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The Difference Between Facebook Ads and Google Ads

Google and Facebook have dominated the world of Internet marketing in recent years. Their advertising platforms have become the go-to for businesses who want to drive traffic to their respective websites and make more sales.

According to a recent study, 91% of users start open a search engine as soon as they go online. Another study states that Facebook has over 2 billion active users monthly.

When you combine both numbers, a picture begins to emerge. Google Ads and Facebook ads could be a game-changer for your business, allowing you to generate more leads and increase your conversion rate.

But how do you determine which one is right for you? Not all businesses have the resources or time to invest in both. Even attempting to learn how to manage ads on either one could take up a huge chunk of time.

In this blog post, we’re going to define what Facebook and Google ads are separately. You’ll learn their pros and cons, and by the end, you’ll understand which one would benefit you more.

Let’s get started.

What are Google Ads?

Google is undoubtedly the most popular website in the world. It dominates the competitors by taking up 75% of the search engine market share, making it the largest search engine in the world. Its closest competitor, the Chinese search engine Baidu, has a mere 15% market share.

It’s no wonder that businesses are clamouring to advertise on Google and its respective properties.

Google ads can be displayed through different campaigns. They include the following:

• Search Network Campaign – These are ads that appear with organic search engine results.
• Display Network Campaign – These are ads that appear on websites that are a part of the Google Display Network. 
• Shopping Campaign – These are ads that appear as product listings along with organic search results. They often include a photo, the price, and relevant reviews.
• Video Campaign – These are video ads that appear while users are streaming content on YouTube and on websites that are a part of the Google Display Network.
• App Campaign – These are ads that lead users to a specific ad in the Google Playstore.

Search Network campaign ads are the most popular type of Google ads. They appear above or under organic search results in search engines. The difference is, there will be a small box that says “Ad” right next to them.

They are also known as pay-per-click ads. Businesses will be charged depending on the number of people who click on their ads. This system is also used by other search engines but is most closely associated with Google.

Businesses have to determine which keywords they’d like to target. They can then start drafting ads and start bidding on these keywords. If you have a lot of competitors for your chosen keyword, you might be chosen depending on how much you bid and the quality of your ad.

What are Facebook ads?

Since it was launched in 2004, Facebook has become a global phenomenon, accumulating more than 2 billion active users monthly.

Google ads target customers through keywords. This makes sense since they’re the biggest search engine in the world.

Facebook, on the other hand, uses a different but still powerful method. They have access to users’ personal data through friends, birthdays, likes, shares, posts, location, and more. This information tells them exactly which ads to show to users for maximum success.

Businesses could target users depending on their age, location, and personal preferences. As long as they know who their target audience is, Facebook ads could generate more leads and bring in more sales.

For example, if a user likes a brand’s page, Facebook could then start showing him ads from similar brands.

There are different types of Facebook ads. Here are some of them:

• Image Ads – These ads usually appear as images with a brief caption and a call-to-action.
• Video Ads – These ads appear in users’ feeds or in between videos posted by users and pages.
• Carousel Ads – These use several images that users can scroll through. They often focus on a specific product or service.
• Video Poll Ads – These are video ads that allow users to choose between two options.
• Messenger Ads – These are ads that appear in the Messenger app.

Google Ads vs Facebook Ads

Now that we’ve explained how Google ads and Facebook ads work, the question remains.

Which one should you choose?

Google ads or Facebook ads?

The answer depends on your overall business goals.

If you’d like to boost sales, then you should consider investing in Google ads. As long as you keep user intent in mind while choosing keywords, you could lead people who are to purchase to your website.

If you’d like to build brand awareness and build a community, you should choose Facebook ads. You could lead users to engaging and educational content on your website, letting them get to know your brand and business.

Need help launching your Google AdWords campaign? Contact Cornerstone Digital at (02) 8211 0668 or email us at info@cornerstone-digital.com.au. We’d be glad to discuss this with you.

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Darlyn Herradura

A self-professed book and digital marketing nerd, Darlyn Herradura focuses on building trust between customers and businesses with the written word. She understands that creating valuable content is the best way to get found online and happily spends her time doing that.