Bing Search Ads: Microsoft Advertising Search Campaign Management

Bing vs. search partners: the ad distribution setting

In Microsoft Advertising we can choose at ad group level where ads appear: the search results of Bing, AOL and Yahoo themselves, syndicated partner search sites, or both. The default turns both on. A pattern we often see in accounts we take over: a meaningful part of spend goes to partner sites, while most conversions come from Bing itself.

So in the first two weeks we read the publisher and network reports separately. We exclude partner sites that bring no conversions and, where needed, restrict important ad groups to Bing, AOL and Yahoo only. With image extensions, search ads can also appear in native placements on the Microsoft Audience Network. In reporting we separate this traffic from search with the ad distribution breakdown.

Where did Dynamic Search Ads go in Microsoft Advertising?

Microsoft retired the separate Dynamic Search Ads campaign type. Dynamic ads now run as a dynamic (SearchDynamic) ad group inside a regular Search campaign. This made management simpler, because keywords and the dynamic group now share the same budget and the same negative list. We open dynamic groups for brands with well-structured category pages, to catch long-tail queries the keyword list misses. On sites with thin content or frequently changing pages, we do not set up this group at all.

AI Max for Search and Predictive Matching on Bing

Microsoft introduced AI Max for Search as a pilot in June 2026 and opened it to all advertisers on August 27, 2026. It is on by default in newly created Search campaigns and can be switched off. Like its Google counterpart, it broadens search term matching, personalizes ad copy and can send users to a better-matching landing page. Predictive Matching, previously a separate feature, is reported to have been folded into this search term matching; we check how it appears in your account before setup. We test AI Max first in a single campaign with reliable conversion tracking and automated bidding.

• In the first weeks we read the search terms report every two or three days and add irrelevant expansions to the negative list.
• We keep brand keywords in a separate campaign, outside the one with AI Max on.
• For landing page routing, we exclude pages with outdated price or stock information.
• During the test we compare cost and conversion rate against a control campaign with AI Max off.

Bing-specific keyword and ad copy adjustments

A large share of Bing traffic comes from desktop, often from work computers. In our keyword strategy work, we test long-tail B2B queries on Bing that were dropped because they looked low-volume on Google. We do not leave RSA copy imported from Google Ads Search campaigns as it is; we add headlines that read well on desktop and speak to corporate decision-makers. We compare conversion quality with form and quote request data in GA4.

Search Campaigns: when do we recommend it?

How we manage Search Campaigns

1. Keyword mapWe separate keywords that bring profit on Google and add B2B long-tail queries that look low-volume there to the Bing list.
2. Separate conversion goalsWe define forms, demos and quote requests as separate UET goals and give each a value.
3. Network settingWe decide Bing and partner network distribution per ad group and watch the publisher report closely for two weeks.
4. Dynamic groups and negativesWhere it fits, we open a dynamic ad group and grow the negative list from the search terms report.
5. AI Max control testWe leave AI Max on in one campaign and compare cost and conversion rate with a control campaign where it is off.
6. Bid strategy switchOnce enough conversions build up, we move from manual or enhanced CPC to an automated bid strategy.

Search Campaigns: metrics and requirements

The Brand Move Microsoft Advertising Team

To learn more about Search Campaigns or other Microsoft Advertising ad formats, contact The Brand Move Microsoft Advertising team today.

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