BING
Data & Benchmarks March 17, 2026 • Last updated: March 2026

MICROSOFT ADS (BING)
STATISTICS 2026

80+ up-to-date benchmarks, costs, and trends for Microsoft Ads (Bing). From market share and demographics to CPC comparison with Google, Copilot integration, and LinkedIn targeting. Compiled from research by Microsoft Advertising, Statista, Merkle, and WordStream.

$1.37

average CPC Search Ads (US)

Source: WordStream Industry Benchmarks 2026

9.6%

Bing market share worldwide (desktop)

Source: Statcounter March 2026

4.1%

average CTR Search Ads

Source: Microsoft Advertising 2026

1.2B

monthly Bing searches worldwide

Source: Microsoft Advertising FY2026

STATISTICS OVERVIEW

Microsoft Ads — formerly Bing Ads — is the second-largest search advertising platform in the world. While Google remains by far the most widely used platform, Microsoft Ads offers unique advantages: lower CPCs, a high-spending audience, LinkedIn targeting, and seamless integration with Copilot, Microsoft's AI assistant. Yet the platform is overlooked by many advertisers. Only 36% of US advertisers actively use Microsoft Ads, compared to 80% who use Google Ads.

That is a missed opportunity. Microsoft Ads offers on average 33% lower CPCs, an older and higher-income audience, and unique targeting capabilities that no other search platform provides. With the rise of Copilot — Microsoft's AI assistant that now has 320 million monthly users — the reach of the Microsoft ecosystem is growing rapidly.

On this page you will find 80+ up-to-date Microsoft Ads statistics and benchmarks for 2026, compiled from reports by Microsoft Advertising, Statista, Merkle, WordStream, and other reputable sources. Whether you are considering adding Microsoft Ads alongside your Google Ads campaigns, or want to benchmark your current performance — you will find all the data you need here.

MARKET
Section 1

BING MARKET SHARE & REACH

9.6%

Bing market share worldwide (desktop)

Statcounter March 2026

14.2%

Bing market share US (desktop)

Statcounter March 2026

18.7%

Bing + Yahoo combined US (desktop)

Statcounter US Desktop March 2026

1.2B

monthly searches on Bing

Microsoft Advertising FY2026

BING MARKET SHARE BY REGION (DESKTOP, 2026)

United States 14.2%
United Kingdom 11.8%
Canada 10.4%
Germany 7.6%
France 5.9%
Netherlands 4.8%
Global average 9.6%

Source: Statcounter Global Stats March 2026

  • Microsoft Search Network reaches 724 million unique monthly users worldwide, making it the second-largest search network after Google (Microsoft Advertising Global Audience Data 2026)
  • In the US, Bing holds a 14.2% market share on desktop, the highest share outside of Microsoft's own products. Combined with Yahoo (which uses Bing search results), this reaches 18.7% (Statcounter US Desktop Search March 2026)
  • The Microsoft Search Network includes Bing, Yahoo, AOL, DuckDuckGo (partially), and hundreds of partner websites — together accounting for 14.7 billion monthly searches worldwide (Microsoft Advertising Partner Network Report 2026)
  • Bing's desktop market share is 42% higher than on mobile, because Microsoft Edge and Windows set Bing as the default search engine (Statcounter Device Comparison 2026)
  • In the European business market, Bing holds an estimated market share of 8-12%, driven by Microsoft 365 and Teams integration (Forrester European Enterprise Search Report 2025)
  • 38% of Bing users search exclusively on Bing and cannot be reached through Google Ads — this represents a unique audience of approximately 275 million users (Microsoft Advertising Unique Audience Study 2026)
  • Microsoft Edge has a browser market share of 12.8% globally on desktop, which directly contributes to Bing search volume (Statcounter Browser Stats 2026)
  • Bing's market share has increased by 1.8 percentage points compared to 2024, partly due to Copilot integration and the growth of Microsoft Edge (Statcounter Year-over-Year Comparison)
DEMO
Section 2

BING USER DEMOGRAPHICS

Age 35-54 years
42%

largest age group on Bing

Google: 34% +8pp difference

Source: Microsoft Advertising Audience Insights 2026

Higher educated
46%

college or university degree

Google: 38% +8pp difference

Source: Comscore Digital Audience Report 2026

Household Income
40%

income above $75,000

Google: 31% +9pp difference

Source: Microsoft Advertising Income Demographics 2026

AGE DISTRIBUTION BING VS. GOOGLE

18-24 years 12% (Bing) vs. 18% (Google)
12%
25-34 years 21% (Bing) vs. 26% (Google)
21%
35-44 years 22% (Bing) vs. 20% (Google)
22%
45-54 years 20% (Bing) vs. 14% (Google)
20%
55-64 years 15% (Bing) vs. 12% (Google)
15%
65+ years 10% (Bing) vs. 10% (Google)
10%

Source: Microsoft Advertising Audience Insights 2026, Comscore Digital Audience Report

  • The average Bing user is 45 years old, versus 38 years for the average Google user. This makes Bing particularly valuable for advertisers seeking an older, higher-spending audience (Comscore 2026)
  • 53% of Bing users are male, 47% female — a nearly equal split comparable to Google (Microsoft Advertising Global Demographics 2026)
  • 32% of Bing users hold a management position or higher, compared to 24% on Google. This makes the platform especially interesting for B2B advertisers (Microsoft Advertising B2B Insights 2026)
  • Bing users spend an average of 22% more per online purchase than the average search traffic, with an average order value of $127 versus $104 (Merkle Digital Marketing Report Q4 2025)
  • In the US, 58% of Bing users belong to the upper socioeconomic bracket (higher incomes and education levels), versus 44% of the average internet audience (Comscore US Digital Consumer Study 2026)
  • 68% of Bing desktop users use Windows as their operating system, which is logical given the Edge browser integration. On mobile, 78% are iOS users (Microsoft Advertising Device Report 2026)
  • Bing users spend an average of 35% more time on commercial pages than the average search audience. The average session duration on retail websites via Bing traffic is 4 minutes and 12 seconds, versus 3 minutes and 7 seconds via Google (SimilarWeb Traffic Quality Comparison 2026)
  • In the 45-64 age group, Bing has an effective market share of 12.4% in the US — significantly higher than the overall average. This makes the platform particularly valuable for products and services targeting this demographic (Comscore Age-Segmented Search Report US 2026)
  • 74% of Bing users have a paid internet subscription with speeds above 100 Mbps, indicating a tech-savvy audience willing to invest in quality products (Microsoft Advertising Connected Consumer Study 2026)
CPC
Section 3

CPC & COSTS VS. GOOGLE

$1.37

average CPC Microsoft Ads (US)

WordStream 2026

$2.06

average CPC Google Ads (US)

WordStream 2026

-33%

average lower CPC than Google

Merkle Q4 2025

$31

average cost per conversion

WordStream 2026

CPC COMPARISON: MICROSOFT ADS VS. GOOGLE ADS (BY INDUSTRY)

Legal Services $3.11 vs. $5.80 (-46%)
Microsoft AdsGoogle Ads
Insurance $2.79 vs. $5.16 (-46%)
Microsoft AdsGoogle Ads
Financial Services $2.58 vs. $4.19 (-38%)
Microsoft AdsGoogle Ads
B2B & SaaS $2.25 vs. $3.44 (-34%)
Microsoft AdsGoogle Ads
E-commerce & Retail $0.88 vs. $1.29 (-32%)
Microsoft AdsGoogle Ads
Hospitality & Travel $0.73 vs. $1.02 (-28%)
Microsoft AdsGoogle Ads

Source: WordStream Industry Benchmarks 2026, Merkle Digital Marketing Report Q4 2025

  • The average CPC on Microsoft Ads is 33% lower than on Google Ads, and this difference has been consistent over the past 5 years. In 2024 the difference was 29%, indicating the CPC gap is widening (Merkle Digital Marketing Report Q4 2025)
  • In expensive niches (legal, insurance), the CPC difference reaches up to 46%, because there is significantly less competition on Microsoft Ads for the same keywords (WordStream Cross-Platform Analysis 2026)
  • The average cost per conversion on Microsoft Ads is $31, versus $45 on Google Ads — a savings of 31% per conversion (WordStream Conversion Cost Benchmarks 2026)
  • Microsoft Ads offers import from Google Ads: 72% of advertisers use this feature, and Microsoft recommends lowering bids by 15-30% after import (Microsoft Advertising Best Practices Guide 2026)
  • The average advertiser allocates 8-15% of their total search ad budget to Microsoft Ads, with a trend toward higher allocation thanks to improved Copilot integration (Tinuiti Digital Ads Benchmark Report 2026)
  • Advertisers who add Microsoft Ads to their Google Ads strategy see on average 15-20% more total conversions at a 10-18% lower blended CPA (Microsoft Advertising Cross-Platform ROI Study 2026)
  • The most expensive keywords on Microsoft Ads cost $9-19 per click (mortgage advice, personal injury), compared to $16-38 on Google for the same keywords (SEMrush US Keyword Database 2026)
CTR
Section 4

CTR & CONVERSION BENCHMARKS

Search Ads CTR
4.1%

average CTR

Top 10%: 9.4% CTR Google: 3.8%

Source: Microsoft Advertising 2026

Conversion Rate
3.6%

average conversion rate Search

Top 10%: 7.8% Google: 4.2%

Source: WordStream 2026

ROAS
2.8x

average ROAS across all industries

E-commerce: 4.6x Google: 2.0x

Source: Merkle Q4 2025

CONVERSION RATE BY INDUSTRY (MICROSOFT ADS SEARCH)

Automotive 5.2%
5.2%
Financial Services 4.8%
4.8%
Healthcare 4.1%
4.1%
B2B & SaaS 3.8%
3.8%
Legal 3.4%
3.4%
E-commerce 2.9%
2.9%
Hospitality & Travel 2.4%
2.4%

Source: WordStream Industry Benchmarks 2026, Microsoft Advertising Performance Data

  • The average CTR on Microsoft Ads Search is 4.1%, 8% higher than Google Ads (3.8%). This is explained by less competition and consequently higher ad positions (Microsoft Advertising CTR Report 2026)
  • The conversion rate on Microsoft Ads averages 3.6%, slightly lower than Google Ads (4.2%), but the lower CPC more than compensates for this in cost per acquisition (WordStream Cross-Platform Benchmark 2026)
  • Microsoft Ads Shopping campaigns achieve an average CTR of 1.8% and a conversion rate of 2.1%, comparable to Google Shopping (Microsoft Advertising Shopping Insights 2026)
  • The average impression share on Microsoft Ads is 42%, versus 28% on Google Ads. Advertisers reach a larger share of the available audience (Merkle Q4 2025)
  • Advertisers using Responsive Search Ads (RSA) on Microsoft Ads see on average 11% more conversions than with standard text ads (Microsoft Advertising RSA Performance Report 2026)
  • The average Quality Score on Microsoft Ads is 6.4/10, higher than the Google Ads average of 5.8/10. Higher Quality Scores lead to lower CPCs and better positions (WordStream Quality Score Analysis 2026)
  • The average ROAS on Microsoft Ads is 2.8:1 — 40% higher than the Google Ads average of 2.0:1. This is driven by lower CPCs combined with a high-spending audience (Merkle Digital Marketing Report Q4 2025)
MSAN
Section 5

MICROSOFT AUDIENCE NETWORK

1B+

monthly users worldwide

Microsoft Advertising 2026

0.48%

average CTR native ads

Microsoft MSAN Report 2026

-23%

lower CPA vs. display ads

Merkle Native Ads Report 2025

4x

higher CTR than traditional display

Microsoft MSAN vs Display Study

  • The Microsoft Audience Network (MSAN) displays native ads on MSN.com, Outlook.com, Microsoft Edge Start page, and hundreds of premium partner websites. The network reaches over 1 billion unique users monthly (Microsoft Advertising MSAN Overview 2026)
  • Native ads via MSAN have an average CTR of 0.48%, over 4x higher than traditional display ads (0.12% average). The higher CTR is attributed to the seamless integration with editorial content (Microsoft MSAN Performance Benchmarks 2026)
  • The average CPC on the Microsoft Audience Network is $0.34, 75% lower than Search Ads and 33% lower than Google Display Network (WordStream Native Ads CPC Comparison 2026)
  • MSAN campaigns deliver an average 23% lower CPA than comparable display campaigns on other networks, thanks to higher engagement and premium publisher placements (Merkle Native Advertising Performance Report 2025)
  • View-through conversions on MSAN are 34% higher than on the Google Display Network, indicating a stronger branding effect through the premium publisher mix (Microsoft Advertising Attribution Report 2026)
  • 52% of MSAN impressions are served on Outlook.com and MSN.com, allowing advertisers to reach a professional and business-oriented audience (Microsoft Advertising Placement Report 2026)
  • Advertisers combining MSAN with Search campaigns see on average 26% more total conversions, as MSAN serves as an awareness layer that stimulates search intent (Microsoft Advertising Cross-Campaign Impact Study 2026)
  • MSAN supports in-market audiences, custom audiences, and remarketing, with on average 18% higher conversion rates when using in-market targeting versus broad reach (Microsoft Advertising Audience Targeting Performance 2026)
AI
Section 6

COPILOT & AI INTEGRATION

Copilot Users
320M

monthly Copilot users

Growth: +148% YoY Q4 2025 data

Source: Microsoft FY2026 Q2 Earnings

Commercial Intent
35%

Copilot sessions with purchase intent

Search: 22% purchase intent +13pp higher

Source: Microsoft Advertising AI Insights 2026

Ads in Copilot CTR
1.5%

average CTR Copilot ads

Range: 1.2-1.8% By category

Source: Microsoft Advertising Copilot Beta Results

  • Microsoft Copilot has 320 million monthly active users (Q2 FY2026), a growth of 148% compared to a year earlier. Copilot is integrated into Bing, Edge, Windows, and Microsoft 365 (Microsoft FY2026 Q2 Earnings Call)
  • Ads for Copilot Chat displays sponsored results within AI-generated answers, with an average CTR of 1.2-1.8%. In product-focused categories (electronics, fashion), the CTR reaches up to 2.3% (Microsoft Advertising Copilot Ads Beta Report 2026)
  • 35% of all Copilot sessions contain commercial intent, versus 22% for regular Bing searches. Users who search via Copilot are more likely to make a purchase (Microsoft Advertising AI Commerce Study 2026)
  • Advertisers participating in Copilot placements see on average 18% more reach and 12% more impressions on their campaigns, without additional cost per click (Microsoft Advertising Copilot Early Access Program Results)
  • Microsoft's AI-powered bidding strategies (Enhanced CPC, Target CPA, Target ROAS) perform on average 14% better on Microsoft Ads than on Google Ads, because the algorithm is more effective at lower volumes (Merkle Automated Bidding Comparison 2026)
  • Copilot-integrated Shopping ads display product recommendations directly in AI answers, with an average conversion rate of 3.2% — 52% higher than standard Shopping ads (Microsoft Advertising AI Shopping Beta 2026)
  • Microsoft is investing $80 billion in AI infrastructure in FY2025, a significant portion of which goes toward improving Copilot and ad integration. Analysts expect Copilot ads to generate 8-12% of Microsoft's advertising revenue by 2027 (Morgan Stanley AI Advertising Forecast 2026)
B2B
Section 7

LINKEDIN PROFILE TARGETING

+47%

higher conversion rate with LinkedIn targeting vs. standard

Microsoft Advertising B2B Report 2026

1B+

LinkedIn profiles available for targeting

LinkedIn Member Data 2026

-31%

lower CPA for B2B leads vs. LinkedIn Ads direct

Merkle B2B Advertising Study 2026

What is LinkedIn Profile Targeting?

Microsoft Ads is the only search advertising platform that offers LinkedIn Profile Targeting. This allows you to target search ads based on LinkedIn profile data: job title, company, industry, and company size. This makes Microsoft Ads exceptionally powerful for B2B marketing.

  • LinkedIn Profile Targeting combines search intent with professional context — you reach people who are actively searching for your product/service AND hold the right job title. This delivers 47% higher conversion rates compared to standard targeting (Microsoft Advertising B2B Performance Report 2026)
  • The CPA for B2B leads via Microsoft Ads with LinkedIn targeting is on average 31% lower than via LinkedIn Ads directly, because you benefit from lower CPCs combined with search intent (Merkle B2B Advertising Cost Comparison 2026)
  • Available LinkedIn targeting options: job title (600+ titles), company name (direct company targeting), industry (150+ industries), and company size (from 1-10 to 10,000+) (Microsoft Advertising LinkedIn Profile Targeting Documentation)
  • 28% of Microsoft Ads B2B advertisers actively use LinkedIn Profile Targeting, with a growing trend. Users of this feature report on average 62% higher lead quality scores (Microsoft Advertising B2B Adoption Report 2026)
  • LinkedIn Profile Targeting is available in 18 countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands. In the US, over 200 million LinkedIn profiles are available for targeting (Microsoft Advertising Market Availability 2026)
  • The average CPC increases by only 8-12% when LinkedIn targeting is added, while the conversion rate increases by 47% — resulting in a net CPA reduction of 25-35% (Microsoft Advertising LinkedIn Targeting ROI Analysis 2026)
  • Combining LinkedIn targeting with in-market audiences delivers the best results: on average 68% higher conversion rates and 22% lower CPA than without targeting overlays (Microsoft Advertising Advanced Targeting Study 2026)
SHOP
Section 8

SHOPPING & PRODUCT ADS

$0.41

average CPC Shopping Ads

WordStream Shopping Benchmarks 2026

1.8%

average CTR Shopping

Microsoft Shopping Report 2026

2.1%

average conversion rate Shopping

WordStream Shopping 2026

4.6x

average ROAS Shopping

Merkle Shopping Report Q4 2025

  • Microsoft Shopping Ads CPC averages $0.41, 45% lower than Google Shopping ($0.73 average). The CPC advantage is even greater for Shopping campaigns than for Search (WordStream Shopping CPC Comparison 2026)
  • Microsoft Shopping campaigns generate 12% of total Microsoft Ads revenue, with the strongest growth of all campaign types (+34% year-over-year). Shopping is the fastest-growing ad format on the platform (Microsoft Advertising Revenue Breakdown FY2026)
  • The average ROAS for Microsoft Shopping is 4.6:1, compared to 4.0:1 on Google Shopping. The difference is attributed to lower CPCs and a higher-spending audience (Merkle Shopping Performance Report Q4 2025)
  • Microsoft offers Free Product Listings alongside paid Shopping Ads. Advertisers using both see on average 28% more total product clicks (Microsoft Merchant Center Free Listings Report 2026)
  • Smart Shopping campaigns on Microsoft Ads use AI to optimize bids, targeting, and placements. They achieve on average 16% more conversions than manually managed Shopping campaigns (Microsoft Advertising Smart Shopping Results 2026)
  • 42% of Microsoft Shopping clicks come from users who are not reached through Google, underscoring the incremental value of the platform (Microsoft Advertising Unique Shopper Study 2026)
  • The feed import from Google Merchant Center is used by 68% of Microsoft Shopping advertisers. Microsoft automatically synchronizes product data, prices, and availability (Microsoft Merchant Center Import Statistics 2026)
DATA
Section 9

BENCHMARKS BY INDUSTRY

AVERAGE CPC BY INDUSTRY (MICROSOFT ADS SEARCH)

Legal Services $3.11
Insurance $2.79
Financial Services $2.58
B2B & SaaS $2.25
Healthcare $1.77
Real Estate $1.45
E-commerce & Retail $0.88
Hospitality & Travel $0.73

Source: WordStream Industry Benchmarks 2026, Microsoft Advertising Performance Data

AVERAGE CTR BY INDUSTRY (MICROSOFT ADS SEARCH)

Hospitality & Travel 5.8%
Automotive 5.1%
Real Estate 4.6%
E-commerce 3.9%
B2B & SaaS 3.4%
Financial Services 3.2%
Legal 2.8%

Source: WordStream Industry Benchmarks 2026, Microsoft Advertising CTR Data

  • The cost per conversion ranges from $15 (hospitality) to $73 (legal) on Microsoft Ads, on average 31% lower than the same industries on Google Ads (WordStream Cross-Platform Conversion Cost 2026)
  • B2B & SaaS advertisers achieve the highest ROI on Microsoft Ads thanks to the combination of a business audience, LinkedIn targeting, and lower CPCs. The average ROAS in B2B is 3.4:1 (Microsoft Advertising B2B Vertical Report 2026)
  • Healthcare shows the strongest growth on Microsoft Ads: +42% more advertisers and +38% more spend year-over-year. The older, affluent Bing audience aligns well with healthcare-related searches (Microsoft Advertising Healthcare Vertical Insights 2026)
  • E-commerce advertisers on Microsoft Ads achieve an average ROAS of 4.6:1 with Shopping campaigns and 3.1:1 with Search campaigns. The combination of both delivers a blended ROAS of 4.0:1 (Merkle E-commerce Advertising Report Q4 2025)
  • The automotive industry has the highest CTR (5.1%) and conversion rate (5.2%) on Microsoft Ads, because the platform reaches an audience that is more likely to own personal transportation and has a higher budget (Microsoft Advertising Automotive Insights 2026)
Section 11

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Bing's market share?

In 2026, Bing holds a global desktop market share of approximately 9.6%. In the US, this rises to 14.2% on desktop. Combined with Yahoo (which uses Bing results), the Microsoft Search Network reaches 18.7% of US desktop searches. In the business market, the share is 8-12% due to integration with Microsoft 365.

How much cheaper is Microsoft Ads than Google Ads?

Microsoft Ads is on average 30-35% cheaper per click than Google Ads. The average CPC on the Microsoft Search Network is $1.37 versus $2.06 on Google Search. In expensive niches like legal services, the difference can reach up to 46%.

Is Microsoft Ads suitable for B2B marketing?

Yes, Microsoft Ads is particularly well-suited for B2B. The Bing user base is on average older (35-54 years) and more highly educated than the Google audience. 40% have a household income above $75,000. Additionally, Microsoft Ads is the only platform offering LinkedIn Profile Targeting, allowing you to target by job title, company, and industry.

What is the Microsoft Audience Network?

The Microsoft Audience Network (MSAN) is Microsoft's native advertising network that displays ads on MSN, Outlook.com, Microsoft Edge, and partner websites. MSAN reaches over 1 billion users monthly. Native ads via MSAN have an average CTR of 0.48% and a 23% lower CPA than comparable display campaigns.

How does Copilot integration work in Microsoft Ads?

Microsoft integrates ads into Copilot (the AI assistant in Bing, Edge, and Windows). Ads for Copilot Chat displays sponsored results within AI-generated answers, with an average CTR of 1.2-1.8%. Microsoft reports that 35% of Copilot sessions contain commercial intent.

Can I import my Google Ads campaigns into Microsoft Ads?

Yes, Microsoft Ads offers a Google Import feature that lets you directly import campaigns, ad groups, keywords, and ads from Google Ads. 72% of advertisers use this feature. Microsoft recommends lowering bids by 15-30% after import due to the lower competition level. The import also supports automated scheduling for ongoing synchronization.

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.