How often do we actually use Bing search? Rarely or never — and yet, since its launch, this platform has changed a lot and has become one of the appealing tools for online marketing. Nevertheless, most digital marketers still use Google/Yandex tools, and even personally stick with Google or Yandex search engines, not to mention that their browser is usually Chrome or something similar (but rarely Edge). Occasionally, they might check keyword rankings in Yahoo! and Bing to compare results with Google and Yandex, but in 99% of cases, they favor the latter two. Meanwhile, Bing actually enjoys solid popularity globally and successfully competes with Google.
But when you start considering the pros and cons of Bing for internet marketing, your thoughts might begin racing — because this platform offers many advantages and possibilities. So why is it still so underused in some user "niches" or countries? Today we’ll try to explore that a bit, compare major search platforms, and reflect on how convenient Bing actually is.
Ads
If you’ve used Bing as your search engine for a while, one of the first things you’ll notice is the presence of familiar PPC (pay-per-click) ads — similar to Google AdWords. These appear in three locations: top of the page, bottom, and in a column to the right. Google used to display ads in the right column too, but a few years ago they stopped, replacing that space with reference information. So this right-hand ad section on Bing feels a bit nostalgic.
The key point is that Bing’s use of the right-hand PPC block means more ads are shown on a single page than on Google. That logically increases the chance your ad will appear. While Google typically shows up to seven PPC ads per page, we counted as many as twelve on Bing’s results page.
Maps
Like Google and Yandex, Bing also displays local listings and maps at the top of the page. But in addition to locations, Bing includes TripAdvisor reviews and related keyword-based searches.
The difference between Bing and Google in this case is that Bing shows up to five local listings, while Google displays around three or four. Another distinction: Bing pulls reviews from TripAdvisor, while Google uses its own Google Business reviews — and only shows them when a user clicks a location. Bing, on the other hand, offers immediate access to that data directly in the results, or via a dropdown arrow next to each listing — with no need to load a separate page.
Overall Landing Page Aesthetics
This might seem like a small thing, but it’s worth noting. Unlike Google’s white homepage — with the occasional celebratory doodle — Bing features a new full-screen background photo every day. Sure, it’s not “ a big deal ,” but user experience and aesthetics do matter and influence user perception.
Organic Result Listings
On Bing’s search results page, space is limited. Once you account for ads at the top, maps, and bottom-of-page PPC listings, only about six or seven organic (i.e., editorially ranked) search results remain. Compared to Google’s ten, this isn’t ideal for marketers — competition is tougher. Bing prioritizes what it considers to be the most relevant results, according to its AI. So landing on the first page in Bing may require more effort than on Google or Yandex.
Location Targeting
Bing’s location detection is somewhat limited, meaning search results are often tied to broader regional areas. In contrast, Google tends to identify user location more precisely and display more localized results — especially when using mobile devices or tablets.
General Design
The overall design of Bing’s search pages is nearly identical to that of Google and Yandex. You’ll find tabs like News, Images, Videos, and more. Business listings are present, similar to Google Business cards. Keyword suggestions appear as you type in the search bar. All in all, Bing performs on par with major players, with the key difference being that its results are often more curated and refined, rather than simply sorted by popularity.
That said, if you compare Google’s results with Yandex’s, you’ll find significant differences between them too. So it’s not necessarily a weakness for Bing — it may just depend on what you’re looking for.
In short, Bing can be a very handy tool for online research, and its growing competition with Google is not surprising.
Bing for Marketers
SEO is a critical part of internet marketing — more traffic means greater brand visibility. If your optimization is solid, your site could show up on the first page of search results. And while Bing may be less popular in some regions, it can still be a great source of traffic. So integrating Bing into your marketing strategy won’t hurt — in fact, it might give you a solid start. Reaching high rankings in Bing isn’t easy, but it’s certainly possible.
While SEO practices are generally similar across platforms, PPC (pay-per-click) advertising deserves special attention. Bing’s PPC platform actually covers two search engines — Bing and Yahoo! — since the two were previously merged. That means your ads are shown to a broader audience. And with Windows 10 now everywhere, most users have a Microsoft account (including Xbox users), making them potential ad viewers.
Plus, competition in Bing Ads is still lower than in Google Ads (though it’s rising), meaning keyword prices are often cheaper. And since March 2018, Bing Ads has introduced audience targeting features similar to those in Google Ads.
It’s also worth looking at some stats. For instance, as of October 2017 in Russia, only 42% of users relied on Google. The rest? Divided between Yandex and Bing, with a small share going to Mail.ru. You can also explore comparative stats like Google vs. Bing ad impressions or the chart showing Bing’s mobile usage from March 2017 to March 2018.
Yes, Bing isn’t that big in Russia — mostly due to strong competition from Yandex — but completely ignoring it would be a strategic mistake.
Bing's Nuances
It’s clear Bing deserves a spot in online marketing strategies. But there are subtle factors that may not be obvious at first glance — yet significantly influence brand exposure. Microsoft typically tailors its products toward business and education sectors (and science, too). The OS ecosystem, integration of tools across devices (PCs, consoles, tablets, smartphones), Office suite, Azure, Visual Studio, cloud services — all these are designed for synergy.
That’s a very short and messy summary of Microsoft’s positioning — one that could easily become a thesis on its own. But it still indirectly affects how Bing’s search AI and Cortana operate.
So Bing tends to favor more “experienced” users and long-established websites. Older domains are more likely to rank higher, index faster, and show ads more prominently. Compare a new website’s indexing speed on Bing vs. an older one — the difference is real.
Google, on the other hand, often favors newer websites — especially if they’re trending. In other words, Google rewards popularity, while Bing rewards credibility and history. That’s one reason Bing feels more niche — its results aren’t as wide-ranging as Google’s or Yandex’s.
Bing is also more “social” than Google. Google prioritizes indexing its own Google+ (RIP), or sometimes VK pages, while Bing ranks Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter content more actively. Try running the same query from our screenshot and scroll down the page. It shows just how important social media integration is.
Bing also offers its own Webmaster Tools, partner integrations (maps, search, spell check, voice search, etc.), a separate business directory, and ads platform. Not all services are available in Russian — Bing’s strongest presence remains in the US and Europe.
If your strategy targets a local or regional project, Bing might not help much. But for global campaigns or non-Russian audiences, Bing becomes a key player — since those users likely don’t use Yandex, but do use Bing. And stats back that up.
Conclusion
Yes, today we’ve covered Microsoft’s search engine somewhat broadly — without diving too deeply into how to run ads or build campaigns. But that wasn’t the goal. We wanted to compare Bing with other major platforms and reflect on why Google is so dominant. One reason is sheer volume — more indexed sites and more inclusive indexing overall. Bing, in contrast, focuses on narrower targets — more niche, you might say. Yet people use it, and successfully — especially in other countries.
Whether or not to include Bing in your online marketing efforts is ultimately a personal decision — and one that depends heavily on your company’s activities and project themes. Still, in our view, it should not be ignored. Any additional source of traffic is valuable. Whether to invest in advertising is up to the marketers and budget holders. But even just optimizing SEO, getting indexed in Bing, growing your social media presence, and tying it all together — that alone is a major step toward expanding your brand’s visibility online, and potentially for international clients and partners as well.
It’s simply a chance to enter the global market.