There’s no doubt about it: Google is the de facto Search King. We’re not going to argue with you on that one; it’s a widely known and accepted fact that Google owns most of the market share when it comes to search.
Okay, now that we’ve cleared that up…remember that old saying about putting your eggs all in one basket? Despite Google’s ubiquitous nature, it still doesn’t completely own search. Bing is the next-in-line competitor, capturing about one-third of the total U.S. search market. Not too shabby, right?
So, here are the facts: Five billion (Billion!) searches a month are cycled through Bing. And people who search on Bing aren’t necessarily exclusive to Bing. In fact, there’s another whopping 100 million searchers who use both platforms.
Yowza – that’s a heck of a lot of overlap.
The Benefits of Advertising on Both Networks
Turns out, cross-advertising has some solid advantages. Many advertisers who invest in Bing also see a parallel, sizeable boost on Google.
Here’s why: what searchers are searching for, and eventually discovering, on Bing certainly impacts what they search for in Google later. There’s a bit of a piggyback effect happening, and you can use it to your benefit.
There are additional benefits to Bing, such as:
- Less competition. And the lack of competition means you’ll probably receive better ad positions.
- It’s cheaper! You’ll see the difference in your low CPC, an average of more than 33% lower than Google.
- It’s small-business friendly. The two points above, combined with exceptional customer service, make it a compelling option to at least test when you’re starting out in the paid search space.
It doesn’t stop at Bing. Google’s Display Network also delivers an affordable route to get your brand in front of a lot of eyeballs. There’s often a similar effect here: when advertisers invest in Google’s Display Network, they generally see an impressive boost in searches for their brand on Google.
Next, social media. For example, Facebook has recently ramped up their number of advertisers in a big way. With an intuitive UI and extremely reasonable prices, it’s hard to turn Facebook away. Again, when advertisers push out ads on social media channels like Facebook, they usually see a jump in branded search terms and ranking—sometimes by more than 54% percent!
Improved search engine rankings were most prevalent among those who’ve been using social media for 1 year or longer, with 54%+ reporting a rise. (Social Media Examiner, 2016)
You Make The Choice
Bottom-line: there are benefits to advertising on both Google and Bing, and it’s worth exploring. If you’re dismissing Bing altogether, there’s a good chance you’re leaving conversions on the table.
Do one, do both, your call. MatchCraft’s AdVantage Platform gives advertisers the choice.
What’s been your experience advertising on both Google and Bing?