With Windows 10, Bing Ads Anticipates 10 To 15 Percent More Search Volume By September

With Wednesday’s launch of Windows 10, Bing Ads General Manager David Pann has outlined the benefits advertisers should expect to reap from the ways in which search is woven into the new operating system in a new blog post. Overall, Pann’s message is that Bing Ads advertisers should see lots of opportunity for more search volume as adoption of Windows 10 spreads. Here’s why.

More Volume From New And Current Users

“We’re estimating query volume gains from 10 to 15 percent as early as September — not only from new users, but from existing Bing users who will now use Bing more frequently.”

Because Windows 10 makes search a much more integral aspect of the user experience — and without a doubt, it does — performing regular searches will feel more intuitive. In Windows 10, users don’t have to launch an app or browser to access Bing or Cortana. Instead, they can use a task bar to speak or type Web searches. Those results can include ads when relevant. A Cortana “Ask me anything” box appears in the task bar that’s at the bottom of the screen at all times.

New Edge Browser Includes Cortana

“When users launch the new Microsoft Edge browser, they will see the brand new MSN – optimized for search. Only Edge has Cortana built right into the address bar.”

The Edge browser is replacing Internet Explorer. Users can highlight text in the browser and right click for Cortana to bring up Bing results in a sidebar. The example below yields information, images and a map related to a location, but Cortana can also bring up results like business listings complete with click-to-call and direction links and Yelp reviews, for example.

Remember also that Microsoft just launched Bing Native Ads, which can appear across MSN.com and are managed within the Bing Ads interface.

(Users will still have the option to make a page other than MSN their default start page and make Google the default search engine.)

Cortana Apps To Bring In New Users & Enhance Cross-Device Capabilities

“With the Cortana app on iOS and Android, Bing will draw in new users, and continue to expand our overall search and mobile search share.”

The Cortana apps for iOS and Android also use Bing for search, of course. Expanding Cortana’s reach beyond Windows Phones should also then mean more exposure for Bing. The Cortana apps also improve Microsoft’s ability to track users — and serve and report on ads — across devices.

The lift can also work both ways: the more Windows 10 users get accustomed to using Cortana on their PCs, the more likely they’ll be to put the app on their phones, the thinking goes. And Bing comes full circle.

Holiday Lift Expected From Device Gifts

“As Windows 10 — and other new devices — make their ways to consumers during the holidays, we expect continued growth in Bing traffic into the foreseeable future.”

That 10 to 15 percent initial lift should keep building, says Pann, as people get Windows 10-loaded PCs for holiday gifts.

The Cortana/Bing search integration in Windows 10 is certainly lightyears ahead of Smart Search in Windows 8.1. I, for one, can envision myself becoming much more ambi-search between Bing and Google when I update to Windows 10. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the company expects Bing to hit profitability in this fiscal year.

About The Author

Ginny Marvin

Ginny Marvin is Third Door Media's Editor-in-Chief, managing day-to-day editorial operations across all of our publications. Ginny writes about paid online marketing topics including paid search, paid social, display and retargeting for Search Engine Land, Marketing Land and MarTech Today. With more than 15 years of marketing experience, she has held both in-house and agency management positions. She can be found on Twitter as @ginnymarvin.