Microsoft’s Automotive Ads get more placements, roll out globally

Microsoft Advertising has expanded Automotive Ads placements and rolled out the open beta to all advertisers globally, the company announced Wednesday.

Those interested in joining the beta should contact their Microsoft Advertising representative. 

New Automotive Ads placements. Since its introduction, Automotive Ads have been eligible to show in Bing search, image and video results pages. With this expansion, the format can also display in the Microsoft Audience Network, the Microsoft Autos Marketplace and the Windows search bar (shown below).

This format will also begin showing on Yahoo! And DuckDuckGo (Microsoft has agreements to show ads on both these platforms).

Microsoft’s roadmap for automotive ads. In addition to the updates above, the company plans to roll out more expansions throughout this year. These include:

• Support for new vehicle types (motorcycles and RVs).
• Support for monthly pricing and leasing options.
• Support for more visuals and attributes (such as an attribute for electric vehicles).

Why we care. On the Microsoft Search Network, automotive search interest is up 48% compared to 2019, according to Microsoft internal data. Automotive Ads can help vehicle sellers tap into this demand with an automated, feed-based format that may be easier to get started with than some of the other options out there.

More ad placements may enable businesses such as car dealerships to get in front of more potential customers. And, the updates planned to roll out this year will add more flexibility to the format, making them more viable for more businesses.

Google launched its own vehicle ads. Earlier this month, Google launched a similar product, simply known as vehicle ads. Google’s vehicle ads are set to roll out to all U.S. advertisers beginning this month.

About The Author

George Nguyen is an editor for Search Engine Land, covering organic and paid search. His background is in journalism and content marketing. Prior to entering the industry, he worked as a radio personality, writer, podcast host and public school teacher.