What is Microsoft adCenter?

Objective: Learn about using Microsoft adCenter.

Introduction

Microsoft adCenter can help you execute on your search marketing strategies. With Microsoft adCenter, you can create, manage, and optimize your search advertising campaigns to targeted buyers, which you select from a pool of search users on the MSN and Windows Live networks.

All across the Internet, businesses are realizing the benefits of pay-per-click search advertising. Microsoft adCenter can help you reach more customers, help raise conversion rates, and help increase your return on advertising spend.

back to top

Why Use Search Advertising?

Every day, millions of people type keywords into search engines to find the products and services they're looking for.

As a business owner or advertiser, you want your products and services to display at the top of those search results so customers visit your website rather than a competitor's.

With search marketing, you create ads and bid on keywords so your ad displays in the "sponsored links" area of search results pages.

Customers click your ad and link to your website. They can make a purchase, request your services, or sign up for more information. These customer actions are examples of "conversions."

Microsoft adCenter can track conversions for specific ads, helping you improve your campaign's performance.

Unlike traditional advertising, with search advertising you are only charged when people click your ad.

Bid price x Clicks = Amount you pay

You only pay for the clicks you get.

back to top

Why Choose Microsoft adCenter?

Microsoft adCenter helps you target your customers, reach the MSN and Live Search audiences, and make the most of your advertising dollars.

There are more than 90 million MSN and Live Search users.

You can customize your search advertising campaign by targeting the market segment you want to reach. The groups that you target will be shown ads more frequently. Target market segments you want to reach by:

• Age
• Gender
• Geography
• Day of week
• Time of day

Microsoft adCenter includes robust research and reporting tools to help you identify potential areas for campaign improvement. This is called optimization. For more information about optimization, see adCenter Help.

back to top