Bing Ads

Second-largest search advertising platform globally, behind Google Ads, with unique B2B targeting capabilities via LinkedIn data integration

Microsoft Advertising, formerly known as Bing Ads until April 29, 2019, is Microsoft's flagship digital advertising platform that connects advertisers with audiences across the Microsoft Search Network — encompassing Bing, Yahoo, AOL, and MSN — as well as a growing suite of native, audience, and connected-TV inventory. The rebrand from Bing Ads to Microsoft Advertising reflected the platform's strategic expansion beyond pure search advertising into broader audience-based and programmatic formats, signaling Microsoft's ambition to compete more directly with Google Ads and Meta across the full digital advertising funnel. The platform serves millions of advertisers globally, from small businesses to Fortune 500 enterprises, offering pay-per-click search ads, shopping campaigns, responsive ads, and audience targeting powered by Microsoft's unique first-party data assets including LinkedIn profile data and Microsoft Graph signals. Microsoft Advertising holds the second-largest share of the search advertising market in the United States and several other key markets, making it an essential channel for performance marketers seeking reach beyond Google. Its integration with LinkedIn audience data is a particularly differentiated capability, allowing B2B advertisers to target by job title, industry, and company size within a search context — something no other search platform offers. The platform also powers search advertising for partners like Yahoo and DuckDuckGo, extending its effective reach significantly. In the AdTech ecosystem, Microsoft Advertising plays a dual role as both a walled garden for its owned-and-operated inventory and an open platform with robust API access for agencies, DSPs, and third-party tools. Its acquisition of Xandr from AT&T in 2022 further expanded its programmatic and CTV capabilities, positioning Microsoft Advertising as an increasingly full-stack advertising solution. The platform continues to invest heavily in AI-driven ad products, including generative AI integrations tied to its Copilot and Bing Chat experiences.