Paid Search Marketing Guide: Google Ads & Bing PPC

What Do You Need to Know About Paid Search Marketing?

Paid search remains one of the most direct ways for a business to appear in front of people actively searching for what it offers, but "paid search" in practice covers more than a single platform or campaign type. Google Ads dominates the market, Microsoft Advertising serves a smaller but often less competitive audience, and remarketing techniques such as RLSAs let advertisers treat past visitors differently from new searchers.

This guide brings together the core building blocks of paid search marketing: how it works, how Google Ads and Bing PPC compare, where RLSAs fit in, how keywords and match types shape who sees an ad, and how bidding, budgets, landing pages and measurement come together into a coherent multi-platform strategy. It is intended as a practical reference rather than a deep dive into any single platform, with links through to more detailed guides where relevant.

Key takeaways

Paid search marketing covers advertising bought within search engine results, primarily through Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising
Advertisers pay per click and bid in real-time auctions influenced by bid, ad quality and expected impact
Bing PPC often has lower competition and cost per click than Google Ads, though smaller audience reach
RLSAs let advertisers adjust bids and messaging for people who have already visited their website
Keyword match types control how closely a search must match a keyword before an ad can show
Landing page relevance and conversion tracking directly affect both cost efficiency and measurable results
A multi-platform paid search strategy typically outperforms relying on a single advertising network

What is paid search marketing?

Paid search marketing is advertising that appears within search engine results pages, bought and managed through platforms such as Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising. Unlike organic search rankings, paid search placements are secured through a bidding process rather than earned purely through content and authority, and advertisers are typically charged only when someone clicks the ad, a model known as pay-per-click. It sits as one of the core components of search engine marketing as a whole, alongside organic search visibility.

How does paid search work?

When someone searches a term that an advertiser has bid on, the platform runs an auction among eligible advertisers, weighing bid amount alongside ad relevance and expected performance to decide which ads show and in what order. The advertiser only pays when their ad is clicked, with the actual cost per click typically lower than the maximum bid, set instead by a formula based on the next-highest competing ad's rank and quality.

This auction runs afresh for every individual search, meaning results can vary throughout the day based on which competitors are active, how much budget remains, and how relevant each advertiser's keywords and ad copy are to that specific query. Because of this, ongoing account management, rather than a one-off setup, has a meaningful impact on efficiency over time.

Google Ads for paid search

Google Ads is the largest paid search platform by volume, running on Google Search and its extensive partner network, and offers the widest range of targeting options, ad formats and automated bidding strategies. Most UK businesses running paid search treat Google Ads as their primary channel because it captures the majority of search volume across most sectors. A full breakdown of how the platform works, including cost structures and account setup, is covered in our Google Ads guide.

Microsoft Advertising/Bing PPC

Microsoft Advertising runs ads across Bing, Yahoo and certain syndicated partner networks, along with placements on Microsoft-owned surfaces such as Windows and Edge. Its audience is smaller than Google's, but it often includes a higher proportion of older, higher-income or workplace-based searchers, since many corporate devices default to Bing. Competition and cost per click are frequently lower than on Google Ads for equivalent keywords, which can make Bing PPC a cost-effective secondary channel once a Google Ads account is already performing well.

Google Ads vs Bing paid search

Comparing Google Ads and Bing paid search for most UK businesses
Factor	Google Ads	Bing PPC (Microsoft Advertising)
Search volume	Largest by far	Smaller, but meaningful in some sectors
Typical competition	Higher	Generally lower
Typical cost per click	Higher on competitive terms	Often lower for equivalent keywords
Audience profile	Broadest reach	Skews towards desktop, workplace and older demographics
Best used as	Primary paid search channel	Complementary secondary channel

How RLSAs fit into paid search

Remarketing lists for search ads, or RLSAs, let advertisers adjust bids, keywords and ad messaging specifically for people who have previously visited their website, rather than treating every searcher identically. A past visitor who abandoned a quote form, for example, might see a more assertive bid or a different ad message than someone searching the same keyword for the first time. This makes RLSAs a valuable layer within a broader paid search strategy, since returning visitors typically convert at a higher rate than first-time searchers, and campaigns can be tuned accordingly without needing entirely separate account structures.

Keywords, match types and search intent

Keyword match types determine how closely a user's search needs to match a chosen keyword before an ad becomes eligible to show. Broad match reaches the widest range of related searches but requires closer monitoring, phrase match requires the core meaning of the keyword to be present, and exact match targets the closest variations of a specific term. Choosing match types well is fundamentally about matching search intent, whether someone is researching, comparing options or ready to buy, to the right stage of the campaign structure.

Broad match: widest reach, relies heavily on automated bidding and negative keywords to control relevance
Phrase match: requires the core meaning of the keyword to be present in the search
Exact match: targets the closest variations of a specific keyword, offering the most control

Bidding and budgets

Modern paid search bidding usually relies on automated strategies, such as target cost per acquisition or target return on ad spend, which use machine learning to adjust bids in real time based on the likelihood of conversion. Manual bidding still has a place for very new accounts with limited conversion data, but most established campaigns benefit from automated strategies once enough historical data exists for the algorithm to learn from. Budgets should be set based on the value of a typical conversion and how many conversions are needed to justify the spend, rather than an arbitrary daily figure.

Landing pages and conversion tracking

A well-targeted ad can still underperform if it sends traffic to a slow, unclear or poorly matched landing page, since landing page relevance and load speed both influence conversion rate and, on Google Ads, quality score. Accurate conversion tracking, covering calls, form submissions and, where relevant, offline sales data, is equally essential, because both automated bidding and manual optimisation decisions depend entirely on knowing which clicks actually turn into valuable outcomes.

Measuring paid search performance

Useful measurement goes beyond clicks and impressions to focus on cost per acquisition, conversion rate and return on ad spend, ideally broken down by campaign, keyword and, where multiple platforms are in use, by channel. Comparing performance across Google Ads and Bing PPC on the same basis helps reveal whether budget would be better shifted towards one platform, or whether both are contributing efficiently in different ways.

Building a multi-platform paid-search strategy

A multi-platform approach typically starts with Google Ads as the primary channel, since it captures the largest share of search volume, then adds Microsoft Advertising once the Google account is structured and performing well, taking advantage of its often lower competition. RLSAs and other remarketing techniques can then be layered across both platforms to treat returning visitors differently from new searchers. This guide has intentionally summarised RLSAs, keyword strategy and Google Ads mechanics rather than repeating them in full; readers wanting more depth can explore our complete PPC guide and Google Ads guide for the fundamentals, or our guide on the best types of PPC for B2B for sector-specific considerations.

Frequently asked questions

Is paid search the same as PPC?+

Paid search is a form of PPC, specifically advertising bought within search engine results pages. PPC as a broader term also covers pay-per-click advertising on social platforms and display networks, not just search engines.

Should I use Google Ads or Bing PPC?+

Most businesses should start with Google Ads because it captures the largest share of search volume, then add Bing PPC as a complementary channel once the Google account is performing well, since Bing often offers lower competition and cost per click.

What is an RLSA in paid search?+

A remarketing list for search ads, or RLSA, allows an advertiser to adjust bids and ad messaging specifically for people who have previously visited their website, rather than treating every searcher the same way.

Which keyword match type should I use?+

There is no single correct match type; broad match maximises reach but needs close monitoring, phrase match balances reach with relevance, and exact match offers the most control for well-understood, high-value terms.

How much should I spend on paid search?+

Budgets should be based on the value of a typical conversion and how many conversions are needed to justify the spend, rather than a fixed industry benchmark, since costs vary significantly by sector and competition.

Do I need conversion tracking to run paid search effectively?+

Yes, accurate conversion tracking is essential because automated bidding strategies and manual optimisation decisions both rely on knowing which clicks lead to valuable outcomes such as calls, forms or sales.

Can I run Google Ads and Bing PPC at the same time?+

Yes, running both is common practice and often improves overall efficiency, since the two platforms reach overlapping but distinct audiences and typically have different competitive dynamics.

How do landing pages affect paid search results?+

Landing page relevance and speed directly affect conversion rate and, on Google Ads, can influence quality score and cost per click, so a well-targeted ad can still underperform if it leads to a poor landing page.

Conclusion

Paid search marketing works best when treated as a coordinated strategy rather than a single-platform tactic: Google Ads as the primary channel, Microsoft Advertising as a valuable complement, RLSAs to treat returning visitors more effectively, and disciplined keyword, bidding and landing page management tying it all together. Reliable conversion tracking underpins every part of this, since none of the optimisation decisions above can be made confidently without knowing what is actually producing valuable outcomes.

If you would like support building a multi-platform paid search strategy, our performance PPC agency team can help structure campaigns around measurable business results, or you can get in touch to discuss your goals.

Glossary of Terms

Paid search: Advertising bought within search engine results pages, typically charged on a pay-per-click basis.
RLSA: Remarketing list for search ads; a technique that adjusts bids or messaging for past website visitors within search campaigns.
Match type: A keyword setting that controls how closely a search query must match before an ad becomes eligible to show.
Quality score: Google Ads' rating of ad relevance and expected performance, which influences cost per click and ad position.
Cost per acquisition: The average amount spent on advertising to generate one conversion, such as a lead or sale.
Return on ad spend: A measure of revenue generated relative to advertising spend, usually expressed as a ratio.
Automated bidding: Bid strategies that use machine learning to adjust bids in real time based on the likelihood of conversion.
Broad match: A keyword match type that shows ads for the widest range of related searches with the least restriction.
Exact match: A keyword match type that targets only the closest variations of a specific search term.
Conversion tracking: The measurement infrastructure used to record which clicks result in valuable actions such as calls or form submissions.
Landing page: The webpage a user reaches after clicking an ad, which directly influences conversion rate and ad quality scoring.
Search auction: The real-time bidding process that determines which ads show for a given search and in what order.

Paid Search Marketing Guide: Google Ads, Bing PPC and RLSAs