How do these platforms optimize bids for different stages of the sales funnel on Bing Ads?

Great question! Platforms like Bing Ads (Microsoft Advertising) optimize bids for different stages of the sales funnel by leveraging automated bidding strategies, audience data, and conversion tracking signals to target users with the right intent at the right time. Here's how it works at each stage:

🔹 Top of Funnel (Awareness)
Goal: Drive visibility and reach new audiences.

How it optimizes:
Bidding Strategy: Often uses Maximize Clicks or Target Impression Share.

Focus: Broad match keywords, audience targeting (e.g., in-market or custom audiences).

Signals used: Interest-based targeting, demographics, and behavioral data.

Optimization: Lower bids for broad, informational searches with lower conversion intent.

🔹 Middle of Funnel (Consideration)
Goal: Engage users already interested in your product/service.

How it optimizes:
Bidding Strategy: Can shift to Enhanced CPC or Maximize Conversions.

Focus: More specific keyword targeting (e.g., brand + product).

Signals used: Engagement history (e.g., site visitors, remarketing lists).

Optimization: Bids increase for users who have interacted with your site or searched for related terms before.

🔹 Bottom of Funnel (Conversion)
Goal: Get users to complete an action (purchase, sign-up, etc.).

How it optimizes:
Bidding Strategy: Use Target CPA or Target ROAS.

Focus: High-intent, transactional keywords (e.g., "buy now," "free trial").

Signals used: Past conversion data, device, time of day, and remarketing.

Optimization: Highest bids for users with a strong history of converting or showing purchase intent.

💡 Bonus: Using Remarketing and Customer Match
Microsoft Advertising allows you to use:

Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA) to re-engage users at the consideration or conversion stage.

Customer Match to bid higher for known, high-value audiences.