Microsoft’s Bing Chat service, known for providing interactive chat-based search experiences, is officially taking steps to monetize its platform through the integration of ads. This move comes after reports of ad links being spotted within Bing Chat responses in the past few weeks. Microsoft has released a new blog entry detailing its plans for monetizing the chatbot, outlining how the integration of ads aims to benefit both publishers and users​.
Driving More Traffic to Publishers
According to the blog post, Microsoft’s goal with Bing Chat is to “drive more traffic to publishers in this new world of search.” The company has made encouraging progress by implementing methods to drive traffic to publishers, including citing sources within chat answers and providing “learn more” links to additional sources. The early data from the preview suggests that Bing Chat is attracting more users and increasing overall engagement​.
Feedback from Microsoft Start Partners
Microsoft has also met with businesses that are partners in the Microsoft Start news feed service to gather feedback on how Bing Chat can be utilized to link to their content and services. Microsoft shared a couple of early ideas that include an expanded hover experience over publisher links and the integration of Microsoft Start licensed content beside chat answers. Additionally, the company is exploring placing ads in the chat experience to share ad revenue with partners whose content contributed to the chat response​.
Anticipating Changes to the Ad Experience
It’s important to note that Microsoft still considers these ad plans to be “early ideas,” meaning that users can expect changes to the ad experience in the coming months. As Bing Chat continues to develop and evolve, further enhancements and updates are likely to be introduced​.
Conclusion
The integration of ads into Bing Chat represents Microsoft’s commitment to enhancing its chatbot service while providing added value to publishers and users. As the chatbot continues to gain traction, the monetization through ads could play a key role in its success and sustainability. While Microsoft is still in the early stages of implementing these changes, the potential impact of ad monetization on Bing Chat is significant and worth watching in the coming months.