Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads: Which Is Better For Your Business?

Google_Ads_vs_Facebook_Ads

When it comes to paid media, Google Ads and Facebook Ads are the biggest players in the market. Many businesses are leveraging the strengths of advertising on Google and Facebook Ads in concert to achieve maximum visibility, increase leads and sales, and find new customers, adopting different strategies that align with the functionality of each platform and seeing a remarkable returns on their advertising spend.

What Are The Differences Between Google Ads and Facebook Ads?

Although the two platforms are often positioned as competitors, nothing could be further from the truth in a practical sense. The vital question is what’s the difference between Facebook ads and Google ads. In simple terms, the difference is in search intent. Google ads are like yellow pages where the potential customer goes to a search engine and look for a product or service. On the other hand, Facebook ads are like billboards where you use creative advertising to build the brand name and capture immediate customers.

Google Ads: Paid Search

Google Ads, formerly known as Google AdWords, is the world’s largest and most popular PPC advertising platform. It is so widely used, it has become synonymous with the term “paid search.” The two terms are used interchangeably, even though other platforms such as Bing Ads work in a similar way.

Paid search focuses on the targeting of keywords and the use of text-based advertisements. Advertisers using Google bid on keywords – specific words and phrases included in search queries entered by Google users – in the hopes that their ads will be displayed alongside search results for these queries. Each time a user clicks on an ad, the advertiser is charged a certain amount of money, hence the name “pay-per-click advertising.” PPC bidding and bid optimization is a complex topic, and beyond the scope of this guide, but essentially, users are paying for the potential to find new customers based on the keywords and search terms they enter into Google.

Facebook Ads: Paid Social

Facebook is a powerful social media platform for individuals and businesses alike, and around 1.6 billion people worldwide are connected to a small business on Facebook.

Essentially, Facebook advertising entails creating and running ad campaigns using the Facebook Ads Manager tool to reach your target audience based on their location, profile data, and demographics. In addition to this, you can also choose where you’d like to run your ads, either Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and/or Audience Network as well as your target device type (mobile or desktop). It also allows you to track and analyze the performance of your ad campaigns in line with your business needs.

Facebook Ads are effective for increasing brand awareness and engagement, generating leads, driving traffic to your website, increasing the reach of your content, and creating awareness for your upcoming events.

Facebook AdsGoogle Ads
Buyer IntentBetter for brand awarenessBetter for purchase intent
Audience TargetingGranular audience targeting by demographics, interests, behaviors, and moreBroad targeting by keywords with some demographics targeting capabilities
CostGet more exposure and clicks for lower costsPay more for clicks, but users are more likely to convert
Size of Audience1.59 billion daily active users3.5 billion searches every day
Audience Engagement52% of marketers say that their audience is more likely to engage with their ads on Facebook than on Google45% of marketers said that their audience was more likely to engage with their ads on Google than on Facebook
Unique Ad PlacementsMessenger adsShopping ads
Works Best ForLow-cost products and products that have a social componentHigh-cost products and retargeting ads

 

The Takeaway

Both Google Ads and Facebook Ads are incredibly powerful advertising platforms that cater to virtually every type of business. When evaluating each solution’s strengths and potential applications, it’s also apparent that the two platforms should be viewed in a complementary, rather than adversarial, way. In many cases, the two platforms work best if used together.

Harnessing the power of both paid search and paid social is a remarkably effective advertising strategy. However, it necessitates a dual advertising strategy that aligns with the strengths of each respective platform. Although marketing messaging can – and arguably should – remain consistent across both Google and Facebook Ads, it’s vital to understand how best to use each platform for maximum ROI and greater business growth.

If you’re looking to advertise on Facebook, advertise on Google, or both, Perfect Web Creations can help. We’re a full-service digital marketing agency that has over 16 years of experience working with hundreds of clients in a variety of industries. No matter what kind of ads you’re interested in, we’ll get to know your company, your goals, and your budget to help you craft the perfect custom campaign.

If you’re ready to get started, contact us online for your free quote or give us a call at 604-615-7411.