For businesses seeking alternative advertising channels beyond Google Ads, Microsoft's Bing search engine offers substantial untapped potential. Bing Product Ads (PA) provide an efficient way to reach potential customers through visually engaging product listings. This guide outlines the step-by-step process to launch Bing Shopping Ads effectively.
Understanding Bing Shopping Ads
Bing Shopping Ads display product images, prices, and merchant information directly in search results, offering a more compelling presentation than traditional text ads. This visual format helps consumers make faster purchasing decisions while delivering higher click-through and conversion rates for advertisers.
Step 1: Domain Verification
Before creating shopping ads, merchants must verify website ownership through one of two methods:
- Bing Webmaster Tools: Add a verification meta tag to the website's header section and confirm through Bing's interface
- UET Code: Utilize existing Universal Event Tracking tags if already implemented for conversion tracking
Step 2: Establishing a Bing Merchant Center Store
The Bing Merchant Center serves as the central hub for product data management:
- Complete business profile information including legal name, website URL, and contact details
- Accept Bing's service terms and submit for review
- Await approval (typically within five business days)
Approved stores receive "Active" status while rejected applications include specific policy violation details requiring correction.
Step 3: Creating Product Feeds
Product feeds contain structured merchandise data in either tab-delimited (.txt) or XML format:
- Must include essential attributes: product titles, descriptions, pricing, availability, and image URLs
- Initial submissions require three business days for review
- Subsequent updates process within one business day, with price/stock modifications exempt from re-review
- Feeds expire after 30 days, requiring timely updates to maintain ad visibility
Step 4: Launching Shopping Campaigns
The final implementation phase involves:
- Selecting "Shopping Campaign" in Bing Ads interface
- Configuring geographic targeting and daily budgets
- Linking to the approved Merchant Center store
- Applying product filters to determine advertised inventory
Ongoing optimization of feed quality and campaign parameters enhances performance over time. Regular monitoring of key metrics enables data-driven adjustments to maximize return on advertising investment.