Solved: Microsoft Ads not converting despite cheap CPC

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out! Happy to give you some of my initial thoughts on your Microsoft Ads situation. It's a common one, seeing traffic but no action, and it's rarely the reason people think it is.

Honestly, when I see a setup like yours—Google Ads working fine but Microsoft Ads is a ghost town despite cheap clicks—my mind almost immediately discounts a technical tracking issue. UET tags and CallRail are pretty robust. If they say they're working, they probably are. The real issue, I'd wager, is a fundamental misunderstanding of who you're actually talking to on the other side of that click. Let's get into it.

We need to talk about the audience, not the tracking...

Right, let's get this out of the way. Stop obsessing over the UET tag. The fact that Google Ads is converting tells us your basic funnel works for a certain type of person. The problem is, you're not getting that type of person from Microsoft Ads.

You need to internalise this: The user searching "dental implants near me" on Google is a different human being from the user searching the exact same phrase on Bing.

The Microsoft Search Network (which powers Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, etc.) has a user base that skews significantly older. These are often people who use the default browser (Edge) on their Windows PC and the default search engine that comes with it. They didn't make an active choice to use Bing; it's just what's there. This demographic is often less comfortable with technology, more skeptical of online advertising, and far more cautious when it comes to high-stakes decisions like medical procedures.

Your successful Google campaign is likely converting a more digitally-native audience. They're quicker to trust a professional-looking website, faster to fill out a form, and more accustomed to the whole process. The audience you're now targeting on Microsoft Ads needs their hand holding. They're looking for reasons not to trust you.

That 'dirt cheap' CPC is a trap, not a victory

I know it feels good to see a low CPC, especially in a notoriously expensive niche like dental. But you've just proven the ultimate marketing truth: traffic is worthless, conversions are everything. A thousand clicks for free is still a waste of time if nobody converts.

Your cheap CPC is a symptom of the problem. It tells you that you're bidding on and winning traffic that your more sophisticated competitors have deemed low-value. They've already done the maths. They know that these specific users, on this specific platform, are less likely to convert. So they don't bid as aggressively, the price drops, and you swoop in to pick up the unprofitable leftovers.

Think of it like this. The most motivated, ready-to-buy prospects are on Google, where the competition is fierce and the CPCs are high. The traffic on Microsoft's network is often more passive, more exploratory, or simply less serious. You are paying for window shoppers.

Here’s a rough visualisation of the quality trade-off you're likely experiencing. You're winning on price but losing badly on intent.

I'd say you need to fix your mobile experience, urgently

This is probably the single biggest lever you can pull. You said 80% of your traffic is mobile. Now, picture your target user: an older individual, maybe with vision that isn't perfect, perhaps less dexterity in their thumbs, on a small phone screen. Your sleek, modern landing page that works great on Google is likely a usability nightmare for them.

You need to create a dedicated landing page specifically for this Microsoft Ads campaign, and it needs to be brutally simple. When I say simple, I mean:

• Giant Fonts: The text should be large and easy to read without pinching or zooming.
• Obvious Click-to-Call: The phone number should be at the very top of the page, in a huge font, and it needs to be a clickable button that immediately opens the phone's dialer. There should be another one at the bottom. Make it unmissable.
• Simplified Forms: If you have a lead form, it should ask for the absolute bare minimum. Name, Phone Number. That's it. Every extra field you add is another reason for them to give up. Forget email for now. Get the phone number.
• No Distractions: Remove any complex navigation, links to other pages, social media icons, or anything that doesn't directly lead to a phone call or form submission. This page has one job. Let it do it.
• Fast Load Speed: Older users are less patient with slow websites. Your page needs to load almost instantly on a mobile connection. Compress your images and strip out any unnecessary code.

Here’s a simple flowchart to think through how a user from this demographic might be interacting with your current page, and where they're dropping off.

You probably should be selling trust, not just dental implants

A dental implant is a major medical and financial decision. For an older person, it can be downright terrifying. They're worried about the pain, the cost, the recovery, and whether they can trust the person doing the work. Your landing page isn't just a lead generation tool; it's the first step in building a trust-based relationship.

Your copy needs to shift from clinical and feature-based to empathetic and benefit-driven. Don't just say "High-Quality Titanium Implants." Say, "Enjoy Your Favourite Foods Again Without Worry." Use the Problem-Agitate-Solve framework:

• Problem: "Are you tired of dealing with uncomfortable dentures or hiding your smile in photos?"
• Agitate: "It can feel frustrating and affect your confidence every single day, stopping you from living life to the fullest."
• Solve: "At [Your Clinic Name], Dr. [Your Name] has helped over [Number] people in [Your City] get a permanent, natural-looking smile with our gentle dental implant process. Book a free, no-obligation consultation to find out if it's right for you."

Beyond the copy, you need overwhelming social proof. This is non-negotiable for this audience:

• Real Photos: A big, friendly, professional photo of the main dentist. Photos of the actual clinic. Stock photos are a massive red flag and scream "untrustworthy".
• Video Testimonials: A short video of a happy patient (of a similar age) talking about their experience is worth more than any sales copy you could ever write.
• Trust Badges: Logos of any dental associations you're part of, any awards you've won. Your full clinic address and landline number clearly displayed.

This audience isn't just buying a product; they are choosing a trusted medical partner. Your landing page must reflect that gravity.

You'll need a better offer and to understand the numbers

The final piece of the puzzle is your offer, or Call to Action (CTA). A generic "Contact Us" or "Book an Appointment" is too much of a commitment. It feels final. You're asking for a sale before you've even had a conversation.

You need a low-friction, high-value offer that de-risks the next step. Some ideas:

• "Book a FREE, No-Obligation Implant Consultation"
• "Download Our FREE Guide: 'What to Expect & How Much Do Implants Cost?'"
• "Find Out If You're a Candidate - Free Assessment"

This changes the dynamic. You're no longer a salesperson; you're a helpful expert providing value upfront. This is how you build the trust needed to earn a phone call.

To understand why this is so important, you need to know your numbers. A single dental implant patient is incredibly valuable over their lifetime. When you understand their Lifetime Value (LTV), you'll realise that paying a bit more for a high-quality lead from a better platform, or investing in a proper landing page, is a bargain.

Use this calculator to get a rough idea. A healthy business should be willing to spend up to a third of their LTV to acquire a new customer (a 3:1 LTV:CAC ratio).

I've detailed my main recommendations for you below:

So, to bring it all together, stop chasing the technical ghost in the machine. Your problem is human. It's a strategy and empathy issue. You need to treat your Microsoft Ads campaign as a completely seperate channel requiring its own unique approach.

As you can see, fixing this goes a bit deeper than just tweaking a few bids or negative keywords in your ad account. It requires a strategic shift in how you view the entire customer journey for this specific channel. It’s about understanding the psychology of the user and building an experience that caters directly to their needs and fears.

This is where having an experienced partner can make a significant difference. We specialise in untangling these exact kinds of problems—moving beyond surface-level metrics to diagnose and fix the core strategic issues that are holding back growth.

If you'd like to have a more in-depth chat and have us take a proper look at your setup, we offer a free, no-obligation strategy session where we can map out a precise plan of action for you. Feel free to book one in if that sounds helpful.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Team @ Lukas Holschuh