One of the best arguments for Microsoft Advertising is how fast you can get started. The Google Import feature can replicate your entire Google Ads campaign structure — keywords, ad groups, ad copy, negative keywords, extensions — in about 10 minutes. I use it every time I onboard a new client onto Bing. But importing is only step one. What you do after the import determines whether the Bing account performs or sits idle. Here’s my exact process.
Why Importing Makes Sense
Your Google Ads campaigns already contain months or years of keyword research, ad copy testing, and negative keyword development. Rebuilding that from scratch in Microsoft Advertising would throw away that work. The import preserves the structural intelligence you’ve built — the campaign organization, the keyword themes, the ad variations — and gives your Bing account a starting point that’s far ahead of a blank build. Then you tune for the platform.
Step 1: Prepare Your Google Ads Account Before Importing
Before importing, do a quick cleanup in Google Ads:
- Pause any campaigns you don’t want running on Bing (seasonal campaigns, Google-specific formats like Performance Max, local service ad integrations)
- Make sure your negative keyword lists are current — they’ll import too
- Check that your ad copy doesn’t reference Google-specific features like call-only ads
Spending 20 minutes cleaning up Google before importing saves you from having to manually fix things in Microsoft Advertising after the fact.
Step 2: Run the Import in Microsoft Advertising
In Microsoft Advertising, go to Import > Import from Google Ads. Authenticate with your Google account and select the Google Ads account you’re importing from. Choose which campaigns to import — you can be selective if you only want specific campaign types. Under import options, I typically include:
- Campaigns, ad groups, keywords, and ads
- Negative keywords (essential)
- Ad extensions / assets
- Bidding strategies (as a starting point, to be adjusted)
The import typically completes in 2-5 minutes depending on account size. Microsoft provides an import summary showing what was created, updated, or skipped, along with any errors that need manual attention.
Step 3: Review and Fix Import Errors
Download the import summary report and fix errors before activating campaigns. Common errors:
- Ad copy that exceeds Bing’s character limits slightly differently than Google’s
- Unsupported extension types (Microsoft Advertising doesn’t support all Google extension formats)
- Bid strategies that require conversion data (Target CPA, Target ROAS imported but can’t activate without Bing conversion history)
Fix the errors, then do a manual spot-check of 3-5 ad groups to confirm everything looks correct before activating.
Step 4: Adjust Bids for the Bing Auction
Your Google CPCs are not your Bing CPCs. Bing CPCs average 30-70% lower for equivalent keywords. If you import Google bids directly, you’ll likely be significantly overbidding and wasting budget. My starting rule: reduce imported bids by 20-30% across the board, then adjust by campaign based on competitive density. Some high-volume Google keywords are actually more competitive on Bing in specific niches — check the Bing auction insights data after two weeks to calibrate.
Step 5: Set Bing-Specific Optimizations
Once the import is live and bids are adjusted, layer in the features Google doesn’t have:
- Add LinkedIn audience targeting (job title, industry, company size) in bid-only mode
- Set device bid adjustments — Bing’s audience is more desktop-heavy for most professional services
- Review the Audience Network setting and exclude it from search campaigns initially
These three steps take about 30 minutes and immediately differentiate your Bing account from just being a passive Google copy.
Step 6: Install UET and Set Up Conversion Tracking
If you haven’t already, install the Universal Event Tracking tag on your website and configure conversion goals in Microsoft Advertising. Without this, you’re flying blind — no conversion data means no Smart Bidding capability and no audience list building. Use Google Tag Manager to deploy the UET tag if it’s already installed on your site. Conversion setup should be done before you start spending meaningfully.
What About Auto-Sync?
Microsoft Advertising offers scheduled auto-sync, which re-imports your Google campaigns on a set schedule to keep them aligned. I don’t recommend it for active accounts. Once you’ve made Bing-specific adjustments — LinkedIn targeting, device bid adjustments, Bing-optimized ad copy — an auto-sync will overwrite those customizations with the Google versions. Import once, then manage the accounts independently. The time investment to maintain Bing separately is low; the performance loss from auto-sync overwriting your optimizations is real.
Done right, the initial Bing setup takes about an hour total. For a deeper dive into the optimizations I run after setup, check out my Microsoft Advertising optimization guide. Ready to add Bing to your paid search mix? View my PPC services or contact me.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to import Google Ads into Microsoft Advertising?
The actual import process takes 5-10 minutes for most accounts. Preparation — cleaning up your Google campaigns before importing — takes another 20-30 minutes. Post-import adjustments (bid calibration, LinkedIn audience setup, UET installation) take about 45-60 minutes. Plan for a total of 90-120 minutes to do the import properly from start to finish. Accounts with complex structures (10+ campaigns, hundreds of ad groups) may take longer due to import error review and manual fixes.
What gets imported when you import Google Ads to Microsoft Advertising?
The import copies: campaigns with settings, ad groups, keywords with match types, negative keywords, responsive search ads, expanded text ads, and most ad extensions (sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, call extensions). What doesn’t import: Performance Max campaigns (no Bing equivalent), some Google-specific extension types, audience lists (these need to be rebuilt using UET data), and conversion tracking (UET needs to be installed separately). Bidding strategies import as a starting point but should be reviewed and adjusted.
Should I keep my Bing campaigns synced with Google Ads?
No. Import once as your starting point, then manage the accounts independently. Auto-sync overwrites Bing-specific optimizations — LinkedIn targeting layers, device bid adjustments calibrated to Bing’s desktop-heavy traffic, and Bing-optimized ad copy — with the Google versions on each sync cycle. The time investment to manage both accounts independently is lower than it sounds: Bing typically requires 20-25% of the ongoing management time that Google requires for a comparable account.
What bid adjustments should I make after importing from Google?
Reduce imported bids by 20-30% as a starting point — Bing CPCs are lower, and direct Google bids will overbid in most cases. Then layer in device adjustments: for B2B and professional services, increase desktop bids by 15-20% (Bing audience is more desktop-heavy). For location, start neutral and adjust after 30 days of data. For LinkedIn audience segments, add +20-25% bid adjustments in bid-only mode. Review and recalibrate at the 30-day and 60-day marks as actual Bing data accumulates.
What are the most common errors in a Google-to-Bing import?
The most common errors I encounter: (1) Ads exceeding Bing’s character limits — Bing’s headline and description character limits are the same as Google’s but the display truncation behavior differs; (2) Unsupported ad extension formats — some Google extension types don’t have direct Bing equivalents; (3) Target CPA and Target ROAS strategies importing but being inactive — Bing won’t activate Smart Bidding without existing conversion history; (4) Performance Max campaigns being skipped entirely — there’s no equivalent on Bing and these need manual reconstruction as separate campaign types.
