Microsoft on its Bing Ads blog is still buzzing over last week's Global Search Advertising Trends Report from Kenshoo, which recommended the Yahoo! Bing Network (YBN) as a "must buy," suggesting the YBN should be considered the "first place resources are allocated and maximized."

The research found that the YBN consistently outperformed Google in paid search campaign return on ad spend (ROAS). ROAS was almost 30% higher than that of Google in Q3 2012, and the YBN click-through rate (CTR) was 29% higher

True, but Google delivered 684% more overall traffic in that quarter, if that's your criteria of success. Said Microsoft's Stacy Helman, "While volume on YBN continues to be an area where we are making strides, it also gives you an opportunity to test and refine messaging and ad strategy in front of a controlled audience that consistently brings strong conversion performance."

Kenshoo also found that US Google Product Listing Ads (PLAs) outperform its text search ads in click-through rates by 47%, in conversion rates by 38%, and in return on ad spend (ROAS) by 25%. The average ROAS among the select merchants examined was $3.96 from PLAs versus $3.17 from text search ads. These findings are especially significant given that beginning October 17 2012, Google Shopping results in the US will reflect only merchants that buy PLAs.

That, undoubtedly, will shift the ground in Kenshoo's Q4 report. Meanwhile, Microsoft advises advertisers to take a leap with YBN. "Make bold but smart decisions – like maximizing resources on the Yahoo! Bing Network first then branch out to other engines. Make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck."