Data & Benchmarks March 17, 2026 • Updated: 6 November 2026

Microsoft Ads (Bing)
statistics 2026

60+ verified benchmarks, costs and trends for Microsoft Ads (Bing). From market share and audience to search ad benchmarks, Copilot ads and LinkedIn targeting. Every figure links to the source we opened: Statcounter, Microsoft, Microsoft Advertising, Microsoft Learn and LocaliQ (WordStream).

$5.42

average CPC search ads (US, Google Ads and Microsoft Ads combined)

Source: LocaliQ, 2026

15.03%

Bing market share worldwide (desktop, October 2026)

Source: Statcounter, 2026

+73%

higher CTR for ads in Copilot vs. traditional search

Source: Microsoft Advertising, 2025

1B

monthly active Bing users (first reached in Q1 2026)

Source: Microsoft, 2026

Statistics overview

Microsoft Ads, formerly Bing Ads, runs search ads on Bing and the Microsoft Search Network. Google remains by far the largest search engine: in October 2026 it had 91.05% of search engine referrals worldwide, against 4.8% for Bing (Statcounter). On desktop the picture is different: there Bing reached 15.03% worldwide and 18.8% in the US.

That desktop audience, LinkedIn profile targeting and ads inside Copilot are the main reasons advertisers add Microsoft Ads next to Google Ads. Microsoft says Bing passed 1 billion monthly active users for the first time in the quarter to March 2026, and that its search advertising revenue (excluding traffic acquisition costs) grew 12% in the quarter to September 2026.

On this page you will find 60+ Microsoft Ads statistics and benchmarks for 2026, each with a link to the source we opened. Figures from an earlier version of this page that we could not trace to an original source have been removed. Whether you are considering adding Microsoft Ads alongside your Google Ads campaigns through a specialist Google Ads agency, or want to benchmark your current performance, you will find the data here.

Section 1

Bing market share & reach

4.8%

Bing share of search worldwide (all devices, Oct 2026)

Source: Statcounter, 2026

15.03%

Bing share worldwide (desktop, Oct 2026)

Source: Statcounter, 2026

18.8%

Bing share US (desktop, Oct 2026)

Source: Statcounter, 2026

1B

monthly active Bing users (quarter to March 2026)

Source: Microsoft, 2026

Bing market share by region (desktop, October 2026)

United Kingdom 20.78%
Germany 19.74%
Canada 19.04%
United States 18.8%
France 16.32%
Netherlands 15.13%
Worldwide 15.03%

Source: Statcounter Global Stats, 2026 (one page per country; worldwide shown)

  • Worldwide, Bing had 4.8% of search engine referrals in October 2026 across all devices, against 91.05% for Google and 1.18% for Yahoo (Statcounter, 2026)
  • On mobile, Bing is almost absent: 0.61% worldwide, against 96.35% for Google (October 2026). The gap with desktop (15.03%) explains why Bing matters mainly for audiences that search at a computer (Statcounter, 2026)
  • In the US, Bing had 9.78% across all devices and 18.8% on desktop in October 2026; Yahoo had 3.98% of US desktop referrals (Statcounter all devices, 2026) (Statcounter desktop, 2026)
  • In Europe, Bing had 5.58% of search engine referrals in October 2026, against 88.77% for Google (Statcounter, 2026)
  • Microsoft Advertising claims 6.4 billion monthly PC searches and 109 million unique PC users on the Microsoft Search Network in the US, and a PC market share of 38.1% (Comscore, March 2023, desktop only). That is Microsoft's own figure and is measured differently from Statcounter, which puts Bing at 18.8% of US desktop referrals (Microsoft Advertising, 2023)
  • Microsoft Edge had 13.24% of desktop browser use worldwide in October 2026 (Chrome: 66.98%). Edge uses Bing as its default search engine (Statcounter, 2026)
  • Read month-on-month comparisons with care: in the Statcounter series Bing's worldwide desktop share jumped from 8.91% in August 2026 to 14.65% in September 2026 (Statcounter, 2026). Accounts looking to scale paid search coverage often outsource Google Ads and Microsoft Ads to the same specialist team.
Section 2

Bing user demographics

34%

more likely to be in the highest income bracket (Microsoft audience on Windows vs. average internet user)

Source: Microsoft Advertising, 2024

48%

more likely to have made a purchase last week (same audience)

Source: Microsoft Advertising, 2024

23%

more spent online when shopping (Microsoft Search Network users, US)

Source: Microsoft Advertising, 2023

  • Microsoft says it reaches more than 1.4 billion consumers on Windows. Its media kit compares that audience with the average internet user (GWI, Q4 2023 to Q3 2024) (Microsoft Advertising, 2024)
  • That audience is 18% more likely to click on an ad and 56% more likely to spend 6 to 10 hours online than the average internet user (GWI, Q4 2023 to Q3 2024) (Microsoft Advertising, 2024)
  • Around 20% of surveyed Copilot users have an income of $100,000 or more (US survey, n=362, July/August 2024, cited by Microsoft Advertising) (Microsoft Advertising, 2025)
  • 33% of Copilot users are between 18 and 29 years old (Sensor Tower, April 2024 to March 2025, cited by Microsoft Advertising) (Microsoft Advertising, 2025)
  • No current age or gender split of Bing users is published. Age, education and income splits from an earlier version of this page could not be traced to an original source and have been removed. The figures above describe Microsoft audiences as Microsoft reports them; they are vendor data, not independent research.
Section 3

CPC & costs vs. Google

$5.42

average CPC search ads (Google Ads + Microsoft Ads, US)

Source: LocaliQ, 2026

$66.69

average cost per lead search ads

Source: LocaliQ, 2026

$9.87

highest average CPC: attorneys & legal services

Source: LocaliQ, 2026

$1.63

lowest average CPC: arts & entertainment

Source: LocaliQ, 2026

Average cost per lead by industry (search ads 2026, Google Ads and Microsoft Ads combined)

Attorneys & legal services $131.63
Furniture $106.70
Real estate $102.51
Business services $93.69
Home & home improvement $90.92
Finance & insurance $74.44
Dentists & dental services $72.97
Physicians & surgeons $40.04
Restaurants & food $30.57
Arts & entertainment $26.84

Source: LocaliQ (WordStream) Search Advertising Benchmarks, 2026

  • The LocaliQ (WordStream) 2026 benchmarks put the average search CPC at $5.42, the average cost per lead at $66.69, the average CTR at 6.64% and the average conversion rate at 8.18%. They are based on thousands of campaigns on Google Ads and Microsoft Ads together, so they are not Microsoft-only figures (LocaliQ, 2026)
  • Average cost per lead fell for the first time in five years in the 2026 edition, even though the average CPC rose slightly (LocaliQ, 2026)
  • Cost per lead ranges from $26.84 (arts & entertainment) to $131.63 (attorneys & legal services) across the industries in the benchmark (LocaliQ, 2026)
  • No current, independent benchmark compares Microsoft Ads and Google Ads click prices one-to-one. Widely repeated claims such as "33% lower CPC" could not be traced to an original report and have been removed from this page. The reliable way to know the difference for your business is to run the same keywords on both platforms and compare cost per conversion.
  • When you import campaigns from Google Ads, Microsoft raises bids and budgets that are below its minimums by default; you can opt out, but campaigns below the minimums are then not imported (Microsoft Learn, 2026)
Section 4

CTR & conversion benchmarks

6.64%

average CTR search ads (Google Ads + Microsoft Ads, US)

Source: LocaliQ, 2026

8.18%

average conversion rate search ads

Source: LocaliQ, 2026

-52%

fewer quick backs for responsive search ads in Copilot

Source: Microsoft Advertising, 2025

Conversion rate by industry (search ads 2026, Google Ads and Microsoft Ads combined)

Animals & pets 16.22%
16.22%
Automotive repair, service & parts 15.51%
15.51%
Education & instruction 13.14%
13.14%
Physicians & surgeons 12.43%
12.43%
Dentists & dental services 10.67%
10.67%
Home & home improvement 8.05%
8.05%
Attorneys & legal services 5.55%
5.55%
Business services 4.85%
4.85%
Real estate 3.70%
3.70%
Finance & insurance 2.64%
2.64%

Source: LocaliQ (WordStream) Search Advertising Benchmarks, 2026

  • The average search CTR is 6.64% and the average conversion rate 8.18% in the 2026 benchmarks for Google Ads and Microsoft Ads combined (LocaliQ, 2026)
  • In Copilot, ads get fewer "quick backs" (a user returning to the results page within 20 seconds) than in traditional search: 59% fewer for multimedia ads, 53% fewer for dynamic search ads, 52% fewer for responsive search ads and 19% fewer for shopping ads (Microsoft first-party data, February to May 2025) (Microsoft Advertising, 2025)
  • Ads in Copilot had 73% higher click-through rates and 16% stronger conversion rates than traditional search, according to Microsoft's own data (owned and operated, search only, worldwide, February to May 2025) (Microsoft Advertising, 2025)
  • Conversion rates differ more than fourfold between industries: from 2.64% for finance & insurance to 16.22% for animals & pets (LocaliQ, 2026)
Section 5

Microsoft Audience Network

1.4B+

consumers Microsoft reaches on Windows

Source: Microsoft Advertising, 2024

3

ad formats: display, native and video

Source: Microsoft Learn, 2025

4

images (one per aspect ratio) to qualify for all Audience ad placements

Source: Microsoft Learn, 2025

18%

more likely to click an ad (Microsoft audience vs. average internet user)

Source: Microsoft Advertising, 2024

  • Audience ads appear in display, native and video placements across devices on MSN, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Casual Games and partner sites (Microsoft Learn, 2025)
  • Targeting draws on Microsoft's audience intelligence: search and web activity, LinkedIn profile data, demographic and customer data. In an Audience campaign you can add age, company name, gender, industry, job function, location and radius criteria (Microsoft Learn, 2025)
  • Search ads can be extended to native placements through image extensions with one to six images; four images, one for each supported aspect ratio, are needed to qualify for all Audience ad placements (Microsoft Learn, 2025)
  • Feed-based Audience ads run on a Microsoft Merchant Center product catalogue; a product scope can contain up to 7 product conditions (Microsoft Learn, 2025)
  • Microsoft does not publish a current, dated reach figure for the Microsoft Audience Network. Older claims such as "1 billion users" and CTR and CPA benchmarks for native ads could not be traced to a source and have been removed. B2B advertisers especially pair this with a dedicated LinkedIn Ads agency to unlock Microsoft's professional-audience targeting.
Section 6

Copilot & AI integration

150M+

monthly active users of Microsoft's Copilot family (October 2025)

Source: Microsoft, 2025

5x+

Copilot daily users vs. a year earlier (quarter to September 2026)

Source: Microsoft, 2026

+73%

higher CTR for ads in Copilot vs. traditional search

Source: Microsoft Advertising, 2025

  • Microsoft's first-party family of Copilots passed 150 million monthly active users in October 2025, and its AI features had 900 million monthly active users across products (Microsoft, 2025)
  • In the quarter to September 2026, Copilot daily users were up nearly 50% quarter over quarter and more than 5x year over year. Microsoft did not disclose a new monthly active user figure that quarter (Microsoft, 2026)
  • Ads in Copilot had 73% higher click-through rates and 16% stronger conversion rates than traditional search, and customer journeys were 33% shorter (Microsoft first-party data, February to May 2025) (Microsoft Advertising, 2025)
  • Purchases rose 53% within 30 minutes of a Copilot interaction, and 194% when the user's intent was explicitly shopping-related (Microsoft data, Edge users, 21 to 31 December 2024) (Microsoft Advertising, 2025)
  • Copilot use in PC search and Windows increased 1.64x between November 2024 and May 2025, according to Microsoft (Microsoft Advertising, 2025)
  • Copilot sends far less traffic to websites than ChatGPT: in October 2026 it had 2.18% of AI chatbot referrals worldwide, against 51.58% for ChatGPT (Statcounter, 2026)
Section 7

LinkedIn profile targeting

1.4B+

LinkedIn members (October 2026)

Source: Microsoft, 2026

3

LinkedIn profile attributes: company, industry, job function

Source: Microsoft Learn, 2026

5

campaign types with LinkedIn profile targeting

Source: Microsoft Learn, 2026

1,000

maximum companies per ad group or campaign

Source: Microsoft Learn, 2026

What is LinkedIn Profile Targeting?

Microsoft Advertising is the only advertising platform other than LinkedIn itself that lets you target customers based on their LinkedIn profile information: company, industry and job function (Microsoft Learn, 2026). This makes Microsoft Ads a strong option for B2B marketing. For Dutch companies, how to compare channels side by side on cost per lead: more on cost-per-lead marketing (in Dutch).

  • LinkedIn profile targeting is available for Search, Dynamic Search Ads, Microsoft Shopping, Audience and Performance Max campaigns; not every advertiser can use it in Performance Max yet (Microsoft Learn, 2026)
  • It works as a bid adjustment, not as a filter: targeting a company does not exclude people who work elsewhere ("bid only") (Microsoft Learn, 2026)
  • You can target at most 1,000 companies per ad group or campaign, and company lists have to be added manually in the platform (Microsoft Learn, 2026)
  • LinkedIn has more than 1.4 billion members (Microsoft earnings call, October 2026) (Microsoft, 2026)
  • LinkedIn revenue was $17.8 billion in fiscal year 2025 (to June 2025), up 9% (Microsoft Annual Report, 2025)
Section 8

Shopping & product ads

$4.14

average CPC shopping, collectibles & gifts (search, US)

Source: LocaliQ, 2026

4.01%

average conversion rate shopping, collectibles & gifts

Source: LocaliQ, 2026

-19%

fewer quick backs for shopping ads in Copilot

Source: Microsoft Advertising, 2025

+194%

purchases within 30 min of Copilot use with shopping intent

Source: Microsoft Advertising, 2025

  • Search ads for shopping, collectibles & gifts cost $4.14 per click on average, convert at 4.01% and cost $49.40 per lead (Google Ads and Microsoft Ads combined, 2026) (LocaliQ, 2026)
  • Shopping ads in Copilot had 19% fewer quick backs than in traditional search (Microsoft first-party data, February to May 2025) (Microsoft Advertising, 2025)
  • When the intent was explicitly shopping-related, purchases rose 194% within 30 minutes of a Copilot interaction (Edge users, 21 to 31 December 2024) (Microsoft Advertising, 2025)
  • Feed-based Audience ads use your Microsoft Merchant Center catalogue; a product scope can contain up to 7 product conditions (Microsoft Learn, 2025)
  • LinkedIn profile targeting also works in Microsoft Shopping campaigns, for example to raise bids for buyers at specific companies (Microsoft Learn, 2026)
Section 9

Benchmarks by industry

Average CPC by industry (search ads 2026, Google Ads and Microsoft Ads combined)

Attorneys & legal services $9.87
Home & home improvement $8.33
Dentists & dental services $8.00
Business services $5.87
Physicians & surgeons $4.76
Shopping, collectibles & gifts $4.14
Finance & insurance $3.39
Real estate $3.22
Travel $2.14
Arts & entertainment $1.63

Source: LocaliQ (WordStream) Search Advertising Benchmarks, 2026

Average CTR by industry (search ads 2026, Google Ads and Microsoft Ads combined)

Arts & entertainment 12.75%
Finance & insurance 9.83%
Travel 9.32%
Automotive for sale 8.28%
Real estate 7.61%
Physicians & surgeons 6.61%
Business services 6.10%
Attorneys & legal services 5.87%

Source: LocaliQ (WordStream) Search Advertising Benchmarks, 2026

  • Attorneys & legal services have the highest average CPC ($9.87) and the highest cost per lead ($131.63) in the 2026 benchmarks (LocaliQ, 2026)
  • Arts & entertainment have the lowest average CPC ($1.63) and the highest CTR (12.75%) (LocaliQ, 2026)
  • Finance & insurance combine a high CTR (9.83%) with the lowest conversion rate (2.64%), at $74.44 per lead (LocaliQ, 2026)
  • Animals & pets convert best: 16.22%, at $31.50 per lead (LocaliQ, 2026)
  • These are combined Google Ads and Microsoft Ads figures. Industry benchmarks for Microsoft Ads alone, as shown in an earlier version of this page, could not be traced to a source and have been removed.
Section 11

Frequently asked questions

What is Bing's market share?

In October 2026 Bing had 4.8% of search engine referrals worldwide across all devices and 15.03% on desktop, according to Statcounter. In the US it had 9.78% overall and 18.8% on desktop; in the Netherlands 4.64% overall and 15.13% on desktop. On mobile Bing stays below 1% (0.61% worldwide).

How much cheaper is Microsoft Ads than Google Ads?

There is no current independent benchmark that compares Microsoft Ads and Google Ads click prices one-to-one. The best-known benchmark, LocaliQ (WordStream) 2026, combines both platforms: an average CPC of $5.42 and an average cost per lead of $66.69, from $1.63 per click for arts and entertainment to $9.87 for legal services. The often-quoted "30-35% cheaper" could not be traced to an original source, so test it in your own account.

Is Microsoft Ads suitable for B2B marketing?

Yes, for many B2B advertisers. Microsoft Ads lets you target on LinkedIn profile data (company, industry and job function) in Search, Dynamic Search Ads, Shopping, Audience and Performance Max campaigns; Microsoft says it is the only advertising platform besides LinkedIn that offers this. LinkedIn has more than 1.4 billion members. Microsoft also reports that its audience on Windows is 34% more likely to be in the highest income bracket than the average internet user (GWI, 2023-2024).

What is the Microsoft Audience Network?

The Microsoft Audience Network shows Audience ads in display, native and video placements on MSN, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Casual Games and partner sites. You can target by age, gender, location, company, industry and job function. Microsoft does not publish a current reach figure for the network; via Windows it says it reaches more than 1.4 billion consumers.

How does Copilot integration work in Microsoft Ads?

Microsoft shows ads inside Copilot answers. In Microsoft's own data (February to May 2025) ads in Copilot had 73% higher click-through rates and 16% stronger conversion rates than traditional search, and customer journeys were 33% shorter. The Copilot family had more than 150 million monthly active users in October 2025.

Can I import my Google Ads campaigns into Microsoft Ads?

Yes. With Google Import you can bring campaigns into Microsoft Ads in one go, up to 10 Google Ads accounts at once, and keep them in sync with an automatic schedule. Check targeting, bids and negative keywords afterwards: broad match negatives are imported as phrase match, and bids below Microsoft's minimums are raised by default.

Search advertising expertise from Searchlab.nl

At Searchlab.nl, we don't just analyze statistics — we apply them every day. With over 50 proprietary AI tools and 10 years of experience in search ad optimization, we help businesses get the maximum out of both Google Ads and Microsoft Ads. Our AI analyzes every keyword in your account, not just the top 50 — including cross-platform opportunities that manual analyses miss.

Want to know if Microsoft Ads would be a valuable addition to your marketing strategy? Request a free audit and discover how many additional conversions you can generate through the Microsoft Search Network.

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Ruud ten Have

Compiled by

Ruud ten Have

Ruud is a digital marketer with 10+ years of experience in online advertising and AI implementation. At Searchlab, he combines strategic thinking with hands-on AI tooling to deliver measurable results for businesses.

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