Bing Ads Optimization Checklist: The 2026 Microsoft Ads Guide | Hustle Marketers

Ishant

Ishant

Published : August 29, 2026 at 8:10 am

Updated : September 11, 2026 at 7:29 am

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

FactDetailSource
Quality Score is not used at auction timeIt is historical and does not affect your costMicrosoft Advertising documentation
Quality Score scale1 to 10, built from three sub-scores each rated 1 to 3Microsoft Advertising documentation
Quality Score componentsExpected click-through rate, ad relevance, landing page experienceMicrosoft Advertising documentation
Account ROAS achieved using this process1,090.99% (10.9x) over 5.5 monthsHustle Marketers client account, Mar to Aug 2026
Best single campaign ROAS1,622.81% (16.2x) on generic SearchHustle Marketers client account, Mar to Aug 2026
Shopping campaign ROAS1,202.17% (12.0x) on a Best Sellers campaignHustle Marketers client account, Mar to Aug 2026
Ranking guides covering Microsoft Clarity0 out of 11Hustle Marketers competitor audit, August 2026
Average Microsoft-specific feature coverage in ranking guides3.4 out of 8Hustle Marketers competitor audit, August 2026
Ranking guides that are substantially recycled Google Ads advice4 out of 11Hustle Marketers competitor audit, August 2026
Minimum conversions before Target CPA is reliableAround 30 per month per campaignIndustry standard threshold

Table of Contents

  1. What is Microsoft Ads optimization?
  2. The free checklist
  3. Proof this process works
  4. Original research: what competing guides miss
  5. Step 1: Fix your Google Ads import
  6. Step 2: Get UET right
  7. Step 3: Exclude Syndicated Search Partners
  8. Step 4: Connect Microsoft Clarity
  9. Step 5: Keywords and search terms
  10. Step 6: Quality Score, and what everyone gets wrong
  11. Step 7: LinkedIn Profile Targeting
  12. Step 8: Microsoft Audience Network
  13. Step 9: Bidding and budget
  14. Step 10: Ad copy, RSAs and extensions
  15. Step 11: Shopping and Merchant Center
  16. Step 12: AI Max and Copilot placements
  17. Step 13: Microsoft Advertising Editor
  18. Your optimization cadence
  19. Microsoft Ads vs Google Ads
  20. 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.

ColumnPurpose
TaskThe specific action to take
CategoryTracking, Import, Network, Keywords, Bidding, Creative, Targeting, Feed
PriorityCritical, High, Medium, Low
CadenceWeekly, Monthly, Quarterly
OwnerWho is responsible
Date CheckedWhen it was last done
NotesWhat 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.

MetricResult
Account ROAS1,090.99% (10.9x)
Conversions239
Impressions604,603
ChannelsBing Search and Shopping
Period5.5 months

Campaign level:

CampaignROASClicksImpressions
Search (Generic)1,622.81% (16.2x)1,33325,077
Best Sellers (Shopping)1,202.17% (12.0x)3,935195,852
Commercial-focused (new)687.76% (6.9x)5,444383,674

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 pageMicrosoft-specific features coveredAssessment
Gravitate Design6 / 8Microsoft-native
Stackmatix6 / 8Microsoft-native
BullsEye Internet6 / 8Microsoft-native
Aureate Labs6 / 8Microsoft-native, most current on AI
Stape3 / 8Partly native, strong on tracking
HawkSEM3 / 8Mixed
Optmyzr3 / 8Microsoft-specific spine, generic tips
WordStream2 / 8Substantially recycled
LSEO2 / 8Substantially recycled
Marin Software1 / 8Recycled, not updated since 2023
OutsourceSEM0 / 8Fully 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

CheckWhy it mattersPriority
BudgetsGoogle budgets rarely suit Microsoft’s lower CPCs and lower volumeCritical
Bid strategiesNot all Google strategies map across. Some default to Manual CPCCritical
Network settingsSyndicated Search Partners are on by default. See Step 3Critical
Location targetingSet to “People in your targeted locations” rather than the broader optionCritical
Conversion goalsGoogle conversions do not import. You must rebuild them in UETCritical
Tracking templatesGoogle-specific parameters like GCLID will breakHigh
Ad extensionsSome do not transfer and need rebuildingHigh
Negative keyword listsShared lists often do not carry acrossHigh
Ad schedulesTime zone settings can shiftMedium
Disapproved adsMicrosoft’s policies differ from Google’sHigh

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

  1. In Microsoft Advertising go to Tools → UET tag and create a tag
  2. Copy the UET Tag ID
  3. In Google Tag Manager create a new tag using the Microsoft Advertising UET template
  4. Paste the Tag ID
  5. Set the trigger to All Pages
  6. Publish the container
  7. 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.

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

  1. Sign in to Microsoft Advertising and select the campaign
  2. Open Campaign Settings using the gear icon
  3. Find the Network Settings section
  4. Uncheck Syndicated Search Partners Top and Syndicated Search Partners Other
  5. 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

  1. Create a free account at clarity.microsoft.com
  2. Install the Clarity tracking code, or deploy it through Google Tag Manager
  3. In Clarity, open Settings → Integrations and link your Microsoft Advertising account
  4. Filter recordings and heatmaps to Microsoft Ads traffic specifically
  5. Review your highest-spend landing pages first

Turning Clarity findings into Quality Score improvements

What Clarity showsWhat it usually meansFix
Rage clicks on a buttonElement is broken or too slowFix the interaction or the load time
Heavy scroll drop-off above the foldMessage mismatch with the adAlign the headline to the ad copy
Dead clicks on non-linksUsers expect it to be clickableMake it a link or remove the affordance
Form abandonment at one fieldThat field is creating frictionRemove it or make it optional
Very short sessions from paid trafficWrong traffic or slow pageCheck 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.

ComponentWhat it measuresHow to improve it
Expected click-through rateWhether your ad is likely to be clickedSharper, more relevant ad copy
Ad relevanceHow closely your ad matches the search intentTighter ad groups, keyword in headline
Landing page experienceWhether the page delivers on the ad’s promiseUse 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 typeHow to use itBest for
Search campaignsBid adjustment layer on existing keywordsIncreasing bids for your ideal firmographic
Audience AdsDirect targeting on the Microsoft Audience NetworkReaching decision makers before they search
Performance MaxAudience signal inputGuiding automation toward the right accounts
  1. Start in observation mode so you gather data without restricting reach
  2. Run for 30 days and review performance by company size, industry and job function
  3. Apply positive bid adjustments to the segments that convert
  4. Only move to targeting mode once you have proof a segment performs
  5. 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 typeWhyPriority
Website placement exclusionsRemove low-quality domains absorbing budgetCritical
Category exclusionsBrand safetyHigh
Audience exclusionsStop serving to existing customersHigh
Separate campaign from SearchSo you can budget and judge it independentlyCritical

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.

  1. Open Reports and run the Website URL (publisher) report for the last 30 days
  2. Sort by cost descending
  3. Flag any domain with meaningful spend and zero conversions
  4. Flag any domain with a suspiciously high click-through rate and no conversions, a classic low-quality placement signal
  5. Go to Campaign Settings, open Website exclusions, and add those domains
  6. Apply the exclusion list at account level so it protects every campaign
  7. 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 excludeWhereHow often
Publisher domains with spend and no conversionsCampaign Settings > Website exclusionsWeekly at first, then monthly
Whole content categories for brand safetyCampaign Settings > Category exclusionsQuarterly
Existing customers on prospecting campaignsAudience exclusionsQuarterly
Underperforming landing pagesPause the ad or fix the page, do not exclude the placement blindlyMonthly

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.

StrategyUse whenMinimum data
Manual CPCNew account, no conversion historyNone
Enhanced CPCSome conversion data, want partial automation10 to 15 conversions/month
Maximize ClicksTraffic goal, early testingNone
Maximize ConversionsSteady conversion volume30+ conversions/month
Target CPAStable CPA goal30+ conversions/month
Target ROASEcommerce with revenue tracking50+ 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

ElementTargetPriority
Headlines8 to 10, covering benefit, urgency, feature and brandCritical
Descriptions3 to 4, distinct anglesCritical
Keyword in headlineAt least one headlineHigh
Pinned headlinesUse sparingly, only for compliance or brandMedium
Asset performance reviewMonthly, replace Low rated assetsHigh

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

CheckFrequencyPriority
Product disapprovals in the Diagnostics tabWeeklyCritical
Price matches the landing page exactlyWeeklyCritical
Stock availability is currentDailyCritical
GTINs present where applicableMonthlyHigh
Product titles include brand and key attributesMonthlyHigh
Images meet quality requirementsMonthlyMedium
Custom labels applied for margin and priority tiersQuarterlyMedium

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

TaskPriority
Review search terms report, add negativesCritical
Check UET tag status and conversion recordingCritical
Check for disapproved ads and productsHigh
Review budget pacingHigh
Add well-performing search terms as keywordsHigh
Check MSAN placements for low-quality domainsMedium

Monthly tasks

TaskPriority
Review bidding strategy and adjust CPA or ROAS targetsCritical
Asset performance review, replace Low rated assetsHigh
Review Microsoft Clarity recordings for top landing pagesHigh
Review LinkedIn targeting segment performanceHigh
Verify network settings have not revertedHigh
Refresh remarketing audiencesMedium
Review Quality Score sub-componentsMedium

Quarterly tasks

TaskPriority
Full account structure reviewCritical
Re-audit conversion goals, primary vs secondaryCritical
Review AI Max and Copilot placement performanceHigh
Test a new campaign typeMedium
Refresh Merchant Center custom labelsMedium

Microsoft Ads vs Google Ads: What Actually Transfers?

AreaTransfers from Google?Notes
Keyword researchMostlyVolumes are lower, intent is similar
Negative keyword listsYesRebuild the shared lists manually
Ad copyMostlyCharacter limits align closely
Campaign structureYesImport handles this well
Conversion trackingNoUET is a separate system, rebuild from scratch
Bidding strategiesPartiallyNot all strategies map, and thresholds differ
Audience targetingPartiallyLinkedIn targeting has no Google equivalent
Network settingsNoSyndicated Search Partners have no Google equivalent
Display network tacticsNoMSAN behaves differently from GDN
Shopping feedYesImport from Google Merchant Center
Behaviour analyticsNoClarity is Microsoft-specific and free
Quality Score logicNoMicrosoft’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.

More Microsoft Ads resources on our site

GuideWhat it covers
The ultimate guide to advertising on BingPlatform fundamentals and getting started
Your guide to mastering Bing AdsDeep dive study of the platform
Bing ad extensionsEvery extension type and how to use it
Manual vs automated extensions in Microsoft AdvertisingWhich to control yourself
Exclude Microsoft syndicated search partnersStopping bot traffic and wasted spend
How to set up Bing Merchant CenterShopping campaign foundations
How to optimize your Bing Shopping feedFeed-level optimization
List your business on Bing PlacesLocal visibility on Bing
Epoxy flooring Bing Ads case study10.9x 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.

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.

I hope you enjoy reading this blog post. If you want my team to just do your marketing for you, click here.
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