Bing Ads 2026 vs Google Local Services: Costs, Updates & Local Business Guide

Ask a local plumber whether they’ve “tried online ads” and you’ll often hear the same story. They ran Google search ads, spent too much in a week, and gave up. Most never even looked at Bing Ads. Plenty of local business owners are in the same spot. So let’s put Bing Ads next to Google’s Local Services Ads, those pay-per-lead boxes at the top of Google, and look at what each one really costs in 2026, what’s new, and which one suits you.

One thing to get straight first. These two work in completely different ways. With one you pay when someone clicks. With the other you pay when someone calls or messages you. So “which is cheaper” doesn’t have a simple answer, and anyone who gives you one without asking about your trade is guessing.

What Bing Ads Actually Are in 2026

Technically there’s no such thing as Bing Ads any more. Microsoft renamed it Microsoft Advertising back in 2019. Nobody listened, and people still type “Bing Ads” into search bars every day, so I’ll use both names. It’s a normal pay-per-click setup: choose keywords, write a couple of ads, set a daily budget, pay per click.

What surprises people is where the ads end up. Not just Bing. Microsoft Advertising also feeds Yahoo, AOL and DuckDuckGo, plus Microsoft’s own stuff like Edge, MSN and Copilot. Bing on its own has roughly 13 to 14% of US desktop search, going by StatCounter numbers that Backlinko pulled together. Doesn’t sound like much. Then you remember how many office PCs open Edge by default, and how many of those people are deciding what to buy.

What Google’s LSAs Are

LSAs are the little cards above the normal results when you search something like “emergency plumber near me”. Name, stars, opening hours, a verified tick. No charge for clicks. You’re billed when a customer rings, messages or books.

We’ve written a separate, detailed guide on those, Google Local Service Ads 2026: costs, updates and strategies, so here I’ll only cover how they compare with Bing Ads.

Bing Ads vs Local Services Ads at a Glance

Bing Ads Cost vs Local Services Ads Cost

Neither has a price list. Both run on auctions, so your Bing Ads cost and your LSA price swing with your trade, your town and how many rivals are bidding that week.

How Much Bing Ads Cost

The figure I see quoted most puts the average Bing Ads cost per click near $1.50, against roughly $3 on Google search (MB Adv). Call it a third cheaper, sometimes 40%. Lawyers and accountants usually notice the biggest gap. Busy consumer niches, less so.

Why cheaper? Fewer people bid on Microsoft Advertising. Less fighting over each click. The flip side is less traffic too, so a Bing campaign won’t flood you with calls.

Here’s the bit people skip. Say a click costs $2 and one visitor in ten gets in touch. That’s $20 a lead. Tidy up the landing page so one in six gets in touch, and it’s nearer $12. Your Bing Ads cost per lead depends on your website almost as much as on the bid.

How Much Google LSAs Cost

With LSAs you don’t need that maths, you just pay per lead. Agency data from mid-2026 has cleaning and painting leads around $33, plumbing about $66, and roofing above $100 (99 Calls). Pricier, yes, but these are people with water on the kitchen floor, not browsers.

So which wins? Click for click, Bing Ads cost less pretty much every time. Job for job, it comes down to your website. A weak site and LSAs can actually come out cheaper, because you never pay for a visitor who just looked and left.

What Changed in 2026

Microsoft Advertising Updates

The Microsoft Advertising Activate event in May 2026 had a long list of announcements (ALM Corp recap). Most were aimed at big retailers. For a local business, a handful stand out.

First, AI Max for Search. It widens matching and rewrites bits of your ads automatically, but, unlike some of Google’s automation, you still get search term reports and keyword controls, so you can see where money goes. Second, ads can now turn up inside Copilot’s chat answers. Someone asking Copilot “who’s a decent electrician in Leeds?” might see your ad right there. Third, Performance Max got proper reporting, with search terms, URLs and negative keywords you add yourself.

Two smaller ones I like. The new Import Center copies campaigns over from Google Ads, which makes trying Microsoft Advertising almost no effort. And LinkedIn targeting now includes job seniority alongside company, industry and job function, which is great if your customers are other businesses.

Google LSA Updates

Google has had a busy year with its pay-per-lead ads as well. The Google Guaranteed badge has been retired, and the whole product is being moved into the main Google Ads account during 2026. Dates and what to do are all in our Local Services Ads guide.

Who Should Use Bing Ads?

From what I’ve seen, Bing Ads earn their keep in a few situations. If your customers are a bit older or better off, Bing’s audience leans that way. If you sell to other businesses, the LinkedIn targeting inside Microsoft Advertising is hard to beat. If your trade can’t get into Google’s LSAs at all (lots of shops, restaurants and B2B firms can’t), search ads are your main paid option anyway. And if you already run Google Ads, importing a campaign takes ten minutes. Finally, if money’s tight, a low Bing Ads cost per click is a gentle way to test which keywords bring work before you spend more on Google.

Who Should Use Local Services Ads?

LSAs usually win for home service pros in an eligible trade, think plumbers, locksmiths, HVAC engineers, cleaners, who want the phone ringing rather than website visits. Catch is, you have to answer. Leads cool off in minutes, and Google notices who picks up.

Can You Run Both?

You can, and most local firms probably should. They barely overlap. Local Services Ads grab the urgent searches on Google. Microsoft’s ads catch the people on Edge, Windows or Copilot who never open Google at all. Running Microsoft Advertising next to Google almost never steals from it.

If I were starting a small trade business tomorrow, I’d do it in this order. Get Local Services Ads going first if my trade qualifies, because it’s the shortest road to calls. Then a small Bing campaign with my best 10 to 20 keywords. Claim Bing Places for Business, it’s free. After a month, line up my Bing Ads cost per booked job against what LSAs charge per lead, and move money to whichever wins.

Setting Up Bing Ads Quickly

Getting started takes an afternoon, honestly. Sign up at ads.microsoft.com. Already on Google Ads? Use the import tool and your keywords, ads and extensions come across. Set location to a radius around your postcode, not the whole country. Add call and location extensions so people can ring straight from the ad. Put the UET tag on your site so you can tell which clicks became enquiries. Then once a week, open the search terms report and block the rubbish.

If you’ll run more than one campaign, grab the Microsoft Advertising Editor desktop app too. Bulk edits get a lot quicker.

Common Bing Ads Mistakes

The one I see most is importing from Google and never looking again. Google bids are usually too high for Bing, and that inflates your Bing Ads cost for no reason. Turn them down a bit and watch for a week.

Second, the audience network. It’s often switched on by default and shows your ads on MSN and partner sites. OK for brand awareness, usually poor for local leads, and it quietly pushes Bing Ads cost up.

Third, targeting the whole country when you cover one town. It burns money and drags your Bing Ads cost up for clicks you could never serve. And fourth, no conversion tracking. Without it you’ll eventually pause a campaign that was actually working.

FAQs

Are Bing Ads cheaper than Google?

Per click, usually. Benchmarks put Bing Ads cost around 30 to 40% below Google search. You’ll get fewer clicks, though, so fewer leads overall.

Is Microsoft Advertising the same as Bing Ads?

Same thing. Bing Ads became Microsoft Advertising in 2019, and picked up extras like Copilot placements and LinkedIn data along the way.

Does Microsoft have its own version of Local Services Ads?

Not really. There’s no pay-per-lead equivalent. Your best bet on Bing is a tightly targeted search campaign with call extensions, plus a free Bing Places listing.

Which is better for a plumber, Bing Ads or Local Services Ads?

For most plumbers, Local Services Ads bring more ready-to-book calls. Bing is a cheap extra that reaches people Google misses. Plenty of plumbers run both.

How much should I spend on Bing Ads to test them?

Give it a month at $10 to $20 a day. That’s usually enough to see your real Bing Ads cost per enquiry in your area.

Final Thoughts

Bing Ads and Local Services Ads aren’t really competing. One gives you control and a lower Bing Ads cost per click. The other gives you calls with less fiddling. If your trade qualifies for Local Services Ads, start there, then add Microsoft Advertising for the people Google never sees. After a month, compare cost per booked job and let that decide, not a blog post. Including this one.

Want a hand setting up Microsoft Advertising or Local Services Ads? Have a look at our SEO and PPC services.