Importing Google Ads into Microsoft Ads - how to do it without creating a mess

The import tool is genuinely useful. It copies your campaigns, ad groups, keywords, ads, and extensions across in a fraction of the time it would take to build from scratch. But Microsoft Ads is not Google Ads. The audience is different, the search volumes are different, the bidding dynamics are different, and some settings that work on Google behave differently on Microsoft.

What to import

Import your core non-brand keyword campaigns, your ad copy, and your extensions. These transfer cleanly and give you a sensible starting point. Do not import Performance Max campaigns - Microsoft has its own automated campaign types (Performance Max and Smart Shopping equivalent) that behave differently. Do not import your Google Ads audience lists directly - they will need to be rebuilt using Microsoft's UET tag and remarking audiences.

What to fix immediately after import

Check bid adjustments. Microsoft Ads auction dynamics are different - CPCs for equivalent keywords are often lower on Microsoft but the audience is smaller. Bid adjustments that made sense on Google may not make sense on Microsoft. Review device adjustments, location adjustments, and audience bid adjustments and reset them to flat (0%) to start. Let the account build its own data before applying adjustments.

Check negative keywords. Some negative keywords that are appropriate for Google may be overly restrictive on Microsoft, where search volumes are already lower. Be careful not to import a negative keyword list so aggressive that it cuts off the limited volume that Microsoft can deliver.

Conversion tracking setup

Microsoft Ads uses its own Universal Event Tracking (UET) tag, which is separate from your Google Ads conversion tags. You need to install the UET tag on your site and set up conversion goals in Microsoft Ads independently. The import tool does not transfer conversion tracking. If you skip this step, your Microsoft Ads campaigns will run without conversion data and smart bidding will not function.

The LinkedIn audience option

Microsoft Ads integrates with LinkedIn data to allow targeting by job function, company, industry, and seniority. This is not available on Google Ads and is one of Microsoft's genuine differentiators. After import, explore LinkedIn Profile Targeting for B2B campaigns specifically. It will not apply to all campaign types but for professional services and enterprise software, it can significantly improve the quality of your traffic.