Bidding Strategy

What AdGradr checks

AdGradr evaluates whether your bidding strategy matches your account’s actual conversion volume. This is the single biggest divergence from Google Ads. Lower traffic on Microsoft Ads means less data for automated bidding, and the conversion thresholds are different.

AdGradr flags accounts where:

• Target CPA or Target ROAS runs with insufficient conversion volume. These strategies need data to function. On Bing, the practical minimum is 30 conversions (not 15 like Google) because the data is noisier at low volumes.
• Target CPA/ROAS runs in a borderline data range. Technically running, but underperforming compared to simpler strategies.
• Maximize Clicks runs with no conversion tracking. You are optimizing for traffic with no way to measure outcomes.
• Maximize Conversions runs with very low conversion volume. The algorithm has too little signal to optimize effectively.

Note

Manual CPC is not a red flag on Microsoft Ads. Unlike Google, where manual bidding is increasingly penalized, Bing’s lower volume often makes manual or Enhanced CPC the smarter choice.

Why this matters

Smart Bidding on an account with insufficient data does not just underperform. It actively damages results by making erratic bid adjustments based on tiny sample sizes. A Target CPA campaign with 8 conversions per month will swing wildly between overbidding and throttling spend.

What good looks like

• Under 30 conversions/month: Manual CPC or Enhanced CPC. Let humans make the decisions until the data supports automation.
• 30-50 conversions/month: Enhanced CPC or cautious Target CPA with loose targets.
• 50+ conversions/month: Target CPA, Target ROAS, or Maximize Conversions are all viable.
• Bidding strategy aligned with the conversion goal that matters (not a micro-conversion inflating the count).

Common mistakes

1. Copying Google’s bidding strategy to Bing. A Target CPA campaign working well on Google with 80 conversions/month may only get 15 on Bing. Same strategy, completely different data foundation.
2. Switching to automated bidding too early. The temptation is strong, especially when Google reps (and now Bing reps) push automation. Resist until you have the volume.
3. Using Maximize Conversions as a “set it and forget it” default. Without enough conversion data, this strategy simply maximizes spend.
4. Ignoring Enhanced CPC. On Bing, Enhanced CPC gives you partial automation (bid adjustments around your base bid) without requiring the conversion volume that full automation demands.

How to fix it

1. Check your conversion count for the last 30 days at the campaign level.
2. If any campaign using Target CPA or Target ROAS has fewer than 30 conversions, switch to Enhanced CPC.
3. Set Manual CPC base bids using your target CPA and historical conversion rate.
4. Re-evaluate monthly. When a campaign consistently hits 30+ conversions, test automated bidding with a 20% looser target than your actual goal.

When to ignore this check

Brand campaigns using Manual CPC will never be flagged. If you are running a short promotional campaign (under 14 days) with high expected volume, automated bidding from day one can work. Accounts with strong offline conversion import pipelines may also show lower online conversion counts while still feeding enough data to the algorithm.

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Want someone to handle this? The Click Makers team manages Microsoft Ads accounts for companies spending $5K+/month. Get in touch to see if we are a fit.