Why a Bing Ads Audit is Your Key to Better ROI

A bing ads audit is a structured review of your Microsoft Advertising account that evaluates campaign performance, identifies wasted spend, and uncovers optimization opportunities. Here’s what an audit covers:

Account Structure: Campaign organization, budget allocation, and targeting settings
Keywords & Audiences: Search query analysis, negative keywords, and audience segments
Ad Copy & Landing Pages: Message match, Quality Score factors, and user experience
Bidding & Budget: Bid strategy effectiveness and impression share analysis
Tracking & Compliance: Conversion tracking accuracy and policy adherence

If your Bing Ads campaigns aren’t delivering the results you expected, or if costs are climbing without a corresponding increase in conversions, an audit reveals exactly where your budget is going and how to fix it.

Why Bing Ads deserve your attention: While many advertisers focus exclusively on Google, Microsoft’s search network reaches over 1 billion unique monthly visitors and accounts for around 30% of all searches in the US. The platform offers a unique demographic advantage—over 70% of users are over 35, and 38% earn over $100,000 annually. Even better, clicks on Bing Ads cost 30-40% less than Google Ads, and the average CTR is 1.25% compared to Google’s 0.86%. Shopping ads on Bing see a 45% higher CTR than on Google.

The cost of neglecting your account: Without regular audits, campaigns lose efficiency fast. Broad targeting wastes budget on unqualified clicks. Outdated ad copy fails to connect with searchers. Missing conversion tracking makes it impossible to measure true ROI. Overlooked policy violations can lead to disapproved ads or even account suspension. These issues compound over time, turning what could be a profitable channel into a budget drain.

As Milton Brown, I’ve managed paid media campaigns across search, display, and social platforms since 2008, working with budgets ranging from $20,000 to $5 million. A bing ads audit is the first step I recommend to any business looking to improve their digital advertising performance. Here’s how to conduct one that actually drives results.

The Unique Advantages of Auditing Bing Ads

When we think about online advertising, Google Ads often gets all the attention. But guess what? Overlooking Bing Ads (now called Microsoft Advertising) means you could be missing out on a truly powerful, and often more affordable, way to reach your customers. A thorough bing ads audit helps us fully use these special benefits for businesses right here in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and all across North Carolina.

Let’s quickly compare to see why Bing Ads truly stands out:

Metric / Feature	Bing Ads (Microsoft Advertising)	Google Ads
Competition	Less competition	High competition
Average CPC	30-40% less than Google Ads	Higher
Average CTR	1.25%	0.86%
Shopping Ads CTR	45% higher than Google	Lower
US Search Market Share	~30%	~60-70%
Unique Monthly Visits	~1 billion	Billions
User Demographics	70%+ over 35, 38% earn $100k+, 51% women, 85% US-based	Broader, younger demographic
Targeting Control	More complex approaches, greater control over region and time	Extensive, but sometimes less granular in certain areas
Device Integration	Default search for Siri, Windows 10 (48% of searches)	Dominant on Android, Chrome
Social Extensions	Integrated (e.g., displaying Twitter follower counts next to ads)	Less prominent

More for Your Money, More Engagement: The numbers tell an exciting story. With less competition, Bing Ads often have a 30-40% lower cost-per-click (CPC) than Google Ads, stretching your budget further. Engagement is also higher, with an average click-through rate (CTR) of 1.25% (vs. 0.86% on Google) and a 45% higher CTR for Shopping Ads.

Reach a Unique, Valuable Audience: Bing’s audience is another key advantage. Over 70% of users are over 35, and 38% earn over $100,000 annually. If you target a mature, financially stable customer, Bing is a goldmine. A smart bing ads audit helps fine-tune campaigns to reach these high-value customers, a great strategy for efficient PPC Management for Small Business.

Smarter Targeting and Cool Integrations: Bing also offers precise targeting controls and unique integrations. As the default search for Siri and Windows 10, its reach is massive. Features like social extensions can give you a competitive edge. An audit ensures you’re leveraging these features to their full potential.

How to Conduct a Comprehensive Bing Ads Audit: A Step-by-Step Checklist

A comprehensive bing ads audit is a systematic process designed to uncover every opportunity for improvement and eliminate any inefficiencies within your campaigns. Think of it like a thorough health check for your advertising. A regular Pay Per Click Audit is crucial for sustained success.

This section breaks down the audit into manageable steps, highlighting common mistakes and providing actionable insights for each component.

Step 1: Account & Campaign Structure Review

A well-organized account is the foundation of a successful campaign.

Campaign Naming & Organization: We check for clear, consistent naming conventions (e.g., “Brand – Search – US”) and ensure Brand vs. Non-Brand campaigns are separated. Mixing them skews data, as brand campaigns typically have higher CTRs and lower CPCs.
Budget Allocation: Is your budget aligned with your goals? We check if top-performing campaigns are underfunded or if money is wasted on poor performers.
Delivery Method: We review if you’re using Standard vs. Accelerated delivery appropriately. Standard is best for most campaigns to ensure visibility throughout the day.
Ad Scheduling & Device Targeting: We analyze performance by hour, day, and device (desktop, mobile, tablet). This allows us to use bid modifiers to focus your budget on peak conversion times and best-performing devices.
Location Targeting: For local businesses in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, precise geo-targeting is key. We ensure your campaigns target your service areas and exclude irrelevant locations to avoid wasted clicks.

Common mistake: Overly broad targeting is a major budget drain. We help you focus your targeting to reach the right audience!

Step 2: Keyword and Targeting Analysis

Keywords connect you to your customers. This analysis is non-negotiable.

Keyword Relevance & Match Types: We ensure your keywords are highly relevant to your offerings and review your use of PPC keyword match types (broad, phrase, exact) to create a balanced strategy.
Search Query Report Analysis: We analyze the actual search terms triggering your ads. This report is a goldmine for finding new keyword opportunities and identifying irrelevant searches.
Negative Keyword Lists: Based on the search query report, we build robust negative keyword lists. A strong PPC Negative Keyword Strategy is one of the fastest ways to cut wasted spend.
Audience Segments: We check if you’re using Bing’s powerful audiences, like in-market segments, custom audiences, and remarketing lists. For B2B, we can refine targeting by job title or industry.

Common mistake: Neglecting negative keywords is the biggest culprit for wasted ad spend. This requires ongoing maintenance.

Step 3: Ad Copy and Landing Page Evaluation

Your ad is the first impression; your landing page is where conversions happen. They must work in harmony.

Ad Relevance & Quality: Does your ad copy address the search query and state your unique value? We check for relevance, clarity, and quality (no typos!).
Ad Extensions: We ensure you’re using all relevant extensions (Sitelink, Callout, Image) to increase your ad’s size, visibility, and CTR.
Responsive Search Ads: We verify you’re providing enough high-quality headlines and descriptions for Bing to test and find the best-performing ad combinations.
Ad-to-Landing Page Message Match: The message on your landing page must match the promise in your ad. A mismatch creates a poor user experience and wastes the click.
Landing Page Experience: We assess your landing page for user-friendliness, mobile-friendliness, load speed, and a clear call-to-action. Optimizing for Responsive Web Design SEO is crucial for all devices.

Common mistake: A mismatch between the ad promise and landing page content. This hurts your Quality Score and increases costs.

Step 4: Bidding and Budget Management

Smart bidding and budget management maximize conversions for your ad spend.

Bid Strategy Review: We evaluate if your current bid strategy (e.g., Manual, Maximize Conversions) aligns with your campaign goals. Bing Ads offers 5 bid strategy options.
Manual vs. Automated Bidding: While automated bidding is powerful, manual bidding can offer more control for new campaigns. We assess the right balance for your account.
Cost-Per-Conversion (CPA): We analyze CPA at the campaign, ad group, and keyword level to identify inefficiencies and reallocate budget.
Impression Share Analysis: This metric shows how often your ads appeared versus how often they could have. A low share means you’re missing opportunities. This is a key part of Google Ads Budget Management as well.

Common mistake: Over-reliance on automated recommendations without review. Automated strategies are tools, not set-and-forget solutions.

Step 5: Policy Compliance and Conversion Tracking

These two elements are non-negotiable for campaign health and success.

Microsoft Ads Policy Compliance: We review your ads and landing pages against Microsoft’s Advertising Policies Center to prevent ad disapprovals or account suspension.
Universal Event Tracking (UET) Tag Setup: We verify that Bing’s UET tag is correctly installed on your site. Without it, you can’t track user behavior or conversions accurately.
Conversion Goal Accuracy: Are you tracking the right actions (e.g., form fills, calls, sales)? We ensure your conversion goals are set up and firing correctly, providing the accurate data needed for optimization and AI in Marketing Analytics.

Common mistake: Inaccurate or missing conversion tracking. Without it, you can’t measure ROI or optimize effectively. It’s like flying blind.

Turning Insights into Action: Post-Audit Optimization

An audit is only valuable if you act on its findings. The real change happens when we turn those insights into concrete improvements.

Creating an Optimization Roadmap

After completing your audit, you’ll likely have a list of issues. The key is knowing where to start.

Prioritizing Fixes: We tackle high-impact items first. Broken conversion tracking or widespread ad disapprovals get fixed immediately, as you can’t optimize what you can’t measure or show.
Setting Performance Benchmarks: Based on the audit, we set clear targets (e.g., reducing CPA from $150 to $100) to measure the success of our optimizations.
A/B Testing: Instead of making sweeping changes, we test variations scientifically. PPC Campaign Optimization involves testing ad copy, landing pages, and bid strategies to let data determine what works.
Establishing a Testing Calendar: We plan monthly tests to ensure continuous learning and improvement, using Advanced PPC Techniques to keep campaigns from stagnating.

Tools and Ongoing Maintenance

The right tools make optimization dramatically easier. We use Microsoft Advertising Editor for bulk changes, the Microsoft Advertising Intelligence tool for deep keyword research, and automated rules to manage campaigns 24/7.

Successful ongoing maintenance looks like this:

Quarterly deep-dive audits: A complete, systematic review of every aspect of your account.
Monthly check-ins: Lighter reviews focusing on key metrics and performance trends.
Weekly monitoring: Quick checks of spend, conversions, and any alerts or policy issues.

This layered approach, improved by AI Tools for PPC, ensures your campaigns are always evolving and maximizing your return on investment.

Frequently Asked Questions about a Bing Ads Audit

How frequently should I conduct a Bing Ads audit?

A full, in-depth bing ads audit is recommended at least quarterly to gather enough data for strategic changes. Between these deep dives, lighter monthly reviews are essential to monitor key metrics, analyze search queries, and catch small issues before they grow. This ensures your campaigns stay aligned with your Data Driven Marketing Strategies and remain on track.

What are the most common issues found during a Bing Ads audit?

In our experience, a bing ads audit often uncovers a few common culprits that can quietly drain your ad budget:

Inefficient budget allocation: Money is spread too thin or focused on underperforming campaigns.
Poor keyword targeting: A weak negative keyword strategy leads to wasted clicks on irrelevant searches.
Low Quality Scores: A mismatch between the ad and the landing page hurts relevance, increasing costs.
Inaccurate or missing conversion tracking: Without correct tracking, you can’t measure what’s working or calculate true ROI.

Can a Bing Ads audit really improve my ROI?

Absolutely. A bing ads audit is one of the most effective ways to boost your return on investment. By systematically reviewing your account, we:

Reduce wasted spend by cutting irrelevant clicks.
Optimize bids to focus on actions that drive conversions.
Improve ad relevance to get higher CTRs and lower costs.
Focus your budget on top-performing campaigns.

In short, an audit makes your ad spend smarter and more effective, directly leading to a higher return. It’s a core component of How to Increase Your ROI Through Scientific SEM.

Maximize Your Potential with an Expert Audit

So, you’ve seen how much a bing ads audit can uncover. But here’s the thing: it’s not a one-and-done solution. Think of it more like regular tune-ups for your car. The digital marketing world is always changing, so an ongoing audit process is absolutely vital for keeping your campaigns running smoothly and efficiently.

By regularly diving into your account, we can keep fine-tuning things. This means you’ll keep eliminating wasted ad spend, truly making the most of Bing’s unique advantages, and ensuring every dollar you spend is working hard to grow your business. Especially for businesses right here in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, understanding and using Microsoft Advertising’s specific audience and cost-savings can seriously move the needle.

Ready to uncover those hidden gems and open up even more potential? Our expert team at Multitouch Marketing is here to lend a hand. We’ll roll up our sleeves, dig deep into your campaigns, and give you clear, easy-to-understand recommendations. Then, we’ll help you put those strategies into action, driving real, measurable results for your business. Don’t leave money on the table – explore our PPC Audit Services today and let’s get your Bing Ads campaigns truly soaring!