Bing Ads management for hotels and boutique hotels
The second search box in the lobby belongs to Bing. Fewer people press its call button than press Google's, but the ones who do tend to type into it from a desk, and a hotel that has already built its pages and ad groups can place a second set of ads there at modest extra effort.
We manage Bing Ads (Microsoft Advertising) for independent hotels and boutique hotels as part of our paid ads work. Each ad leads to the landing pages the Google campaign already uses, and the platform bills every click to the hotel's own card.
Why a second box
What a hotel gets from adding Bing Ads to its search ads
Next to Google, Bing draws a thinner crowd. We give no figure for it, because planning does not need one. A smaller audience means fewer searches, so a Bing Ads campaign usually runs on a lighter budget and takes less reading each week.
The searchers skew toward desktop screens, which suits a hotel whose pages read well on a wide layout. Competition for the same words is often lower than on the larger platform. That can lower what a click costs, though a hotel should treat that as a possibility and never as a promise.
The pages behind the ads are the ones built for the Google campaign. Nothing new has to be written unless the hotel wants a separate landing for desktop visitors, so Bing is a low-effort place to widen the same work. The Google Ads page describes the campaign it is copied from.
Three things that make Bing a sensible second platform
- Import
A Google campaign carried across
Bing offers a way to bring an existing Google campaign across, after which we trim it. The ad groups, the stay-type wording and the negative keyword list come across, and we check each one before anything runs.
- Desk
A desktop-leaning audience for the same pages
Many Bing searchers sit at a computer rather than a phone. That is a reason to check the hotel's landing pages on a wide screen as well as a small one.
- Quiet
Auctions that are often less crowded
Fewer advertisers bid on the same words, so the cost of a click is often lower. It is a tendency we watch, not something we can promise for a given property.
Building the hotel's Bing campaign, floor by floor
| Floor of the Bing shaft | What happens there | What the hotel reads |
|---|---|---|
| Import from the hotel's Google ad groups | Ad groups and landing pages are copied into the Bing account | The owner checks each ad group against the stay types the hotel lists |
| Trim for a smaller audience | Ad groups that would get too few searches are folded together, and the negative list is carried over in full | The owner reads the merged list before it runs |
| Count the calls from the hotel's desk | Calls and forms get a Bing source tag, with calls timed and never recorded | Reception sees which calls came from Bing |
The fee side
Paying for Bing Ads, by the fuel and by the garage
Bing Ads counts the clicks and charges them to the hotel's own card, the way the other platforms do. That charge is the fuel for the car. Our fee is the garage, and the plan we quote is sized by how many platforms the hotel runs, so a lone platform, Bing included, falls on the $895 plan. The plan carries no startup fee, and the hotel is held to no term. Every ad plan is printed on the pricing page.
If the hotel also wants a reminder aimed at its own site visitors, Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram) are the third platform to weigh, and the Meta page explains how they work. Ahead of the first Bing ad, the owner studies whatever the platform currently says about ads of this kind.
What a hotel should see in its Bing Ads account before launch
- Ad groups that match the Google ones, by stay type and by address
- The full negative keyword list, carried over from the first campaign
- Each ad group backed by its own page, checked on a wide screen
- A source tag on calls and forms, so reception can tell them apart
Questions a hotel owner asks about running Bing ads
Does a hotel need Google Ads before it runs Bing Ads?
It helps, because an existing Google campaign can be imported and trimmed. A hotel without one can still start on Bing, but the ad groups then have to be built from scratch.
Will a Bing campaign use the same landing pages as Google?
Yes, by default. Reusing the pages keeps the writing in one place, and the owner only reviews new copy if the hotel asks for a desktop-specific page. The hotel SEO page explains how those pages are built.
How are calls from Bing counted for the front desk?
Each call and form carries a Bing source tag, and calls are timed rather than recorded. The lead generation page explains what counts as an inquiry.
Can Bing Ads run alone, without the other platforms?
Yes. A hotel can run Bing alone, or alongside Google and Meta. Plans grow with each added platform, which makes a single one the smallest step.
Ask about a Bing campaign for your property
Say who you are, leave a phone line and an email, and mention whether the hotel already runs a Google campaign. Please keep guest names, dates and booking details out of the message.
Which stay types should get landing pages first?
List the stay types you want found, the addresses and neighborhoods around the property, and the local sites that already point to it. Leave every guest name, date and booking detail out of the note.
Press the button for the top floor
A call is where we choose the first stops: the stay type whose landing page goes up ahead of the others, the address that follows it, and the plan that takes the strain.
The elevator drawn above is an illustration only; it forecasts nothing about who finds a hotel.