AOL Has Officially Switched From Google To Microsoft’s Bing
A new year means a new feather in the Bing cap – the “other” search engine has announced it now powers AOL web, mobile, and tablet searches. What this means is that Bing can now provide paid search ads and algorithmic organic search results to all AOL properties throughout the world.
What Does The Bing / AOL Announcement Mean For Online Advertisers?
This announcement has several key takeaways for advertisers. One of the most prevalent takeaways is that Bing has just added a lot more market shares under its wing. The company estimates that 1 in 5 searches are powered by Bing. By integrating Bing with the “number three and five top search providers in the U.S., (Yahoo and AOL) [the company] now serves nearly one-third of all PC web searches in the U.S.” (according to a comScore release from Nov. 2015).
AOL’s audience falls in line with the existing audience advertisers are accustomed to with Bing. The audience is made up primarily of higher household incomes, college graduates, with a slight majority of users being female and above the age of 35. Bing also adds that its existing audience tends to spend more online than the average Internet searcher.
Actions You Should Take Following This News
As a result of this announcement, Bing has anticipated seeing a 5-8% increase in click volume in the U.S. As such, they recommend that advertisers increase their budgets to take advantage of the incremental quality volume available.
Bing also suggests that you monitor and adjust your bids, ads, and keywords, as a result of the company powering AOL searches.
Bing Ads Changes With AOL Partnership
You’ll also notice some changes within Bing Ads thanks to this new partnership with AOL. This includes changes to the Campaigns page, Reports page, the Google Import experience, and Keyword and Campaign Planners. Bing has also made changes in Reporting API.
So, What Can You Do To Wrap Your Head Around All of These Changes?
First, accept the reality that Bing’s traffic will very likely continue to increase now that it powers all AOL searches. This means that your current Bing advertising plan (if you even have one) needs to adapt to the change. Google still remains the dominant force in searches; however, with 33% of PC searches going to Bing, advertisers must take Google’s competitor seriously.
Luckily for you, OperationROI can help. We have a dedicated team of Bing experts who have examined the impact of the AOL announcement, and who can design for you a comprehensive strategy to maximize your return on investment. Want to learn more about how you can leverage Bing’s growing presence? Contact us directly at 1-888-277-5429 or fill out our contact form today!
