PPC Management Services: Prepare Microsoft Ads for Black Friday
PPC management services should prepare for Black Friday before November. For Australian businesses already running profitable Google Ads campaigns, October is the right time to test whether Microsoft Advertising can add another source of high-intent search demand before peak competition arrives.
The objective is not to replace Google Ads. The goal is to enter Black Friday with another paid search channel that has already proven it deserves more budget.
That opportunity is meaningful. Bing accounted for approximately 9.17% of Australian search engine usage in September 2026, rising to approximately 18.94% on desktop. Statcounter Australian search market share
For businesses already investing in Google Advertising with GMS Media Group, Microsoft Advertising can provide another search channel to test before Black Friday.
Quick Answer: Why Test Microsoft Ads Before Black Friday?
Microsoft Ads can help businesses capture incremental search demand before Black Friday by reaching customers across Bing and Microsoft’s wider search network. October gives advertisers time to test campaigns, validate conversion tracking, benchmark acquisition costs and identify profitable search terms before Cyber Week budgets increase.
Microsoft confirms that Search ads can appear on Bing and search partners including Yahoo, AOL, DuckDuckGo and Ecosia. Microsoft Search Ads documentation
The GMS approach is simple:
Test in October. Prove the economics. Scale in November.
Why Microsoft Ads Matters Before Black Friday
Black Friday is the wrong time to discover whether a new advertising channel works.
Competition is higher. Budgets move faster. Promotions have deadlines. Marketing teams have less room to diagnose weak tracking, poor search terms or landing-page problems.
October provides a controlled testing window.
Businesses can determine:
- Which keywords convert
- Which search terms waste spend
- Which audiences produce valuable customers
- Which landing pages perform
- What a qualified conversion costs
- Whether Microsoft generates incremental demand beyond Google
By Black Friday, the question should have changed from:
“Should we try Microsoft Ads?”
to:
“Microsoft Ads is producing customers at this acquisition cost. Does it deserve more budget?”
That is the role of effective Ad Management from GMS Media Group. Advertising channels should compete for investment according to commercial performance rather than receiving budget simply because they exist.
Microsoft Ads Is an Incremental Search Channel
Microsoft Advertising should usually complement Google Ads rather than replace it.
Google remains the dominant Australian search engine, but Microsoft Advertising reaches a meaningful additional search audience.
This becomes particularly interesting when established Google campaigns begin experiencing diminishing marginal returns.
The commercial question becomes:
Where should the next advertising dollar go?
If another dollar invested in Google becomes increasingly expensive while Microsoft produces qualified customers efficiently, Microsoft may deserve additional investment.
If Microsoft performs poorly, Google should continue receiving the budget.
Platform loyalty should never override commercial performance.
This follows the wider GMS approach to building an advertising system across major platforms rather than evaluating each advertising account in isolation.
Microsoft Ads vs Google Ads
| Area | Microsoft Advertising | Google Ads |
| Core role | Incremental search demand | Primary search demand |
| Search reach | Bing and Microsoft search network | |
| Google campaign import | Available | Not applicable |
| Professional targeting | LinkedIn profile signals | Different audience capabilities |
| Performance Max | Available | Available |
| Best October use | Test and benchmark | Strengthen proven campaigns |
| Black Friday role | Scale if economics are proven | Primary demand capture |
Microsoft allows advertisers to import supported campaigns from Google Ads rather than rebuilding everything manually. Microsoft Advertising Import Tools
That makes Microsoft Ads easier to test before Black Friday, but importing campaigns does not remove the need for optimisation.
After import, check budgets, targeting, conversion goals, search terms, URLs, and tracking.
The GMS Pre-Peak Search Expansion Rule
GMS Media Group approaches pre-Black-Friday paid search through four stages:
1. Test
Start with search themes, campaigns and landing pages that have already shown commercial value.
October should reduce uncertainty rather than introduce unnecessary experimentation.
2. Validate
Confirm that tracked conversions represent genuine value.
For ecommerce, that means completed orders, revenue and customer acquisition cost.
For lead generation, move beyond form submissions where possible and assess qualified leads, opportunities and closed revenue.
3. Benchmark
Compare Microsoft Ads against existing paid search performance using:
- Cost per conversion
- Cost per qualified lead
- Customer acquisition cost
- Conversion rate
- Revenue
- ROAS
- Search-term quality
- Incremental conversion volume
Better measurement is central to GMS Media Group’s approach to digital marketing services and revenue attribution.
4. Scale
Increase Black Friday investment only when the October test demonstrates profitable incremental demand.
Peak season should scale proven acquisition, not become the testing ground for basic campaign assumptions.
Why Microsoft Ads Can Be Useful for Australian Businesses
Additional Search Reach
Bing represented approximately 9.17% of Australian search in September 2026 and around 18.94% of desktop search. Statcounter Australian desktop search market share
That desktop share is particularly relevant for businesses whose customers conduct considered research at work or on larger devices.
Microsoft Ads may therefore be worth testing for:
- B2B businesses
- Professional services
- Technology companies
- Education providers
- Property businesses
- Automotive brands
- Higher-value ecommerce
Microsoft does not need to become the largest channel.
It only needs to create enough profitable additional customers to justify its budget.
LinkedIn Audience Signals
Microsoft Advertising also provides LinkedIn profile targeting based on professional information including company, industry and job function. Microsoft expanded this capability in 2026 with job-seniority targeting for Search and Audience campaigns. Microsoft Advertising audience targeting
That gives B2B advertisers another way to combine declared search intent with professional audience information.
Performance Max Adds Another Testing Option
Microsoft Advertising also operates Performance Max campaigns across its inventory.
Microsoft reported in May 2026 that advertisers using Microsoft PMax saw an average 8% increase in incremental conversions. This is Microsoft first-party platform data and should be treated as a reported benchmark rather than a guaranteed outcome. Microsoft Performance Max reporting update
Microsoft has also expanded reporting for PMax, including publisher, landing-page and search-term visibility.
The principle remains the same: automation is only commercially useful when the platform receives reliable conversion signals.
GMS explores that wider principle in its guide to AI-driven marketing strategy and bidding governance.
How to Prepare Microsoft Ads for Black Friday
1. Start With Proven Campaigns
Identify products, services, keywords and landing pages already producing meaningful results.
Use these as the foundation of the Microsoft Ads test.
2. Import Select Campaigns
Use Microsoft’s Google Import capability where appropriate.
Avoid importing the entire account simply because the option exists.
Prioritise campaigns with established commercial performance.
3. Check Conversion Tracking
Confirm that Microsoft Advertising is measuring outcomes that matter.
For ecommerce, prioritise completed orders and revenue.
For lead generation, distinguish basic enquiries from qualified opportunities where possible.
4. Review Search Terms
Use October to identify waste before November budgets increase.
Add negative keywords, assess publisher quality and monitor search intent.
5. Establish the Baseline
Record:
- Spend
- CPC
- Conversion rate
- CPA
- Qualified conversions
- Revenue
- ROAS
- Customer acquisition cost
This gives the business a reliable benchmark when Black Friday changes auction conditions.
6. Scale the Winners
By November, budget decisions should follow evidence.
Increase investment where customer economics remain healthy.
Reduce investment where results weaken.
Who Should Test Microsoft Ads?
Microsoft Advertising is strongest as a Black Friday test for businesses that already have a functioning paid search strategy.
Ecommerce and Retail
Retailers with proven product demand, accurate conversion tracking and effective landing pages can test Microsoft as another source of Black Friday purchases.
B2B and Professional Services
Microsoft’s LinkedIn audience signals make the platform particularly interesting when company, industry, function or seniority influences customer quality.
Businesses Already Scaling Google Ads
If additional Google investment is beginning to generate diminishing returns, Microsoft Advertising gives the business another place to test marginal spend.
When Microsoft Ads Should Wait
Microsoft Ads should not become another Black Friday distraction when the existing acquisition system is weak.
Delay expansion when:
- Conversion tracking is unreliable
- Google campaigns are poorly structured
- Landing pages convert badly
- Search terms contain substantial waste
- Budgets are spread too thinly
- The business cannot define a valuable conversion
- Product feeds or inventory are not ready
Fix the foundation before expanding the channel mix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Microsoft Ads worth testing before Black Friday?
Yes, when the business already has proven paid search demand. October provides time to validate tracking, search terms and acquisition economics before Black Friday budgets increase.
Is Microsoft Ads cheaper than Google Ads?
It can be, but CPC alone should not determine platform investment. Cost per customer, lead quality, revenue and profitability provide a more useful comparison.
Can Google Ads campaigns be imported into Microsoft Ads?
Yes. Microsoft provides tools for importing supported Google Ads campaigns and settings. Imported campaigns should still undergo QA and Microsoft-specific optimisation.
Is Microsoft Ads useful for B2B?
It can be particularly useful because Microsoft Advertising supports LinkedIn profile targeting for professional audience attributes.
Should Microsoft Ads replace Google Ads?
Usually not. Microsoft is better treated as an incremental search opportunity that earns more investment when the commercial results justify it.
What to Do Next
October is the preparation window.
Businesses planning to increase paid search investment for Black Friday should use the weeks before Cyber Week to test Microsoft Advertising, validate tracking and identify where additional budget can generate the strongest return.
The strategy is straightforward:
Test. Validate. Benchmark. Scale.
Microsoft Ads does not need to replace Google Ads.
It only needs to prove that it can create profitable incremental customers.
GMS Media Group helps Australian businesses manage paid search across Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising and wider performance media. Explore our Ad Management services to build a Black Friday paid media strategy around measurable commercial performance.
About the Author
GMS Media Group is a Sydney-based performance marketing agency helping Australian businesses connect paid media, search, creative, technology, conversion tracking and digital growth strategy.
Rather than managing advertising platforms as isolated channels, GMS Media Group focuses on measurable commercial outcomes including qualified leads, customer acquisition, attribution, revenue and profitable growth.
Ready to strengthen your Black Friday paid search strategy? Speak with GMS Media Group about PPC management services.
