feature worth building your Microsoft strategy around, and it is a core part of our B2B paid search work.
Step 8: What Is the Microsoft Audience Network and Should You Use It?
The Microsoft Audience Network, or MSAN, is Microsoft’s native display network serving ads across MSN, Outlook.com, Microsoft Edge and partner sites. It is a top-of-funnel awareness and remarketing channel, not a primary conversion driver. Use it deliberately with exclusions in place, not as an automatic add-on to Search campaigns.
When MSAN helps
- Remarketing to previous site visitors and cart abandoners
- Extending reach for visual products
- Building awareness ahead of search demand
When MSAN drains budget
- Left enabled by default inside a Search campaign, where it quietly absorbs spend
- Without placement exclusions
- Judged on last-click conversions alone
MSAN exclusions checklist
| Exclusion type | Why | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Website placement exclusions | Remove low-quality domains absorbing budget | Critical |
| Category exclusions | Brand safety | High |
| Audience exclusions | Stop serving to existing customers | High |
| Separate campaign from Search | So you can budget and judge it independently | Critical |
Recommendation: run MSAN as its own campaign. Bundled inside Search, its spend and performance are impossible to evaluate separately.
How do you exclude non-performing placements and websites on the Microsoft Audience Network?
Pull the Website Exclusions report, sort by spend, and exclude every domain that has consumed budget without converting. Microsoft lets you block specific publisher domains at campaign or account level, and this is where most wasted MSAN spend is recovered.
- Open Reports and run the Website URL (publisher) report for the last 30 days
- Sort by cost descending
- Flag any domain with meaningful spend and zero conversions
- Flag any domain with a suspiciously high click-through rate and no conversions, a classic low-quality placement signal
- Go to Campaign Settings, open Website exclusions, and add those domains
- Apply the exclusion list at account level so it protects every campaign
- Repeat weekly for the first month, then monthly
Also exclude by landing page performance. If a specific landing page is pulling MSAN traffic that bounces immediately, do not just blame the placement. Open Microsoft Clarity, filter to that page and that traffic source, and check whether the page or the placement is the problem before you exclude.
| What to exclude | Where | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher domains with spend and no conversions | Campaign Settings > Website exclusions | Weekly at first, then monthly |
| Whole content categories for brand safety | Campaign Settings > Category exclusions | Quarterly |
| Existing customers on prospecting campaigns | Audience exclusions | Quarterly |
| Underperforming landing pages | Pause the ad or fix the page, do not exclude the placement blindly | Monthly |
Step 9: Which Bidding Strategy Should You Use in Microsoft Ads?
Start with Enhanced CPC or Manual CPC while you gather conversion data, then move to Maximize Conversions or Target CPA once you have roughly 30 conversions per month per campaign. Target ROAS needs more, typically 50 or more monthly conversions. Automated bidding without sufficient conversion volume produces erratic delivery.
| Strategy | Use when | Minimum data |
|---|---|---|
| Manual CPC | New account, no conversion history | None |
| Enhanced CPC | Some conversion data, want partial automation | 10 to 15 conversions/month |
| Maximize Clicks | Traffic goal, early testing | None |
| Maximize Conversions | Steady conversion volume | 30+ conversions/month |
| Target CPA | Stable CPA goal | 30+ conversions/month |
| Target ROAS | Ecommerce with revenue tracking | 50+ conversions/month |
Bid adjustment checklist
- Device: review desktop vs mobile separately. Microsoft skews more desktop than Google
- Location: adjust toward regions that actually convert
- Ad schedule: Microsoft’s audience skews toward working hours and workplace devices
- Audience: raise bids for remarketing lists and high-value LinkedIn segments
Budget notes
Microsoft CPCs are generally lower than Google’s, so a budget copied across from Google is often far too high to spend, or set against the wrong expectations. Set budgets from Microsoft’s own volume data after the first 30 days.
Step 10: How Do You Optimize Ad Copy and Extensions in Microsoft Ads?
Give every ad group at least two Responsive Search Ads with 8 to 10 varied headlines and 3 to 4 descriptions, then review asset performance monthly and replace the weakest. Add every relevant extension type, because Microsoft SERPs often show fewer competing ads, so a well-extended ad can dominate more visual space than it would on Google.
RSA checklist
| Element | Target | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Headlines | 8 to 10, covering benefit, urgency, feature and brand | Critical |
| Descriptions | 3 to 4, distinct angles | Critical |
| Keyword in headline | At least one headline | High |
| Pinned headlines | Use sparingly, only for compliance or brand | Medium |
| Asset performance review | Monthly, replace Low rated assets | High |
Extension checklist
Extension coverage was one of the levers in the case study above. Full breakdown in our Bing ad extensions guide, and if you are deciding whether to let Microsoft generate them for you, see manual vs automated extensions in Microsoft Advertising.
- Sitelink extensions, minimum four per campaign
- Callout extensions, minimum four
- Structured snippets
- Call extension, where calls are a conversion
- Location extension, linked to your business profile
- Image extensions
- Action extensions
- Price extensions for ecommerce and services
- Filter link extensions
What is Microsoft Ad Studio?
Microsoft Ad Studio is Microsoft Advertising’s built-in creative tool for generating and editing ad copy and images inside the platform. It is useful for producing creative variations quickly, particularly for Audience Ads where visual assets are required.
Ad customizers
Ad customizers insert dynamic values such as countdowns, prices or inventory levels into ad copy. They are under-used on Microsoft and are a low-effort way to keep ads current without rewriting them.
Step 11: How Do You Optimize Microsoft Shopping Campaigns?
Connect Microsoft Merchant Center, keep the feed error-free, and optimize product titles the same way you would for Google Shopping. You can import your existing Google Merchant Center feed directly, which is the fastest way to launch, but the feed still needs Microsoft-specific QA afterwards.
Setup walkthrough: how to set up Bing Merchant Center. Feed-level detail: how to optimize your Bing Shopping feed.
Feed health QA checklist
| Check | Frequency | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Product disapprovals in the Diagnostics tab | Weekly | Critical |
| Price matches the landing page exactly | Weekly | Critical |
| Stock availability is current | Daily | Critical |
| GTINs present where applicable | Monthly | High |
| Product titles include brand and key attributes | Monthly | High |
| Images meet quality requirements | Monthly | Medium |
| Custom labels applied for margin and priority tiers | Quarterly | Medium |
The Best Sellers campaign structure
The highest-performing Shopping campaign in our case study was a dedicated Best Sellers campaign, isolating high-converting products into their own campaign with their own budget. It returned 12.0x ROAS across 3,935 clicks.
The logic is simple: in a mixed Shopping campaign your bestsellers subsidise your dead stock. Separate them and you can bid each group according to what it actually earns. Segment with custom labels by margin, bestseller status and seasonality.
For the broader ecommerce picture, see our ecommerce PPC management services.
Step 12: What Are AI Max and Copilot Placements in Microsoft Ads?
AI Max for Search is Microsoft’s AI-driven search expansion, and Copilot placements serve ads inside Microsoft’s AI assistant experiences. Both expand where your ads appear beyond traditional search results. Treat them as tests with monitored budget rather than automatic opt-ins.
What to do before opting in
- Ensure UET and conversion goals are working, because AI placements need clean signal
- Start with a separate campaign or a capped budget so you can measure them independently
- Review the search terms and placements these surfaces generate
- Compare conversion rate and CPA against your standard Search campaigns before scaling
Why this matters now
Microsoft ships AI advertising features faster than most competitors update their guides. The most-linked Microsoft Ads optimization articles currently ranking were last updated between 2023 and early 2026, and most do not mention AI Max at all. Check Microsoft’s release notes rather than relying on third-party guides for this area.
Step 13: What Is Microsoft Advertising Editor Used For?
Microsoft Advertising Editor is a free desktop application for making bulk changes to Microsoft Ads accounts offline. It is the fastest way to run large-scale optimizations such as applying negative keyword lists across campaigns, bulk-editing bids, or excluding syndicated search partners across every ad group at once.
Bulk edits that save the most time
- Applying negative keyword lists across many campaigns at once
- Excluding Syndicated Search Partners across all ad groups in one action
- Bulk bid adjustments by device, location or schedule
- Find and replace across ad copy, for example updating an offer or phone number
- Copying campaign structures between accounts
- Bulk pausing underperforming keywords identified in your weekly review
- Exporting the full account for offline auditing
Only two of the eleven ranking guides mention the Editor, and neither shows a bulk workflow. If you manage more than a handful of campaigns, this is where most of your time savings live.
Your Microsoft Ads Optimization Cadence
Weekly tasks
| Task | Priority |
|---|---|
| Review search terms report, add negatives | Critical |
| Check UET tag status and conversion recording | Critical |
| Check for disapproved ads and products | High |
| Review budget pacing | High |
| Add well-performing search terms as keywords | High |
| Check MSAN placements for low-quality domains | Medium |
Monthly tasks
| Task | Priority |
|---|---|
| Review bidding strategy and adjust CPA or ROAS targets | Critical |
| Asset performance review, replace Low rated assets | High |
| Review Microsoft Clarity recordings for top landing pages | High |
| Review LinkedIn targeting segment performance | High |
| Verify network settings have not reverted | High |
| Refresh remarketing audiences | Medium |
| Review Quality Score sub-components | Medium |
Quarterly tasks
| Task | Priority |
|---|---|
| Full account structure review | Critical |
| Re-audit conversion goals, primary vs secondary | Critical |
| Review AI Max and Copilot placement performance | High |
| Test a new campaign type | Medium |
| Refresh Merchant Center custom labels | Medium |
Microsoft Ads vs Google Ads: What Actually Transfers?
| Area | Transfers from Google? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword research | Mostly | Volumes are lower, intent is similar |
| Negative keyword lists | Yes | Rebuild the shared lists manually |
| Ad copy | Mostly | Character limits align closely |
| Campaign structure | Yes | Import handles this well |
| Conversion tracking | No | UET is a separate system, rebuild from scratch |
| Bidding strategies | Partially | Not all strategies map, and thresholds differ |
| Audience targeting | Partially | LinkedIn targeting has no Google equivalent |
| Network settings | No | Syndicated Search Partners have no Google equivalent |
| Display network tactics | No | MSAN behaves differently from GDN |
| Shopping feed | Yes | Import from Google Merchant Center |
| Behaviour analytics | No | Clarity is Microsoft-specific and free |
| Quality Score logic | No | Microsoft’s is historical, not used at auction |
Is Microsoft Ads cheaper than Google Ads?
Generally yes on cost per click, because there is less advertiser competition on the network. The trade-off is lower search volume. Microsoft Ads typically works best as a complement to Google Ads rather than a replacement, capturing incremental conversions at a lower acquisition cost. Running both? Pair this with our Google Ads optimization checklist and Google Ads audit checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Microsoft Ads still worth it in 2026?
Yes, for most advertisers already running Google Ads. Cost per click is generally lower because there is less competition, and the audience skews toward desktop and workplace users. We recently ran a Microsoft-only account to 10.9x ROAS over five and a half months, so the ceiling is high when the account is structured properly.
How does LinkedIn Profile Targeting work on Microsoft Ads?
It lets you target or adjust bids by company, industry and job function using LinkedIn profile data, across Search, Audience Ads and Performance Max campaigns. Google Ads has no equivalent feature. It usually raises cost per click, so measure cost per qualified lead instead.
Does Quality Score affect my cost on Microsoft Ads?
No. Microsoft’s documentation states that Quality Score is historical and is not used at auction time, and it does not affect your cost. It is a diagnostic indicator of past performance, useful for identifying which keywords need attention rather than as a cost lever.
Should I exclude Microsoft Syndicated Search Partners?
In most accounts yes. Syndicated partner sites lack Microsoft’s spam protections and are a common source of bot traffic. The tell is a high click-through rate with zero conversions. Uncheck both Syndicated Search Partners options in Network Settings, then measure conversion rate and CPA for two to four weeks.
Should I import my Google Ads campaigns into Microsoft Ads?
Yes, importing is the fastest way to launch. But turn off auto-import immediately afterwards, otherwise every Microsoft-specific optimization you make will be overwritten on the next sync. Then run a full post-import QA on budgets, bid strategies, network settings, location targeting and conversion goals.
What is Universal Event Tracking and how do I install it?
Universal Event Tracking, or UET, is Microsoft Advertising’s conversion tracking tag. Install one UET tag site-wide, usually through Google Tag Manager using the Microsoft Advertising UET template, set it to fire on all pages, then validate it with the UET Tag Helper browser extension.
Can I use Microsoft Clarity with Microsoft Ads?
Yes. Microsoft Clarity is free, has no traffic limits, and links natively to a Microsoft Advertising account. It provides heatmaps and session recordings you can filter to Microsoft Ads traffic, which makes it the most direct way to diagnose landing page experience problems.
How often should I optimize Microsoft Ads?
Weekly for search terms, negative keywords, UET status and budget pacing. Monthly for bidding targets, creative assets, Clarity review and LinkedIn segment performance. Quarterly for account structure, conversion goal review and new campaign type testing.
What is the Microsoft Audience Network and should I use it?
MSAN is Microsoft’s native display network across MSN, Outlook.com and Edge. It works well for remarketing and awareness but is not a primary conversion driver. Run it as a separate campaign with placement exclusions rather than bundled into Search where its spend is invisible.
How many conversions do I need before using Target CPA on Microsoft Ads?
Around 30 conversions per month per campaign for Target CPA, and 50 or more for Target ROAS. Below those thresholds the algorithm lacks sufficient signal and delivery becomes unpredictable.
What is a good ROAS on Microsoft Ads?
It depends on your margins, but Microsoft’s lower CPCs mean the ceiling is often higher than advertisers expect. In our epoxy flooring case study the account returned 10.9x overall, with the generic Search campaign at 16.2x and a Best Sellers Shopping campaign at 12.0x.
What is AI Max for Search in Microsoft Ads?
AI Max for Search is Microsoft’s AI-driven search expansion that broadens where and how your ads match queries. Test it with a capped budget in a separate campaign first, and review the resulting search terms before scaling.
Why do my Microsoft Ads campaigns spend so much less than my Google campaigns?
Usually because Microsoft’s search volume is lower, and often because a Google budget was imported without adjustment. Check impression share lost to rank and to budget. If impression share lost to budget is under 10 percent, volume rather than budget is your constraint.
What is the difference between Bing Ads and Microsoft Ads?
They are the same platform. Bing Ads was renamed Microsoft Advertising in 2019 to reflect that ads serve across Bing, Edge, MSN, Outlook, Yahoo and DuckDuckGo rather than Bing alone. The terms are used interchangeably.
Work With a Bing Ads Agency That Actually Runs Microsoft Accounts
Most agencies treat Microsoft Ads as an afterthought and run it as a copy of the Google account. That is exactly why so many Microsoft accounts underperform.
Hustle Marketers runs Microsoft Advertising as its own channel, with its own structure, tracking and optimization process. The results above came from doing that properly.
- Bing Ads Agency — full Microsoft Advertising management
- Bing Ads Consultant — strategy and audit support
- Bing Ads Specialist — hands-on account management
- White Label PPC Services — Microsoft Ads managed under your agency’s brand
- PPC Agency — full-service paid media across Google, Microsoft and Meta
More Microsoft Ads resources on our site
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| The ultimate guide to advertising on Bing | Platform fundamentals and getting started |
| Your guide to mastering Bing Ads | Deep dive study of the platform |
| Bing ad extensions | Every extension type and how to use it |
| Manual vs automated extensions in Microsoft Advertising | Which to control yourself |
| Exclude Microsoft syndicated search partners | Stopping bot traffic and wasted spend |
| How to set up Bing Merchant Center | Shopping campaign foundations |
| How to optimize your Bing Shopping feed | Feed-level optimization |
| List your business on Bing Places | Local visibility on Bing |
| Epoxy flooring Bing Ads case study | 10.9x ROAS, full breakdown |
About the author: Ishant Sharma is a Bing Ads expert and the founder of Hustle Marketers, a Bing Ads agency managing Microsoft Advertising and Google Ads for ecommerce, local service, SaaS and white-label agency clients.
As a Microsoft Advertising specialist he has built and scaled Bing Ads accounts across B2B manufacturing, ecommerce and local service verticals, including the epoxy flooring account documented above that reached 10.9x ROAS. He works hands-on with Microsoft Merchant Center, Universal Event Tracking, LinkedIn Profile Targeting and the Microsoft Audience Network rather than treating Bing as a Google Ads copy.
Work with him directly as a Bing Ads consultant or Bing Ads specialist, or engage Hustle Marketers as your Bing Ads agency.
Sources: Microsoft Advertising documentation (learn.microsoft.com), Microsoft Clarity (clarity.microsoft.com), Hustle Marketers client account data from March to August 2026, and original competitor analysis conducted by Hustle Marketers in August 2026 across 11 ranking pages.









