Bing Ads helps Canadian Search Community achieve search goals

New features, targeted audiences deliver value for advertisers

TORONTO, June 4, 2013 /CNW/ - Search marketers have more options to maximize returns on their search advertising spend thanks to Bing Ads. Over the last year, Bing Ads has seen double-digit improvements in terms of RPM (revenue per thousand queries) for its customers in Canada.

Bing Ads has invested in platform updates including; improved UX and editor navigability and speed; improved compatibility and functionality with third party tool providers. The result has been increased efficiencies on the Bing Ads platform by 21 percent year-over-year, making it easier for advertisers to manage their campaigns, and globally, a 25 percent increase in click volume.

"We're pleased to be able to offer real and increasing value to the search community in Canada and around the world with the quality of Microsoft's platform," said Kevin Hunter, Search Advertising Lead, Microsoft Canada. "From full service agencies, tool providers, SEM agencies and even more traditional display ad customers, we're hearing how Bing Ads is delivering great results."

Bing Ads' performance gains are being noticed by Canada's search community across product usability, offerings and return on investment:

• "When people ask about how they can optimize their AdWords buy, we tell them to replicate their best performing keywords and ads in Bing Ads. It's likely to deliver better results than any other optimization tactics. You'd be crazy not to do it." Marc Poirier, Co-Founder and EVP, Business Development, Acquisio
• "Bing supplies our clients with traffic to their sites with favourable sales rates, costs per click, and access to particular audiences. With its ease of deployment, the network provides our clients with a way to exploit paid search, obtain low client acquisition costs and provide additional sales opportunities that may not be otherwise available." Warren Huska, Director - Marketing Communications, OutReach Media
• "We recommend our clients include Bing Ads to maximize ROI. While it's still a smaller market size, dollar for dollar you get more out of your spend with Bing Ads then you do with Google. The audience is more engaged, they convert at a high rate and it's not as saturated as a platform, so it's easier to get noticed." Tyler Calder, VP Client Strategy, Search Engine People (SEP)
• "We are seeing five times the average click through rate on campaigns leveraging rich ads using Bing. The ability to add additional touch points and rich content like videos and images, paired with the increase in real estate, drives a significant uptake for our clients." Christian Maund-Anderson, Performics

As Bing Ads continues to mature, Canadian customers will be able to take advantage of new features already generating great results in other markets. Coming soon to Canada are new features designed to help customers generate new business opportunities including:

• Sitelink Extensions will be available for ads targeting Canada. Starting in mid-2013 advertisers will be able to display Sitelink Extensions at the top of search result pages, promoting up to ten more pages of their site with dedicated, actionable text, driving deeper engagement with potential customers from the search page. In pilot markets, advertisers saw an increase of 15-25 percent increase in click-through rates leveraging Sitelinks.
• New policy changes will allow Bing Ads to on-board online gambling customers in Canada, moving beyond games of chance and games of skill to include a broader range of online gaming sites, such as lotteries, online gambling, casinos, and sports betting. For more information on the policies governing on-boarding, please visit the Bing Ads Editorial Guidelines.

About Bing Ads

When it comes to finding more customers online, businesses can connect with a vast, high-quality audience using Bing search advertising. With one ad buy through Bing Ads, advertisers are able to reach millions of unique searchers on the Yahoo! Bing network worldwide¹ — searchers who spend more than the average internet searcher.² Bing ads is a great way for small businesses to reach their best customers when they are searching and in decision-making mode, and it provides advertisers with complete control over their budget. For more information, visit http://advertise.bingads.microsoft.com/en-ca/home.

About Microsoft Canada

Established in 1985, Microsoft Canada Inc. is the Canadian subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq "MSFT") the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft Canada provides nationwide sales, marketing, consulting and local support services in both French and English. Headquartered in Mississauga, Microsoft Canada has nine regional offices across the country dedicated to empowering people through great software - any time, any place and on any device. For more information on Microsoft Canada, please visit www.microsoft.ca.

1. The Yahoo! Bing Network includes Microsoft and Yahoo! sites worldwide.
2. comScore qSearch (custom), March 2013.

SOURCE: Bing

Maria de Romana
416-644-1720
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