Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads, which one is right for you? A troubling mystery right? Let us solve this.
Google and Facebook offer highly credible advertising platforms (Google Ads & Facebook Ads), generating billions of dollars in revenue. Both platforms are used all across the world by different businesses for their marketing needs.
Google, being the most used search engine, has a huge number of users that can be your potential customers. Similarly, Facebook secures the spot of the most popular social media network with more than 3 billion active users a month.
Such a vast array of audience and data allows you to find and target your potential customers.
1. Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads: Factors to Consider
Having defined the scope of both platforms, it is crucial to understand which platform would work better for your business. To get a holistic view of the subject, we would understand all the important factors that matter in an advertising campaign.
a. Pricing Model
Pay-Per-Click (PPC), is a common ground for both Google Ads and Facebook Ads. Both platforms charge you for every click you receive keeping the impressions in count. However, when it comes to targeting audiences, Google and Facebook turn their back on each other.
b. Targeting Systems
Google Ads are predominantly Keywords-based which means you have to target keywords, along with other parameters like location, gender and age, related to your product or services. For this, Google is considered more efficient as it targets intended customers actively looking for your product or service.
However, Facebook Ads open its treasure a little more and provide you with the valuable data (demographics, location, interests, behaviours) of their users which you use to target people who are most likely to buy your product or service.
Facebook also offers another option of Lookalike Audience which helps you reach out to people who wear the same shoes as your current audience.
c. Paid Search vs. Paid Social
This term clarifies the whole thing. Google Ad is a paid search. This means you pay to be visible on SERPs as well as on other platforms like YouTube, Google Maps, Google Display Network etc.
On the other hand, a Facebook Ad is a Paid social, meaning that you pay to end up in front of your potential client on social sites like Facebook and Instagram.
d. Total Ads Revenue
It is important to know how much Google and Facebook make from advertisements as it would reveal their credibility.
According to Statista, Google Ads secured almost 40% of the total annual ad revenue in the US in the year 2022. Whereas Facebook takes its share of about 20.1%.
e. Audience Size
Being the gorillas of online advertisement, both Facebook and Google have an enormous size of audience. Google, being the most popular search engine, entertains around 5.8 billion searches per day entitling it to the unparalleled trust of its users. Similarly, in the realm of social sites, Facebook tops the list with 1.73 billion active users a day.
f. Cost & ROI
Among other important factors, Cost and ROI stand distinctively. Businesses tend to empty their pockets on advertisements, however, it is important to know which platform will cost you how much.
Although the cost of advertisements varies according to the industry and niche, Google ads are considered an expensive option with an average CPC of $2.69. Nonetheless, Facebook ads are slightly cheaper than Google with the highest average CPC of $3.77.
Again, CPC depends on multiple factors, for instance, a study by Adespresso shows that ads on Instagram cost almost two times the cost of ads on Facebook.
I guess I made you a little wary about Google Ads. But wait! I still have cards to show.
Although Google is comparatively more expensive than Facebook, your potential customers won’t go shopping on Facebook.
If your product or service is something people are actively looking for, Google is your sweet spot. Facebook Ads do well when it comes to brand awareness.
Google Ads might help you secure high-value conversions as a person clicking on your ad on Google has already decided to buy a particular service or product.
So spending on Google Ads is worth it!
g. Ad Creatives
When it comes to Ad Creatives, Facebook is a hands-down winner in this contest. Facebook, unlike Google, allows you to be creative. It provides multiple options, for example, Single image, carousel ( multiple images), and Videos.
Google Ads are limited to text formats. It allows you to catch eyeballs with words. It gives you a little more space with the following options.
Ad extensions: includes call buttons and location information helping you with having a little more space and grabbing a few more clicks.
Sitelinks: They accompany the main content of your ad, providing ease in the form of shortcuts to your different pages.
Location Targeting: This allows you to target your ad to searches from a specific location.
Shopping Ads: This is where Google adds a little spicy touch. It allows you to show your listing to your potential customers.
2. So which one should you go for?
Ideally both!
You surely would not want to miss out on a huge audience. Stir the things a little bit.
Look out for your goal, If you are out for a quick sale go for Google Ads whereas, Facebook would prove helpful in increasing brand awareness and recognition.
a. What industry are you working in?
The answer to the question, Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads: Which is right for you?, is not that simple It depends on multiple things.
Google ads are often more successfully used by both B2B and B2C businesses. However, Facebook is not far behind Google in B2C. If your product or service is not going heavy on your client’s pocket, they might consider buying it once their eyeballs catch it several times.
The ideal industries for both Google Ads and Facebook Ads are given below:
b. Budget
Finally, it is your pocket size that makes you able to decide which platform to go for. If you have enough water to test, go for Google, otherwise, Facebook is always there to save you some pennies.
3. Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads: Are these Mutually Exclusive?
ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Be wise, go for both of these advertising giants!
Both Google Ads & Facebook Ads have their strengths, use them for your benefit. They will give you your desired results if you know how to use them.
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