Microsoft Ads Agency: What to Look For, What to Ask, and How to Choose
Most paid search agencies claim Microsoft Ads expertise. Few actually have it. The platform is used by a fraction of the advertiser base compared to Google, receives less industry coverage, and requires platform-specific knowledge that agencies without dedicated Microsoft Ads practitioners rarely build. For advertisers who know Microsoft Ads is worth running, choosing the wrong agency — one that treats Microsoft as a Google Ads import-and-forget exercise — means accepting 50-60% of what the platform can actually deliver.
This guide explains what genuine Microsoft Ads expertise looks like in practice, what questions to ask an agency before engaging, what red flags to watch for, and what integrated Google + Microsoft Ads management actually entails when done correctly.
Why Microsoft Ads Expertise Is Genuinely Different from Google Ads Expertise
The platforms share auction mechanics and a similar interface — but expertise on one does not automatically transfer to the other. Here's where the real differences in platform knowledge matter:
Audience behavior and benchmark calibration: CTR rates, conversion rates, and quality score patterns behave differently on Bing versus Google. An agency applying Google's CTR benchmarks to Microsoft campaigns will misevaluate performance. A 2.5% CTR that would be average on Google might be excellent on Microsoft for the same keyword category. Agencies without Microsoft-specific benchmark data make optimization decisions based on the wrong reference points.
Quality Score dynamics post-import: Campaigns imported from Google start with no Quality Score history in Microsoft. The algorithm must build click-through rate data, ad relevance signals, and landing page quality signals from scratch. This means Quality Scores start low, ad positions may be lower than expected, and CPCs may be higher than they'll eventually stabilize at. An experienced Microsoft Ads agency knows to expect this period, explains it to clients, and actively manages Quality Score improvement rather than interpreting early performance data as a platform verdict.
LinkedIn Profile Targeting — the capability most agencies ignore: Microsoft's Audience Network LinkedIn targeting is the most powerful and unique B2B advertising capability on the platform. Most agencies that "support Microsoft Ads" configure search campaigns and stop there — they never set up LinkedIn-targeted Audience campaigns, which means they're using Microsoft Ads at 40-50% of its B2B potential. Building, segmenting, and measuring LinkedIn targeting campaigns requires specific knowledge of how the Audience Network works, how to size LinkedIn audiences to ensure sufficient volume, and how to attribute value to view-through and assisted conversions from awareness campaigns.
Microsoft Merchant Center feed optimization: The feed data specification is similar to Google's, but Microsoft's shopping algorithm has different weighting for attributes. Feed optimization tactics that prioritize certain fields for Google don't always produce the same impact on Microsoft. An agency with genuine Microsoft Shopping expertise knows which attributes most significantly affect impression share and CPC on the Microsoft platform specifically.
UET tag implementation and ecommerce events: The Microsoft UET tag must be implemented separately from Google's tracking tags. Conversion goals must be configured independently. For ecommerce dynamic remarketing, product-level UET events must fire with the correct parameters matching the Merchant Center feed. Agencies that aren't experienced with UET frequently implement incomplete tracking, resulting in: Smart Bidding that optimizes toward the wrong signals, missing conversion data that makes campaign performance appear worse than it is, and no foundation for dynamic remarketing.
Post-import optimization workflow: Using the import tool is the starting point, not the end state. A Google Ads import into Microsoft requires a structured optimization checklist: Quality Score audit and headline/description optimization, bid strategy review and calibration to Microsoft traffic patterns, budget reallocation based on Microsoft CPC levels vs. Google CPC levels, negative keyword review (some negatives from Google may be overly restrictive on Microsoft's traffic patterns), ad extension audit and Microsoft-specific additions, and audience setup including UET-based remarketing and LinkedIn targeting. An agency that imports and considers setup "complete" is leaving the majority of the value work undone.
The Post-Import Optimization Process: What a Real Agency Does
The Google Ads import gets campaigns live in Microsoft. What happens in the first 30 days afterward determines whether Microsoft Ads performs at 50% of its potential or 90%.
Week 1-2 after import:
Quality Score assessment: Run a keyword-level quality score report. Identify keywords with QS below 5. For these keywords, audit: headline relevance (does the keyword appear in the first headline?), description relevance (does the ad copy address the search intent?), and landing page alignment (does the page content closely match the ad's promise?).
Bid calibration: Google-imported campaigns often start with Google-calibrated CPCs that are too high or too low relative to Microsoft's actual CPC levels for the same keywords. Run the Auction Insights report and compare your impression share versus competitors. Adjust bids to target appropriate impression share without overpaying.
Budget review: If your Google campaign budget was based on Google CPC levels, that same budget on Microsoft will produce more clicks (lower CPCs) than expected. Alternatively, Microsoft traffic volume might be low enough that a Google-equivalent budget is higher than needed. Right-size budgets to Microsoft's traffic volume and CPC levels.
Weeks 3-4 after import:
Search term mining: Pull the search term report and identify: exact match expansion opportunities (queries performing well that aren't yet targeted with exact match keywords), negative keyword additions (irrelevant queries generating clicks), and long-tail keyword discovery (queries not in the current keyword set).
Ad extension audit: Confirm all ad extensions imported correctly and are showing. Add any Microsoft-specific extensions that weren't in the Google account. Review sitelink and callout relevance — extensions created for Google campaigns sometimes reference Google-specific features or promotions that don't apply to Microsoft campaigns.
Conversion tracking verification: Confirm UET tag is firing on all pages. Confirm each conversion goal is registering conversions accurately. Check for conversion duplication (firing twice on the same user action). Verify CRM integration if offline conversion import is planned.
Month 2 — LinkedIn targeting setup (for B2B):
By month 2, search campaigns have begun building Quality Score history and should be showing more stable performance data. This is the right time to launch Audience Network campaigns with LinkedIn targeting:
Define the LinkedIn targeting configuration based on ICP: identify the job functions, company sizes, industries, and seniority levels of your best customers. Create Audience Network campaigns targeting this configuration. Set conservative budgets (typically 20-30% of total Microsoft budget) to gather initial performance data. Run for 30 days before optimizing.
How to Evaluate a Microsoft Ads Agency: Interview Questions and Correct Answers
Before signing with a Microsoft Ads agency, ask these specific questions. The specificity of their answers reveals the depth of their actual platform knowledge:
Question 1: How do you handle Quality Score when importing campaigns from Google?
What a surface-level agency says: "We import the campaigns and monitor performance."
What an expert agency says: "Imported campaigns start with no Quality Score history in Microsoft — QS is calculated independently. We expect lower ad positions and potentially higher CPCs in the first 3-6 weeks while the algorithm builds click data. We proactively optimize: auditing keyword-to-headline relevance for QS below 5, tightening keyword-to-ad group clustering to improve expected CTR, and monitoring landing page quality signals. We set client expectations at the start that the first 4-6 weeks represent data accumulation, not final steady-state performance."
Question 2: How do you set up LinkedIn Profile Targeting in Microsoft Ads, and how do you measure its performance?
What a surface-level agency says: "We add LinkedIn targeting in the campaign settings."
What an expert agency says: "LinkedIn targeting applies to Audience Network campaigns, not search campaigns. We define the targeting configuration based on the client's ICP — specific combinations of job function, company size, industry, and seniority. We size each audience to ensure sufficient volume (generally 10,000+ users minimum for audience campaigns to serve reliably). For B2B clients, we typically structure: one campaign targeting the broad ICP for top-of-funnel awareness, a second campaign retargeting site visitors who also match the LinkedIn ICP profile. Measurement uses view-through attribution for awareness campaigns (with appropriate lookback windows) and assisted conversion data from GA4 or the CRM, not just direct last-click conversions."
Question 3: What do you optimize in Microsoft Merchant Center to improve Shopping campaign performance?
What a surface-level agency says: "We set up the feed and launch Shopping campaigns."
What an expert agency says: "Feed quality drives Shopping performance. We focus on: product title optimization — leading with brand, product type, and key variation attributes in the first 70 characters; GTIN inclusion for all branded products, which significantly improves matching accuracy and can lower CPCs; custom label implementation to segment the catalog by margin tier and performance tier for differentiated ROAS targets; image quality — we flag products with low-resolution images or non-compliant overlays; and feed freshness — ensuring the price and availability in the feed matches the landing page to prevent disapprovals. After these basics, we review Microsoft's attribute weighting for their shopping algorithm, which differs in some ways from Google's."
Question 4: How do you implement the UET tag for ecommerce, and what do you configure for dynamic remarketing?
What a surface-level agency says: "We install the UET tag through Google Tag Manager."
What an expert agency says: "For ecommerce, the base UET tag is just the start. Dynamic remarketing requires product-level event parameters firing on key pages: product detail page views with product ID, price, and currency; add-to-cart events with the same product-level data; and purchase confirmation with order ID, revenue, currency, and line-item product IDs. All product IDs must exactly match the IDs in the Microsoft Merchant Center feed for the feed association to work. After implementation, we verify through the UET Tag Helper extension and in Microsoft Ads' tag diagnostic interface. We then build the audience segments — product viewers, cart abandoners, purchasers — and create dynamic remarketing campaigns with the Merchant Center feed associated."
Question 5: How do you attribute conversions across Google Ads and Microsoft Ads when both platforms claim the same conversion?
What a surface-level agency says: "We look at what each platform reports."
What an expert agency says: "Both platforms use last-click attribution by default and will claim conversions where they had the last touch. Platform-reported numbers always look better than reality when both platforms are running simultaneously. Our approach: use GA4's data-driven attribution model as the cross-channel source of truth, not platform-reported numbers. Configure GA4 to receive conversion data from both platforms. For B2B with long sales cycles, implement CRM-based attribution — UTM parameters captured in HubSpot or Salesforce fields let us trace leads from both platforms through the full funnel to closed revenue. Budget allocation decisions are made based on GA4 or CRM data, not what each platform claims."
Red Flags When Choosing a Microsoft Ads Agency
Watch for these warning signs in agency conversations:
"We run Microsoft Ads as part of our Google Ads service at no extra charge" without specifics: This often means Microsoft is an afterthought — campaigns imported from Google and never touched again. Microsoft Ads managed correctly requires its own optimization time, particularly for LinkedIn targeting setup, Quality Score rebuilding, and feed optimization.
Inability to explain LinkedIn targeting implementation details: If an agency cannot explain the difference between Audience Network campaigns (where LinkedIn targeting applies) and Search campaigns (where it doesn't), they haven't actually set up LinkedIn targeting for clients.
Reporting Microsoft performance only in Microsoft's own interface: Best practice is to measure Microsoft performance in GA4 or a unified analytics platform alongside Google. Agencies that only report platform-reported numbers are either not tracking properly or don't want clients to see the cross-platform attribution picture.
Proposing Microsoft Ads without analyzing if it's the right fit: Some categories are poor fits for Microsoft Ads (mass-market B2C targeting under-35 audiences, mobile-first products). An agency that recommends Microsoft Ads without analyzing your audience profile and category fit is running on autopilot.
No specific process for post-import optimization: The import tool is a feature, not a strategy. If an agency's Microsoft Ads plan starts and ends with "we'll import your Google campaigns," they haven't built a platform-specific optimization workflow.
Claiming Microsoft Ads will match Google Ads volume: Microsoft's search network is approximately 6-10% of Google's volume. Any agency that suggests Microsoft will deliver comparable traffic volume to Google doesn't understand the platforms. The value proposition is efficiency and incremental reach — not volume replacement.
What Old Fox Does for Microsoft Ads Clients
Old Fox is a Google Premier Partner in the Top 3% in their country — reflecting verified excellence in paid search at scale across 130+ active accounts over 12 years. Our Microsoft Ads practice integrates directly with our Google Ads management, not as a bolted-on add-on:
Integrated strategy design: Microsoft Ads campaigns are designed as part of a unified paid search strategy from the start. Budget allocation between Google and Microsoft is based on category-specific CPC data and audience analysis, not arbitrary percentage splits. We set performance expectations based on category benchmarks, not generic promises.
Import + post-import optimization: Every Microsoft Ads launch starts with a structured import from Google, followed by a 30-day post-import optimization process: Quality Score audit, bid calibration to Microsoft CPC levels, search term mining, ad extension review, and conversion tracking verification.
LinkedIn targeting for B2B: For B2B clients, LinkedIn Profile Targeting setup is standard — not optional. We define the ICP-based targeting configuration, size audiences, structure Audience Network campaigns, implement view-through attribution, and measure LinkedIn campaign performance through GA4 and CRM integration. For ABM clients, we set up named company targeting and measure account coverage as a KPI alongside lead metrics.
Microsoft Merchant Center and feed optimization: For ecommerce clients, we manage the full feed lifecycle: initial submission and verification, title and attribute optimization, custom label strategy, GTIN inclusion review, feed health monitoring, and disapproval resolution. Shopping campaigns are structured with margin-tier segmentation from the start.
UET tag and conversion tracking: We implement the full UET tag including ecommerce product events for dynamic remarketing, verify all conversion goals are tracking accurately, and configure offline conversion import for B2B clients with CRM integration.
Unified attribution reporting: Performance reporting includes both platforms in a unified view using GA4 data-driven attribution as the source of truth. We do not report platform-claimed conversions as the primary performance metric — we show cross-channel performance with proper attribution.
Cross-platform budget optimization: Ongoing budget allocation between Google and Microsoft is a monthly decision driven by comparative CPA/ROAS data from GA4. When Microsoft delivers lower CPAs than Google at comparable quality, budget flows toward Microsoft. When Google's volume advantage justifies higher spend despite higher CPAs, we make that case explicitly.
Fee Structures for Microsoft Ads Management
Agency fee structures for Microsoft Ads management vary. Common models:
Percentage of spend: The most common model. Typically 12-20% of monthly Microsoft Ads spend for managed services. Minimum fees often apply ($500-800/month) to cover the minimum management time required. This model aligns agency incentives with scaling spend — which is appropriate when scaling spend also scales performance, but requires the client to verify that spend increases are justified by performance data.
Flat monthly retainer: A fixed fee regardless of spend level. More common for SMB clients where spend levels are below the threshold where percentage-of-spend makes sense. Typically $500-1,500/month for dedicated Microsoft Ads management.
Bundled with Google Ads management: Many agencies include Microsoft Ads in an overall search management retainer, particularly when Microsoft Ads management time is lower than Google Ads (due to lower volume and the import starting point). Old Fox includes Microsoft Ads management as part of integrated search management for clients running both platforms — no separate Microsoft Ads fee.
Setup fee + ongoing management: Some agencies charge a one-time setup fee for initial Microsoft Ads launch (covering import, UET setup, LinkedIn targeting configuration, and feed submission) plus an ongoing monthly management fee. This approach accurately reflects the front-loaded work of launching Microsoft Ads correctly.
What to ask about fees: Does the management fee include Microsoft Merchant Center setup and feed management? Does it include LinkedIn targeting setup for Audience campaigns? What does onboarding look like — what's delivered in the first 30 days? How are performance reviews structured?
Integrated Google + Microsoft Ads Strategy: The Right Model
Managing Google Ads and Microsoft Ads separately — with different agencies or different internal owners — creates compounding problems:
Attribution conflicts: Both platforms claim conversions and both agencies argue for more budget based on their platform's numbers. Without a neutral measurement source, budget decisions become political rather than data-driven.
Strategy incoherence: Google campaigns and Microsoft campaigns may run contradictory messaging, different landing pages, or misaligned bidding approaches. The user experience across touchpoints becomes inconsistent.
Budget allocation dysfunction: Decisions about how much to invest in Google versus Microsoft require comparing apples to apples — same attribution methodology, same performance benchmarks, same timeframe. Separate agencies use different reporting methods and have different incentives, making rational cross-platform budget allocation nearly impossible.
Missed integration opportunities: LinkedIn targeting on Microsoft Audience campaigns works best when it's informed by Google search data — which keyword categories and audience segments are converting on Google, so you can target the same professional profiles on Microsoft's Audience Network. Separate management silos prevent this cross-platform signal integration.
The correct model: one agency manages both platforms with a unified strategy, unified attribution, and unified reporting. Budget allocation decisions are made by one team with full visibility into both platforms' performance using neutral measurement. This is the model Old Fox uses for all clients running Google and Microsoft Ads.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Microsoft Ads management typically billed separately from Google Ads management? It depends on the agency model. Some agencies charge separately for Microsoft Ads, treating it as an add-on service. Old Fox includes Microsoft Ads management as part of integrated paid search management for clients running both platforms — we believe integrated management is the only model that produces optimal cross-platform results, and separating the fee creates an incentive misalignment.
How do I know if an agency actually has Microsoft Ads experience versus just claiming it? Ask specific questions that require platform-specific knowledge to answer correctly: How do you handle Quality Score rebuilding after import? How do you structure LinkedIn targeting for Audience campaigns? What Microsoft Merchant Center attributes do you prioritize for Shopping feed optimization? What does your UET implementation process look like for ecommerce? Vague or generic answers reveal surface-level knowledge. Specific, detailed answers with process descriptions reveal genuine experience.
Should my Google Ads agency and my Microsoft Ads agency be the same company? Yes. Integrated management by one agency produces better results through coordinated strategy, unified attribution, and consistent optimization logic. Separate agencies managing each platform will produce attribution conflicts and budget allocation disputes that harm overall performance. The exception is if your current Google Ads agency genuinely has no Microsoft Ads capability — in that case, find an agency that can manage both, rather than trying to coordinate two separate vendors.
How long does it take to see results from a new Microsoft Ads agency engagement? The realistic timeline: month 1 is setup, import, and data accumulation (Quality Scores building, bidding calibrating, tracking verifying). Month 2 shows early performance trends but is still affected by algorithm calibration. Month 3 reflects more representative steady-state performance. Full optimization results are typically visible by month 3-4 for search campaigns, and by month 4-5 for LinkedIn Audience campaigns where the attribution includes view-through data. Plan for a 90-day evaluation horizon before making definitive agency performance judgments.
What's the minimum Microsoft Ads budget worth managing professionally? $800/month is the practical minimum for meaningful performance data accumulation. Below this, impression volume and conversion data accumulate too slowly for quality optimization decisions. At $800-1,500/month, a well-managed Microsoft Ads account can generate measurable leads or ecommerce revenue within 60-90 days. The cost of professional management should be evaluated against the expected return, not just as a percentage of the platform budget.
How does Old Fox manage attribution between Google and Microsoft Ads? We use GA4 data-driven attribution as the cross-channel source of truth for most clients. GA4's data-driven model distributes conversion credit across touchpoints based on incrementality modeling — more accurate than last-click and not biased toward either platform. For B2B clients with CRM integration, we track revenue attribution by source through HubSpot or Salesforce, connecting Microsoft Ads leads through the full funnel to pipeline and closed revenue. Budget allocation decisions are made based on cross-channel data, not platform-reported numbers.
What does Old Fox charge for Microsoft Ads management? Old Fox includes Microsoft Ads management as part of integrated search management for clients running both platforms. Contact us for a quote based on your specific account complexity and scale. Our free 48-hour audit is a no-cost starting point that includes a Microsoft Ads opportunity assessment and a recommendation on whether and how to invest in the platform.
What differentiates Old Fox from other agencies claiming Microsoft Ads expertise? Three things: our Google Premier Partner Top 3% status verifies paid search excellence at scale — it's not a self-designation; our process for LinkedIn targeting is structured and measurable, not a vague add-on; and we manage Microsoft Ads as part of a unified cross-platform strategy with neutral attribution, not as a separate silo. With 12+ years of experience and 130+ active accounts delivering an average 4.5x ROAS across the portfolio, our expertise is benchmarked across a large client base, not assumed from managing a handful of accounts.
Work with a Real Microsoft Ads Agency
Old Fox manages integrated Google Ads and Microsoft Ads for B2B companies and ecommerce brands across North America and Latin America. Our free 48-hour audit includes a Microsoft Ads opportunity assessment: whether the platform makes sense for your category, what LinkedIn targeting configuration fits your ICP, and what budget allocation we'd recommend based on your current Google Ads performance data.