Windows 10, released in July 2015, brought some changes to Internet marketing. While the full effect on Pay Per Click marketing remains uncertain, most believe the Windows 10 release will impact Bing PPC ads in some way.

We outline below some of the most important aspects of Windows 10 in regards to PPC campaigns.

The Unique Rollout of Windows 10

Microsoft gave, and continues to give, a Windows 10 upgrade for free to existing users of Windows 7 and 8. This free rollout means faster adoption of the software on most computers using the older operating systems. Computer World statistics show 961 million Windows 7 users and 257 million Windows 8 users. While not all of those users will install the new operating system, it’s very likely many of them will.

Why does this matter? One word: Bing.

Bing Search Engine by Default

Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, has had rough days in its past. From jokes about what the name Bing stands for (But It’s Not Google), to competing with the search engine giant, Bing has had difficulty living up to its expectations. That said, Bing does command 20% of the search engine market.

When users upgrade to Windows 10, Bing becomes their default search engine. Many users simply accept the default as their new normal, and will continue to use Bing as their search engine.

With Windows 10, Microsoft has also added Cortana to the desktop experience. Cortana, Microsoft’s virtual assistant previously only available on mobile devices, can answer most questions you ask her. On a desktop computer, you can ask Cortana anything from what your schedule looks like for the day, to what time the sun will set. If Cortana cannot find the answer to your question on your computer, she goes to the Internet.

Guess what search engine she uses? Bing.

With so many people installing Windows 10 AND with Cortana now available on desktops, Bing will likely see an increase in its market share of search engine traffic.

How does this affect PPC marketing? More people using Bing equals more people seeing PPC ads on Bing. Even if a conservative number of people (based on the over ONE BILLION computers with Windows 7 or 8 installed) use the default Windows 10 features, we will see a rise in the number of searches conducted on Bing. Windows 10 has the ability to quickly and easily funnel users to Bing. While we do not yet know the full extent of the impact, it is worth considering how these default Windows 10 features impact your PPC strategy.

New Internet Browser = Better Experience

Edge, the new Internet browser from Microsoft, was launched in conjunction with Windows 10. Boasting speed and better battery life usage, Edge promises to be a cutting-edge browser. More importantly, Edge provides a much needed upgrade, in both speed and functionality, from the outdated Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Windows 10 provides Edge as the default Internet browser, integrating Cortana and Bing together to provide a great web surfing experience for the user. With all of this packaged in a neat bundle, it benefits most businesses to reexamine their PPC marketing strategy.

Better Data

Windows 10 comes with a feature that feeds all data back to Microsoft. This feature can be turned off, but many users may never know that this feature exists. This data aggregation matches both Google and Facebook when it comes to the sheer volume of information. However, the Windows 10 data goes a step further. This data comes directly from the hard drive of the user.

With Google, data is collected based on software – software used for surfing the internet and software used to track website traffic. Fake, inaccurate data easily finds its way into Google Analytics reports.

Putting all privacy concerns aside for a moment, Microsoft 10 may nearly eliminate fake data because the information comes straight from users’ hard drives. Hackers will eventually figure out how to add fake data into Microsoft’s data, but the data may still be more reliable than Google’s because of its source – the users’ hard drives.

PPC relies heavily on timely, accurate data. It’s worth taking a look at the data provided by Microsoft’s analytics programs to inform your PPC strategy.

Don’t Forget Microsoft Market Domination

Even with past inferior products (Internet Explorer) you should not discount Microsoft’s marketing expertise. Windows 10 and its features provide too much benefit to the end user for PPC marketers to ignore. If it improves the end user’s experience, many people will make the switch to Microsoft 10’s Internet browsing experience. This could mean an increase in your target audience using Bing as their search engine of choice.

At enCOMPASS, we’ve implemented client PPC advertising on Bing for many years, well before the Windows 10 release. We recommend reviewing your PPC strategy to determine if Bing advertising makes sense for your company. If you need help with that analysis, give us a call!