Competitor Campaign Coverage
What AdGradr checks
Section titled “What AdGradr checks”AdGradr looks for the presence of competitor-targeting campaigns or ad groups. This is an opportunity flag, not a penalty for doing something wrong. AdGradr scans campaign and ad group names for competitor-related naming conventions and checks keyword lists for branded competitor terms. Accounts with no competitor targeting receive a minor flag.
Why this matters
Section titled “Why this matters”Competitor campaigns on Microsoft Ads deserve special attention because CPCs are typically much lower than Google. The economics that make competitor bidding marginal on Google often make it profitable on Bing. A competitor click that costs $15 on Google might cost $4 on Bing, which fundamentally changes the ROI calculation.
If you have already decided competitor campaigns are worth running on Google, the case for running them on Bing is even stronger. If you dismissed them on Google because of cost, Bing is worth a second look.
What good looks like
Section titled “What good looks like”- Dedicated competitor campaigns (not mixed into general campaigns)
- Competitor keywords in their own ad groups with tailored ad copy
- Landing pages that address the comparison directly rather than generic pages
- Separate budget so competitor spend does not cannibalize core campaign performance
Common mistakes
Section titled “Common mistakes”- Skipping competitor campaigns on Bing because they did not work on Google. Different economics, different outcome. Test before dismissing.
- Importing competitor campaigns from Google without adjusting bids. Google-level bids on Bing will overpay significantly. Start with 40-50% of your Google competitor bids and adjust from there.
- Using generic ad copy for competitor keywords. If someone searches for a competitor by name, your ad needs to acknowledge the comparison. Generic copy gets ignored.
How to fix it
Section titled “How to fix it”- Identify your top 3-5 competitors that prospects actively research.
- Create a dedicated campaign with ad groups per competitor.
- Write ad copy that addresses the comparison (feature advantages, pricing, migration support).
- Build comparison landing pages. A dedicated “Us vs. Them” page converts far better than your homepage.
- Set bids conservatively and scale based on actual CPA data.
When to ignore this check
Section titled “When to ignore this check”Some industries have legal restrictions on competitor bidding (certain financial services, healthcare in specific markets). If your legal team has flagged competitor bidding as off-limits, this check does not apply. Likewise, if you are the dominant brand in your space and competitor traffic volume is negligible, the effort may not justify the return.
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.