If you run Google Ads for your outdoor kitchen and BBQ installation business, you already know how expensive the auction has become. Prime keywords around built-in grills, outdoor pizza ovens, and backyard kitchen design routinely push past $40 or even $60 per click in competitive metros. National aggregators and well-funded home improvement platforms bid up the same terms, making it harder for a specialty contractor to hold a top position without burning through budget.

Switch to Microsoft Advertising and the picture changes. The same buyer intent is there, but the number of active bidders in the outdoor living space drops significantly. For many of the high-intent terms you care about, cost per click can fall by 60% or more. A click that costs $45 on Google might cost $12 to $15 on Bing, and it connects you with a homeowner who is often better qualified by income and homeownership tenure. That gap is the opportunity most outdoor kitchen contractors have yet to explore.

Who searches for outdoor kitchen and BBQ installation on Microsoft Advertising

Microsoft's search network spans Bing, Yahoo, AOL, and DuckDuckGo through syndication partnerships. The audience that uses these engines skews older, with a heavy concentration between 35 and 65 years old. Household income runs higher than the search average, and a disproportionate share of searchers own single-family homes they have lived in for years.

For an outdoor kitchen contractor, that demographic lines up almost perfectly with the ideal buyer. Someone searching "outdoor kitchen contractor near me" on Bing is more likely to be a homeowner in their 50s with a large suburban yard, the equity to fund a major outdoor project, and the patience to research a custom build rather than grab the first sponsored result. The platform also reaches rural and exurban markets where many higher-end property owners live, areas where Google competition can still be thin but Bing fills the gap on niche searches.

The same network delivers commercial intent as well, especially through LinkedIn Profile targeting, which we will cover shortly. Facility managers, restaurant owners, and hospitality groups researching outdoor kitchen and BBQ solutions for commercial patios or event spaces are also findable here, often with far less advertiser competition than on Google.

Microsoft Advertising features that shift the game for outdoor kitchen contractors

A generic list of platform features never helps a contractor decide where to spend. The capabilities that matter are the ones that let you reach the right people at the right bid, with tools that Google does not replicate.

• Search network volume that is actionable for a local outdoor kitchen company. Combine Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo partner traffic, and most metro areas produce enough monthly searches for terms like "outdoor kitchen builder," "BBQ island contractor," and "built-in grill installation" to sustain a lean, profitable campaign. The volume will not match Google, but the leads it produces will often cost less per acquisition.
• LinkedIn Profile targeting. Microsoft Advertising is the only search platform that lets you layer LinkedIn company, job function, and industry data onto your search campaigns. For residential-focused contractors, this opens a commercial extension: you can bid on terms like "outdoor kitchen for restaurant" or "commercial BBQ pit installation" and then refine by hospitality industry or facilities management job titles. For contractors who already serve country clubs, hotels, or multi-family properties, this targeting produces commercial leads that are invisible on Google.
• Microsoft Audience Network. Your ads can appear on MSN, Outlook, the Microsoft Edge browser, and other partner properties as native or display placements, extending your reach beyond the search results page without setting up a separate display campaign. For an outdoor kitchen contractor, that means a homeowner reading lifestyle content on MSN or checking the weather on Edge can see a visually compelling ad for a custom BBQ island build, often at a lower CPM than retargeting on Google Display.
• Import from Google Ads. You can bring your existing Google campaign structure directly into Microsoft Advertising, cutting setup time dramatically. SBS handles the import and then corrects the elements that do not translate cleanly, such as location targeting, bid adjustments, and certain ad extensions.
• Responsive Search Ads, call extensions, and conversion tracking all function in parallel with Google, so you can maintain the same creative discipline across both platforms while Microsoft tracks calls and form submissions with its own pixel or offline conversion uploads.

The competitive reality on Bing for outdoor kitchen and BBQ installation

On Google, a typical outdoor kitchen keyword attracts bidding from large home services platforms, national franchise networks, hardscape and landscape companies that also offer outdoor kitchens, and multiple independent contractors competing for the same top positions. That auction density drives CPCs up and forces you to spend heavily on negative keywords and bid modifiers just to stay relevant.

On Microsoft Advertising, the number of active bidders in this trade category is a fraction of what you see on Google. Many of the big aggregators either ignore Bing entirely or allocate minimal budget, leaving the top of page impressions available to a specialist who shows up. The practical consequences include lower average CPCs on the same exact keyword, less competition for ad extensions to display, and a lower threshold to achieve first-page impression share. For commercial-grade outdoor kitchen projects, the gap is even wider. Very few contractors use LinkedIn targeting on Bing, so you can own a narrow, high-value audience segment with minimal auction pressure.

The CPC differential is most pronounced on long-tail and modifier terms, such as "custom outdoor kitchen with smoker," "L-shaped BBQ island builder," or "outdoor kitchen with pizza oven near me." Those queries are prized on Google and bid up accordingly. On Bing, they often carry significantly lower cost per click and a higher conversion rate because the searcher has refined their intent before clicking.

How SBS structures a Microsoft Advertising campaign for outdoor kitchen and BBQ installation

We treat Microsoft Advertising as a distinct channel that complements Google, not as a copy-paste clone. Our campaigns are built around the behavior of the Bing audience and the economics of the auction.

• Import or build from scratch, based on what already exists. If you have a mature Google Ads account with conversion history, importing it gives a running start. SBS then adjusts location settings, device bid modifiers, and match types for the Bing environment. If you are new to paid search altogether or your Google account is poorly structured, we build fresh campaigns with handpicked keyword groups segmented by project type: built-in grills, full outdoor kitchens, BBQ island construction, and accessory features like outdoor refrigerators or pergola integration.
• Bid strategy starts with Maximize Clicks or manual CPC to generate conversion data without overspending. Microsoft Advertising Smart Bidding (Target CPA, Target ROAS) calibrates differently given the smaller conversion volume typical of a local outdoor kitchen contractor. We move to Target CPA only after the account has enough conversion data, usually 20 to 30 tracked conversions in a 30-day window.
• Negative keyword tuning that reflects Bing search patterns. We add exclusions for DIY, instructional, and informational queries that surface more often on Bing than Google. Terms like "how to build an outdoor kitchen," "BBQ island plans free," and "outdoor kitchen cost per square foot" get cut immediately. We also exclude competitor names, job board queries, and appliance manufacturer support searches that can slip through broad match on the Bing network.
• Budget complementarity with Google. We allocate a portion of total paid search spend to Microsoft Advertising based on actual cost per lead. In many markets, the optimal split lands around 70/30 or 80/20 Google to Bing. SBS monitors cross-channel data to avoid cannibalization: if a search term performs well on both platforms, we use bid adjustments to favor the lower-cost channel while maintaining visibility. We never let Microsoft Advertising simply duplicate a Google campaign and bid against itself.

Trust signals and search-result presence on the Microsoft platform

Bing surfaces business ratings, reviews, and photos in search results and ad extensions, drawing from a mix of sources. A complete, verified Microsoft Business profile is the equivalent of a Google Business Profile and directly impacts the credibility of your ad. SBS ensures your profile is claimed and connected to the ad account so review stars and location information show with your ad extension, giving searchers an immediate trust signal before they click.

For outdoor kitchen contractors, ratings on Bing often come from Facebook, Yelp, and other third-party directories, which means your reputation across platforms helps your Microsoft Advertising performance. We link your Bing Places listing to the ad account so your location, hours, and photos appear alongside the ad copy. This is especially valuable on mobile searches where the "call now" extension stands out.

Mistakes outdoor kitchen contractors make when they finally try Microsoft Advertising

Importing a Google campaign without cleaning up match types and location settings

The default import tool brings over exact, phrase, and broad match keywords that may work well on Google but need recalibration for Bing. Broad match on Bing can surface queries that are far less relevant. SBS audits the imported match types immediately and adjusts geotargeting to exclude areas outside your service radius.

Leaving LinkedIn audience targeting completely unused

Many contractors focus solely on residential customers and never explore the commercial layer. Even a residential outdoor kitchen specialist can benefit from targeting property managers and facilities directors in their metro. The cost to test these campaigns is low, and the auction is nearly empty.

Setting a budget too small to support Smart Bidding

A daily budget of $10 or $15 may generate impressions but rarely enough conversions for the algorithm to optimize. We recommend a minimum budget that generates at least 10 to 15 conversions per month, allowing Target CPA to function properly. Without that volume, Microsoft Advertising will underdeliver or overbid erratically.

Ignoring the Microsoft Audience Network

Some contractors turn off audience ads and limit the campaign to search only. That sacrifices low-cost touchpoints with homeowners who are not actively searching but are still in the research phase. A well-designed outdoor kitchen ad shown in MSN or Outlook can generate interest that later returns as a branded search or direct call.

Treating Bing as just a smaller Google

Search intent patterns differ. On Bing, certain seasonal modifiers, project-type questions, and brand comparisons appear more frequently. Ad copy that converts on Google may need slight adjustments for the Bing audience. SBS tests ad variations and landing page messaging tailored to the slightly older, higher-income demo that Bing delivers.

Why SBS runs both Google and Microsoft Advertising for outdoor kitchen and BBQ contractors

SBS manages paid search as a unified acquisition system, not as isolated channels. For outdoor kitchen installation contractors, we treat Microsoft Advertising as a profitability lever that extends reach into a less contested, high-income audience.

Our process includes:

• Importing and adapting existing Google campaigns for Microsoft Advertising, or building from scratch when needed
• Adding LinkedIn audience layers to capture commercial project leads from property and hospitality buyers
• Structuring budgets so that Google and Bing campaigns complement each other without overlap
• Tuning negative keywords and match types specifically for the Bing query environment
• Tracking calls and form submissions separately by platform so you see exactly what each channel produces
• Rebalancing spend monthly based on actual cost-per-lead data, shifting budget toward the lower-cost platform

If your outdoor kitchen and BBQ installation company is running Google Ads and has never tested Microsoft Advertising, you are likely leaving a segment of highly qualified homeowners and commercial buyers to your competitors, or to no one at all. If you already have a Bing campaign that is not converting, the issue is almost always structure, targeting, or budget allocation, not a lack of demand.

Contact SBS to add Microsoft Advertising to your paid search mix, or to audit an existing Bing account and turn it into a reliable lead source.