Let’s start with a question most Fort Collins contractors don’t ask themselves:
If Google Ads is getting more expensive every month and everyone’s bidding on the same keywords, why are you still putting 100% of your PPC budget there?
I’m not saying Google Ads doesn’t work. It does. I ran Google Ads campaigns for nearly three decades across multiple service businesses: AmeriDri (water and fire restoration), Restoration Colorado Roofing, FiberKleen (carpet and specialty cleaning), Mold Free Now, and Great American Floors.
Google Ads paid the bills. It generated leads. It kept crews busy and trucks rolling.
But here’s what I learned after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on PPC over the years:
When everyone’s fishing in the same pond, you pay more for every fish you catch.
And when costs go up but lead quality stays the same (or gets worse), you have two choices:
- Keep paying more and hope your margins hold up, or
- Find a second pond where there’s less competition and bigger fish.
That second pond is the Microsoft Search Network, and most Fort Collins contractors have no idea it exists.
If you want to tap into this market effectively, partnering with a specialized team for Microsoft Ads Management is the fastest way to slash your acquisition costs while keeping your schedule full.
What Is the Microsoft Search Network (And Why You’ve Been Ignoring It)
The Microsoft Search Network includes:
- Bing (the second-largest search engine in the U.S.)
- Yahoo
- DuckDuckGo
- AOL
Combined, these platforms process over 1 billion searches per month in the United States. That’s not a typo. One billion.
Now, before you roll your eyes and say, “Nobody uses Bing,” let me hit you with some facts backed by global analytics providers like Statcounter Global Stats:
✅ Bing holds 5.14% of the global search market share (Google has 90.3%).
✅ In the U.S., Bing’s market share is closer to 8–10% depending on the month.
✅ Microsoft Search powers 36% of desktop searches in the U.S.
✅ Bing users spend 35% more online than the average internet user.
✅ The average Bing user is older, more educated, and has a higher household income than the average Google user.
Still think nobody uses Bing?
Here’s the reality: Your competitors think nobody uses Bing. That’s why they’re not advertising there. And that’s exactly why you should be.
The Real Problem with Google Ads (That Nobody Talks About)
Google Ads isn’t broken. It’s just crowded, expensive, and getting worse every year.
Let’s talk about what’s actually happening in Fort Collins right now:
1. Rising Competition = Rising Costs
Every roofer, plumber, HVAC company, restoration contractor, and cleaning service in Northern Colorado is running Google Ads. That means you’re bidding against:
- National franchises with massive budgets
- Lead generation companies buying leads to resell
- DIY competitors running poorly optimized campaigns that drive up costs for everyone
- Other local businesses trying to survive
More bidders = higher cost-per-click (CPC). Higher CPC = higher cost-per-lead. Higher cost-per-lead = thinner margins.
2. You’re Paying for Junk Clicks
Not every click is a buyer. You’re paying for:
- People who click your ad by accident on mobile
- Price shoppers who call 10 companies and pick the cheapest
- Competitors checking your ads
- Bots and low-quality traffic
Even with negative keywords and aggressive filtering, you’re still wasting 20–30% of your budget on clicks that will never turn into jobs.
3. Google Changes the Rules Constantly
Google updates its ad policies, bidding strategies, and ranking algorithms all the time. One month, your campaigns are crushing it. The next month, your cost-per-lead doubles because Google rolled out a new Smart Bidding update that tanked your performance.
If your entire lead flow depends on Google, you’re one algorithm change away from disaster.
Why Microsoft Ads Is the Smartest Move You’re Not Making
Microsoft Ads (formerly Bing Ads) is almost identical to Google Ads in functionality. Same keyword targeting. Same ad formats. Same bidding options. Same conversion tracking.
The difference? Everything that makes Google Ads expensive doesn’t exist on Microsoft Ads, yet.
Here’s what Fort Collins contractors are seeing when they add Microsoft Ads to their strategy:
1. 30–50% Lower Cost-Per-Click
Because there’s less competition, you pay less per click. A keyword that costs you $20 on Google might cost $10 on Microsoft. Same search intent. Same buyer. Half the price.
2. Better Audience Demographics
The average Microsoft Search user is:
- Older (35–65 years old)
- Wealthier (higher household income)
- More educated (college degree or higher)
- More likely to own a home (homeownership rates are higher among Bing users)
If you’re a roofer, restoration contractor, or flooring company, this is your ideal customer.
3. Desktop & Corporate Traffic
A huge percentage of Bing searches happen on desktop computers during work hours. Why? Many corporate IT departments set Bing as the default search engine on company devices.
That means you’re reaching:
- Business owners searching for commercial services
- Facility managers looking for contractors
- Property managers researching restoration or cleaning services
- Homeowners doing research at work (yes, it happens)
Google dominates mobile traffic. Microsoft dominates desktop traffic. If you’re only advertising on Google, you’re missing an entire segment of high-value buyers.
4. Less Competition = Better Ad Placement
On Google, your ad might show up in position 4 or 5 because three other contractors outbid you. On Microsoft, you’re often the only ad on the page or one of two.
Better placement = higher click-through rate (CTR). Higher CTR = better Quality Score. Better Quality Score = lower CPCs and better ROI.
It’s a compounding advantage.
Real Case Study: How a Fort Collins Roofing Company Cut Lead Costs 40% in 90 Days
Let me tell you about a real client (details changed to protect privacy, but the numbers are accurate).
The Situation:
A Fort Collins roofing contractor was spending $5,000/month on Google Ads. He was getting decent leads, but every month, his cost-per-click kept climbing.
More roofers were entering the market. Storm season drove competition even higher. His cost-per-lead went from $120 to $180 in six months.
He called us and said, “I can’t keep paying $180 per lead. My margins can’t handle it.”
The Solution:
We didn’t tell him to stop running Google Ads. We told him to diversify his pay-per-click (PPC) mix.
We launched a Microsoft Ads campaign targeting the same keywords, same locations, same services. We allocated $1,500/month to Microsoft Ads and kept his Google budget at $5,000.
The Results (90 Days Later):
✅ Microsoft Ads cost-per-lead: $108 (40% lower than Google)
✅ Lead quality: identical (same conversion rate, same close rate)
✅ Total monthly leads: increased by 35% (more leads at lower cost)
✅ Overall marketing ROI: improved by 28%
He didn’t replace Google Ads. He added a second lead source that was cheaper, less competitive, and just as effective.
Now he has two revenue streams instead of one. If Google costs spike during storm season, he’s not scrambling. If Microsoft costs go up (they will eventually), he’s still getting Google traffic.
That’s the power of diversification.
Microsoft Ads vs Google Ads: The Head-to-Head Breakdown
Let’s compare them side-by-side so you can see the real differences:
Factor | Google Ads | Microsoft Ads |
Search Volume | Highest (90%+ market share) | Lower (5–10% market share) |
Competition | Extremely high | Moderate to low |
Cost-Per-Click (CPC) | Higher (rising every year) | 30–50% lower on average |
Audience Age | Younger (18–45) | Older (35–65) |
Household Income | Mixed | Higher on average |
Device Usage | Mobile-dominant | Desktop-dominant |
Corporate Traffic | Lower | Higher |
Ad Placement | Competitive (3–5 ads per page) | Often 1–2 ads per page |
Lead Quality | Varies by targeting | Often higher intent |
The Bottom Line:
Google Ads gives you volume. Microsoft Ads gives you value.
You don’t choose one over the other. You run both and let the data tell you where your money works hardest.
Who Should Be Running Microsoft Ads in Fort Collins?
Microsoft Ads works especially well for:
Emergency Services (Water Damage, Fire Restoration, Mold Remediation)
People searching for emergency services at 2 a.m. aren’t checking which search engine they’re using. They’re typing “emergency water damage Fort Collins” into whatever browser is open and many default to Bing.
Plus, the demographic skews older and wealthier, which aligns perfectly with homeowners dealing with insurance claims and high-value restoration work.
Roofing & Exterior Contractors
Homeowners researching roof replacement, storm damage, and insurance claims tend to do desktop-heavy research. They’re comparing estimates, reading reviews, and looking for licensed contractors. That’s Microsoft’s audience.
HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical
Commercial services, especially. Facility managers, property managers, and business owners often search from work computers where Bing is the default.
Flooring & Remodeling
Longer sales cycles. Higher ticket prices. Buyers are doing extensive research. Desktop searches. Perfect fit for Microsoft Ads.
Specialty Cleaning (Carpet, Tile, Air Ducts)
Seasonal demand spikes (spring cleaning, move-outs, real estate staging). Lower CPCs on Microsoft mean you can profitably compete on price-sensitive keywords that Google won’t let you afford.
If your business fits any of these categories, Microsoft Ads should be in your marketing mix, period.
How to Get Started with Microsoft Ads (Without Screwing It Up)
Here’s the mistake most contractors make when they try Microsoft Ads on their own:
They copy their Google Ads campaigns, import them into Microsoft, and expect the same results.
That doesn’t work.
Microsoft Ads and Google Ads use the same tools, but they require different strategies because the audiences behave differently.
Here’s what you need to do:
Step 1: Set Up Conversion Tracking First
Don’t run a single ad until you have call tracking and form tracking set up. If you can’t measure results, you can’t optimize. Period.
Step 2: Start with Your Best-Performing Google Ads Keywords
Look at your Google Ads Management account. Find the keywords that produce the most conversions at the lowest cost. Start there and test them on Microsoft.
Step 3: Build a Separate Negative Keyword List
Junk traffic on Microsoft looks different than junk traffic on Google. You’ll need targeted negative keyword list management to monitor search terms and add negatives aggressively in the first 30 days.
Step 4: Write Ads for an Older, Desktop Audience
Microsoft users respond better to:
- Clear, benefit-driven headlines (not clever or vague)
- Trust signals (licensed, insured, local, family-owned)
- Direct CTAs (Call now, Get a free estimate)
They’re less influenced by flashy design and more influenced by clarity and credibility.
Step 5: Give It 60–90 Days
Microsoft Ads, like Google Ads, need time to learn. Don’t judge performance in week one. Give it at least 60 days of real data before you decide if it’s working.
Step 6: Hire Someone Who Actually Knows What They’re Doing
Most agencies treat Microsoft Ads as an afterthought. They copy-paste Google campaigns, check in once a month, and collect their management fee.
At Top Click Joe, we’ve been managing PPC campaigns since 2017, and I’ve been running ads for my own businesses since the 1990s. We don’t run campaigns from theory. We run them from 27 years of real operator experience growing service businesses in competitive local markets.
If you want Microsoft Ads done right, call someone who’s actually used it to grow real companies.
Why Most Agencies Won’t Tell You About Microsoft Ads
Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Most digital marketing agencies don’t want you running Microsoft Ads because:
- It’s more work for them. They have to manage two platforms instead of one.
- It reduces their Google Ads management fees. If you shift $2,000/month from Google to Microsoft, they make less money.
- They don’t know how to run it. Most agencies learned PPC on Google and never bothered learning Microsoft.
So they tell you “Bing doesn’t work” or “Nobody uses Bing” or “It’s not worth the effort.”
Translation: “We don’t want to do the work.”
At Top Click Joe, we don’t make money by keeping you dependent on one platform. We make money by generating leads and growing your business. If a professional PPC audit & optimization shifts budget into a platform that cuts your cost-per-lead by 40%, that’s a win for everyone.
We’re operator-led. Contractor-built. Revenue-focused.
That means we do what works and not what’s easiest.
The Bottom Line: You Can’t Afford to Ignore Microsoft Ads Anymore
Here’s what you need to understand:
Google Ads is not going to get cheaper. Competition is increasing. Costs are rising. Algorithms keep changing.
If your entire lead generation strategy depends on one platform, you’re vulnerable.
Microsoft Ads gives you:
✅ Lower cost-per-click
✅ Less competition
✅ Access to a wealthier, older demographic
✅ A second revenue stream independent of Google
You don’t have to replace Google Ads. You just need to stop leaving money on the table.
I spent nearly three decades building and marketing service businesses in competitive local markets. I know what it’s like to make payroll, manage tight margins, and compete against every other contractor in town.
I didn’t learn marketing from a course. I learned it by spending my own money on ads and fixing what failed.
That’s the mindset we bring to every Microsoft Ads campaign we manage.
If you’re ready to diversify your lead sources, lower your cost-per-lead, and stop overpaying for the same clicks everyone else is fighting over, it’s time to test Microsoft Ads.
📞 Call 970-817-1248 or visit our website to schedule a free consultation.
Top Click Joe Inc.
📍 145 W Swallow Rd Ste 203, Fort Collins, CO 80525
Let’s put the Microsoft Search Network to work for your business.
Frequently Asked Questions About Microsoft Ads for Fort Collins Contractors
1. Can I run Microsoft Ads if I've never run Google Ads before?
Yes, but we don’t recommend starting with Microsoft Ads as your only PPC platform. Google has far more search volume, so you’d be limiting your potential lead flow right out of the gate. The smartest approach is to start with Google Ads, get your campaigns dialed in, then add Microsoft Ads as a second channel once you have a baseline for comparison.
That said, if the budget is extremely tight and you want to test PPC with lower costs, Microsoft Ads can work as a starting point, you’ll just have fewer total impressions and clicks than you would on Google.
2. Do I need separate landing pages for Microsoft Ads, or can I use the same ones I use for Google Ads?
You can use the same landing pages, and most businesses do, especially in the beginning. However, Microsoft Ads users tend to be older, more desktop-focused, and more influenced by trust signals (licensing, certifications, years in business).
If you want to maximize conversions, consider deploying targeted landing page optimization for ads to emphasize credibility, licensing, and certifications over speed or flashy design. We can help you A/B test this to see if a separate page improves conversion rates. The short answer: start with what you have, then optimize based on real data.
3. How do I know if my industry is competitive enough on Microsoft Ads to make it worth running?
If your industry is competitive on Google Ads, there’s a strong chance it’s under-competitive on Microsoft Ads, which is exactly what makes it valuable. To find out, you can use Microsoft’s Keyword Planner tool (free with an account) to check estimated search volume and cost-per-click for your primary keywords. If you see decent volume (even 10–20% of Google’s volume) and CPCs that are 30–50% lower, it’s worth testing. We can also run a free audit of your market to give you a clear answer before you spend a dollar.
4. Will Microsoft Ads cannibalize my Google Ads performance, or do they work independently?
They work independently. Running Microsoft Ads doesn’t negatively impact your Google Ads performance. They’re separate platforms with separate audiences. However, you will be competing with yourself for the same customers in some cases (someone might see your ad on Google one day and on Bing the next).
The key is proper attribution tracking so you know which platform drove the conversion. In our experience, most businesses see a net increase in total leads when they add Microsoft Ads, not a redistribution of the same leads across two platforms.
5. What's the minimum monthly budget I need to make Microsoft Ads work?
It depends on your industry, but for most Fort Collins service businesses, we recommend starting with at least $1,000–$1,500/month in ad spend (not including management fees). That’s enough to generate meaningful data and test performance without burning through your budget too quickly.
If your industry has extremely low search volume on Microsoft, you might be able to start lower ($500–$750/month). If your industry is highly competitive or you’re targeting commercial keywords, you might need $2,000–$3,000/month to see real traction. We’ll give you a custom recommendation during your consultation.
6. Can I manage Microsoft Ads myself, or do I need to hire someone?
You can manage it yourself if you have experience running PPC campaigns, understand keyword strategy, and have time to monitor performance weekly. Microsoft Ads isn’t harder than Google Ads; it’s just different. The challenge most business owners face is time.
Managing PPC correctly requires constant attention: adding negative keywords, adjusting bids, testing ad copy, analyzing performance, and optimizing landing pages. If you’re already stretched thin running your business, hiring a professional will likely deliver better ROI than trying to DIY it. That said, if you’re committed to learning and have 5–10 hours per week to dedicate to it, you can make it work.
7. How does Microsoft Ads handle mobile traffic? Is it only effective on desktop?
Microsoft Ads works on both desktop and mobile, but the majority of its traffic (especially in the U.S.) is desktop-based. That’s not a weakness, it’s a strength. Desktop users tend to have higher intent, longer session times, and higher conversion rates than mobile users (especially in service industries).
Mobile traffic on Microsoft is smaller but still valuable, and you can adjust bids separately for mobile vs desktop to optimize performance. If your business converts better on desktop (like most high-ticket service businesses), Microsoft Ads is a perfect fit.
8. What happens if Microsoft Ads becomes as competitive as Google Ads in a few years?
Then you’ll be ahead of the curve instead of playing catch-up. Right now, Microsoft Ads is underpriced because most businesses haven’t figured it out yet. As more advertisers discover it, costs will rise. That’s inevitable.
But by starting now, you’ll have years of data, optimized campaigns, and established performance benchmarks that give you a competitive advantage.
Plus, even if costs rise, you’ll still benefit from having a diversified lead generation strategy instead of depending entirely on one platform. The businesses that wait will be the ones paying premium prices to enter a crowded market later.
9. Can I target the same geographic areas on Microsoft Ads as I do on Google Ads?
Yes. Microsoft Ads offers the same location targeting options as Google Ads: city, zip code, radius targeting, state, and even DMA (Designated Market Area). You can target Fort Collins and the surrounding areas just as precisely as you do on Google.
You can also exclude locations, adjust bids by location, and use proximity targeting (e.g., targeting people within 10 miles of your business). The targeting options are nearly identical; it’s just a smaller total audience due to a lower market share.
10. What's the biggest mistake contractors make when they try Microsoft Ads for the first time?
The biggest mistake is giving up too soon. Most contractors test Microsoft Ads for 30 days, see lower volume than Google, and assume it doesn’t work. But lower volume doesn’t mean lower quality. A platform that delivers 10 leads at $100 each is better than a platform that delivers 20 leads at $150 each.
The second biggest mistake is copy-pasting Google Ads campaigns without adjusting ad copy, negative keywords, or bid strategies for Microsoft’s audience.
Microsoft users respond to different messaging and have different search behaviors. If you treat Microsoft Ads like a clone of Google Ads, you’ll get mediocre results.
