What Sets Microsoft Ads Apart: Five Features Marketers Shouldn’t Ignore

Marketers often default to Google when planning a search strategy, but overlooking Microsoft Ads means missing out on powerful features that can drive incremental volume, lower costs, and stronger ROI. While both platforms share the fundamentals of search, Microsoft Ads offers distinct advantages that make it a smart addition to any performance-focused media plan.

In this article, I’ll break down the unique capabilities that set Microsoft Ads apart—and why it deserves a dedicated place in your paid search mix.

Greater Transparency Across the Partner Network

One standout advantage of Microsoft Ads is the level of visibility it offers into its search partner network. Advertisers can see where their ads are being served, making it easier to diagnose performance issues and identify high-value placements. This added transparency also comes with control: you can quickly opt out of specific partners if they aren’t meeting your efficiency goals. While it would be ideal to limit campaigns exclusively to Microsoft’s owned and operated inventory, the current controls still provide a level of clarity and flexibility that Google doesn’t match.

CPC Bidding Still Works—And Works Well

Microsoft Ads continues to support manual CPC bidding, giving advertisers the ability to set their own cost per click and maintain direct control over spend. While Google technically still offers this option, it rarely performs as effectively due to the platform’s stronger push toward automated strategies. On Microsoft Ads, CPC bidding remains a viable—and often reliable—approach, especially for advertisers who don’t pass back conversion data or need to make rapid optimizations without waiting for an algorithm to recalibrate. For many performance marketers, this level of manual control is invaluable, and hopefully it’s a feature that stays in place for the long haul.

Flexible Ad Scheduling With Viewer Time-Zone Targeting

Microsoft Ads offers a subtle but meaningful advantage in how it handles ad scheduling: you can choose to run campaigns based on your account’s default time zone or your viewer’s local time zone. For many always-on digital products, this may not feel critical—but for advertisers with time-sensitive promotions, the feature can offer a competitive advantage.

If a campaign needs to align with a user’s end-of-day deadline, setting campaigns in the viewer’s time zone ensures promotions stay accurate no matter where the audience lives. In a previous role managing insurance campaigns with strict cutoffs, this feature would have allowed ads to run throughout the full day instead of shutting things off early to avoid serving at the wrong time. It’s a small detail, but for advertisers who rely on precision, it delivers real value.

Unique LinkedIn Profile Targeting You Can’t Get in Google Ads

One of Microsoft Ads’ biggest competitive advantages is its native integration with LinkedIn, giving advertisers access to professional targeting that Google Ads simply doesn’t offer. With this integration, you can reach users based on their company, job function, or industry —audience segments that are unavailable with Google’s native targeting capabilities.

For companies trying to reach decision makers, this level of professional targeting is a real advantage. It allows advertisers to deliver tailored messaging to decision-makers and high-value segments that are otherwise difficult to reach through traditional search alone. For B2B campaigns, it’s a genuine game changer.

Impression-Based Retargeting Across the Microsoft Ecosystem

Microsoft Ads also offers impression-based retargeting, giving advertisers the ability to re-engage users who were exposed to upper-funnel native, display, or video campaigns—even if those users never clicked through. This creates a full-funnel connection point that many brands, especially those focused on awareness, struggle to achieve on other platforms.

For advertisers in sensitive categories or those without a robust tech stack for site-based remarketing, this feature is especially valuable. It allows you to build search or native retargeting audiences purely from ad exposure, ensuring that your message stays top of mind without relying on website visits or complex tracking setups. It’s a flexible, accessible approach to reinforcing brand recall and guiding users further down the funnel.

Microsoft Ads – a Fresh Look

Advertisers who have overlooked Microsoft Ads may want to take a fresh look. The platform has quietly built a set of thoughtful, innovative features that go well beyond “Google-lite” and genuinely strengthen a paid search strategy. If you’re interested in exploring how Microsoft Ads can fit into your media mix—or want guidance on setting up or optimizing your campaigns—feel free to reach out through my contact page. I’d be happy to help you get started.