Facebook Ads vs Google Ads: Which Is Right for Your Business?

Facebook Ads vs Google Ads: Which Is Right for Your Business?

Facebook and Google: the two big beasts of online advertising. But though they may be giants in the internet world, they offer quite a different experience for advertisers.

To put you in the picture, we’ve put together this guide to help you understand what both ad platforms can offer your business and which one is right for you.

It’s a Facebook ads vs. Google ads showdown. Let the challenge commence!

What Is a Google Ad Campaign?

Google ads are a way to push your website to the top of a Google search results page. You can also use Google to advertise on their vast display network, which will show your ads as banners on third-party websites.

Keywords are central to Google advertising. You enter an auction and bid for one or many keywords (or phrases).

It’s worth noting that a higher bid won’t necessarily win an auction. Google uses your bid price in conjunction with other factors, such as the quality and relevancy of your ad and landing page.

Google is a PPC (pay-per-click) platform, meaning you only pay when someone clicks on your ad.

Google Ad Benefits

With over four million advertisers, Google leads the way in online advertising. Here are some of the reasons businesses choose to promote their business using Google ads.

Keyword Targeting

If you know your audience intimately, Google’s focus on keywords will help you reach your ideal customer.

That’s particularly true if you target a keyword with buyer intent (in other words, the search term a customer types into Google when they intend to buy a product or service).

Reach

With 63,000 searches every second, not to mention the millions of third-party websites on Google’s display network, Google’s reach is unsurpassed.

For businesses wanting to advertise to a large audience, Google ads are your answer.

High Engagement

Google has excellent engagement rates. If you run a strong ad campaign and target the right audience, you should see a click-through rate of three or higher.

Shopping Ads

With the advent of Google shopping ads, eCommerce businesses have the chance to get their best-selling products, with pricing, on a search results page.

Retargeting

Few website visitors are ready to buy on their first visit to a website. Retargeting allows you to connect with clients who have recently browsed your website but haven’t yet converted.

Many businesses find this hugely beneficial, and retargeting frequently equates to an excellent conversion rate for your ads.

What Is a Facebook Ad Campaign?

Facebook ads appear when users scroll through their news feed. If you view Facebook on a desktop, you’ll also see different ad formats along the right-hand side.

Like Google, Facebook offers PPC advertising. But rather than targeting keywords, Facebook has a range of ways you can target your preferred audience.

The platform uses data on any given Facebook user, such as their likes, preferences, and demographics, to target suitable ads to their users.

The more you know about a target audience, the more you can fine-tune your targeting to the appropriate person.

You can use Facebook ads for brand awareness, boosting Facebook page likes, selling a product, lead generation, or simply for more traffic to your website.

Facebook Ad Benefits

Some startups have launched entire businesses simply by advertising on Facebook. But why is Facebook advertising so popular? Here are some notable benefits:

Detailed Targeting

Few advertising platforms have as much data intelligence as Facebook.

With a ubiquitous presence for nearly twenty years, Facebook has built a profile of each user.

That has allowed them to create a highly sophisticated advertising platform that can put your ads in the feeds of those most likely to buy. In other words, Facebook leads the way when it comes to detailed ad targeting.

Better Brand Awareness

When people spot your brand in their news feed a few times in a row, they’ll start to remember your business name. People on Facebook pay attention to content as they scroll, even if they are unaware of it.

For a new or young company looking to make a name for themselves, Facebook is an excellent place to grow a brand.

It’s Still Relatively Cheap

Gone are the days where businesses could advertise for pennies on Facebook. However, as advertising goes, it is still a relatively cheap option.

That’s helpful if you are on a low budget and want to test the waters before committing a large ad spend. With a Facebook ad, you can set up a new campaign for as little as a dollar a day.

Facebook Ads Vs. Google Ads: Factors to Consider

Before making your mind up on Google Vs. Facebook ads, it’s worth considering some of the main factors to bear in mind when making your decision. Here are some pointers to help you:

Your Target Audience

Both Facebook and Google have a massive audience. But when it comes to advertising, where you find your traffic matters.

You might find it best to target a Google audience when selling a high-end product or service. This audience spends time researching a purchase before deciding and demonstrates high engagement levels with Google ads.

For businesses with a low-cost impulse buy or a lead magnet to promote, Facebook might be a better option.

Return on Investment

Ultimately, your decision on what platform is best for your business will come down to profit.

While there are a few metrics to monitor when advertising, the one that will help you make a decision is your ROI (Return on Investment).

This information will tell you what revenue you make for every dollar you spend on advertising. That will give you the best indication of what platform suits your business the most.

Split Testing

A valuable approach to figuring out Google and Facebook is to run a small test campaign on both platforms.

You’ll need to tailor these campaigns. But by monitoring the ROI, traffic numbers, click-through rate, and overall advertising cost, you can compare both platforms side by side.

That split-tested approach will help you determine the right option for your business before you scale your campaign with your entire ad budget.

It’s Time to Make Your Decision

It’s tempting to finish this article with a clear-cut answer to whether Facebook Ads vs. Google Ads are the right way to go.

But the truth is that what is right for your business will depend on your business priorities and advertising goals. However, this guide should give you a starting point that will help you make that decision.

For expert advice on your ad strategy, contact us today for a free consultation, and we’ll guide you on the approach that will help bring results to your business.