How do these platforms handle bid adjustments for branded vs. non-branded keywords on Bing Ads?

Third-party bid management platforms for Bing Ads typically offer advanced bid adjustment features that allow advertisers to make more granular and data-driven decisions regarding their bids for branded versus non-branded keywords. These platforms help advertisers maximize performance and profitability by optimizing bid strategies based on keyword intent, competition, and campaign goals. Here's how these platforms generally handle bid adjustments for branded vs. non-branded keywords on Bing Ads:

1. Segmentation of Branded vs. Non-Branded Keywords
Branded Keywords: These are keywords that include your brand name or specific product names (e.g., "Nike running shoes," "Dell laptops"). These keywords typically have higher intent and lower cost-per-click (CPC) because users searching for these terms are often already familiar with the brand and are more likely to convert.

Non-Branded Keywords: These are broader terms that are not tied to a specific brand but may describe products or services in a category (e.g., "running shoes," "laptops"). Non-branded keywords generally have lower intent and higher competition, leading to potentially higher CPC and a larger volume of traffic.

2. Bid Adjustments for Branded Keywords
Lower CPC for Branded Keywords: Since branded keywords usually have higher conversion rates and lower competition, many third-party bid management platforms recommend lowering bids for these keywords. This helps ensure cost-efficiency while maintaining visibility on searches directly related to the brand.

Maximizing ROI: Given the typically higher conversion rates for branded keywords, platforms can adjust bids to ensure you are still visible for high-intent searches while optimizing for return on investment (ROI). Lowering the bid for branded terms can help allocate the budget more effectively, particularly when the CPA is low for branded terms.

Automated Bid Strategies: Some platforms employ machine learning algorithms to automatically adjust bids for branded keywords based on factors such as historical conversion rates, ad position requirements, and available budget. This ensures that advertisers maintain a competitive ad position without overspending on branded terms.

Bid Adjustments for Ad Position: Platforms often allow advertisers to make adjustments for ad position targets on branded keywords. For example, if an advertiser wants to appear in the top position for branded terms, they can set higher bids specifically for those terms.

3. Bid Adjustments for Non-Branded Keywords
Higher CPC for Non-Branded Keywords: Since non-branded keywords tend to be more competitive and have lower conversion intent, advertisers may need to increase bids to secure good ad positions. This is particularly true for non-branded terms in highly competitive industries (e.g., "running shoes" or "laptops").

Targeting Strategy: Platforms often help adjust bids for non-branded keywords based on audience targeting and conversion likelihood. For example, bids may be adjusted based on demographics, location, or device type to ensure the campaign remains cost-effective while maximizing exposure for non-branded terms that are relevant to the target audience.

Optimizing for Conversion Value: Platforms can prioritize non-branded keywords with a higher likelihood of conversion by increasing bids for keywords that historically show better performance (e.g., higher conversion rates or greater relevance to the target audience). Conversely, they might reduce bids for underperforming keywords.

Adjusting for Funnel Stage: Non-branded keywords often appear earlier in the customer funnel and may need different bidding strategies based on where they fall in the conversion path. Platforms can adjust bids to reflect these stages. For example, non-branded keywords focused on awareness might receive lower bids, while those targeting consideration or purchase intent might get higher bids.

4. Budget Allocation and Bid Strategy Optimization
Dynamic Budget Allocation: Some third-party platforms help with dynamic budget allocation, where the platform automatically shifts budget between branded and non-branded keywords based on real-time performance. For example, if non-branded keywords are underperforming and branded keywords are performing well, the platform might reallocate more budget toward branded terms.

Budget Prioritization: Platforms may suggest prioritizing higher ROI keywords (often branded) and reducing spending on non-branded keywords if the non-branded campaigns are not performing well in terms of conversions or cost-per-conversion.

Bid Adjustment Rules: Advertisers can set custom rules for bid adjustments based on keyword performance. For instance, a platform might allow an advertiser to set a rule that bids for branded keywords should always be 20% lower than for non-branded keywords, ensuring better efficiency for the branded terms.

5. Performance Monitoring and Reporting
Real-Time Performance Analysis: These platforms provide real-time insights into how branded and non-branded keywords are performing, allowing advertisers to quickly adjust bids based on current performance trends. For instance, if a non-branded keyword is suddenly converting well, the platform may suggest increasing bids for that term to capture additional traffic.

Bid Strategy Recommendations: Many platforms provide automated recommendations based on keyword performance. For example, the platform might suggest increasing bids on a non-branded keyword with high conversion potential or decreasing bids on underperforming non-branded keywords.

Bid Strategy Optimization Tools: Some platforms have smart bidding strategies (such as Target CPA or Maximize Conversions) that automatically adjust bids for both branded and non-branded keywords based on performance data and business goals.

6. Granular Bid Control
Keyword-Level Bidding: These platforms allow for individual keyword bid adjustments at a granular level, meaning advertisers can set different bids for branded and non-branded keywords within the same campaign. This provides flexibility in maximizing performance while controlling costs.

Bid Adjustments by Device or Location: Advertisers can make bid adjustments based on the device type or geography. For example, non-branded keywords might perform better on mobile devices, prompting the platform to automatically raise bids for non-branded keywords on mobile devices while maintaining lower bids on desktops.

7. Cross-Channel Bid Adjustment
Cross-Channel Strategy: For advertisers running campaigns across multiple platforms (such as Bing Ads and Google Ads), third-party platforms can adjust bids for branded and non-branded keywords across these platforms based on performance. For example, if a branded keyword is driving conversions at a low CPC on Bing, the platform might suggest similar strategies across both Bing and Google Ads to maintain consistent performance.

Conclusion
Third-party bid management platforms handle bid adjustments for branded vs. non-branded keywords on Bing Ads by:

Lowering bids for branded keywords due to higher conversion rates and lower competition, and raising bids for non-branded keywords to improve visibility in competitive markets.

Dynamic budget allocation ensures that budget is optimized between branded and non-branded terms.

Performance tracking and reporting offer insights for ongoing bid adjustments.

Custom bid rules and automated strategies allow for granular control of bidding, ensuring efficiency and performance for both types of keywords.

By optimizing bids based on keyword type, performance data, and campaign goals, these platforms help ensure that advertisers achieve a balance between cost efficiency and visibility for both branded and non-branded keywords on Bing Ads.