Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads: Which is Better for Your Business?

Online advertising is important for businesses striving to increase their visibility and reach their target audience. With a variety of platforms available, two major players dominate the scene, i.e., Google Ads and Facebook Ads. But which one can be the best fit for your business? Do you want to appear right when customers search for your product/service, or do you want to build brand awareness through detailed targeting? Well,  in the blog ‘Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads: Which is Better for Your Business?’ let’s explore Google Ads and Facebook Ads in-depth, examining their strengths and helping you determine which platform aligns best with your marketing goals.

By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly which platform suits your business goals.

Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads: Similarities and Differences

Both Google Ads and Facebook Ads offer businesses powerful ways to engage potential customers, but they operate differently. Understanding these differences will enable you to select the proper platform depending on your objectives.

Similarities Between Google Ads and Facebook Ads

• Targeting Capabilities: Both platforms provide advanced targeting features, allowing companies to target very specific audiences.
• Pay-Per-Click (PPC): Google Ads and Facebook Ads generally work on a pay-per-click basis, so you pay when a user clicks through your ad.
• A/B Testing: Both platforms allow A/B testing, but the focus of analysis differs. Google Ads focuses on conversion-based metrics like Click-Through Rate (CTR) and Cost Per Acquisition (CPA), which help optimize for actions like purchases or sign-ups. In contrast, Facebook Ads emphasizes engagement metrics such as likes, shares, and video views, which measure how well your ad connects with the audience in terms of interaction. Analyzing these results allows you to fine-tune your ads for either conversions or engagement, depending on your goals.

Key Differences Between Google Ads and Facebook Ads

• Ad Intent: Google Ads is able to capture high-intent users. Individuals generally search for products or services on Google, so they are actively seeking something. Facebook Ads, however, target users by interests and behaviors, so they might not be actively seeking what you have. However, Facebook’s AI-based targeting can predict user intent by analyzing past behavior and preferences, helping to reach individuals who are likely to be interested in your product.
• Ad Format: Google Ads predominantly uses text-based ads, which appear on search results or websites. Facebook Ads include a variety of formats such as images, videos, carousels, and story ads, making them more visually engaging.
• Audience Reach: Google Ads taps into the power of search engine traffic, while Facebook Ads leverage the vast number of active users on the social network.

What are Google Ads?

Google Ads is a paid advertising platform that allows businesses to display ads on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs), YouTube, and Google’s Display Network. The most popular ad format is the search ad, where businesses bid on keywords related to their product or service. When someone searches for those keywords, the ad appears at the top or bottom of the search results.

The most popular type of campaign is Search Ads, where businesses bid on keywords to appear at the top of search results when users look for related products or services. Performance Max campaigns use AI-driven automation to optimize ad placements across Google’s entire ecosystem, maximizing conversions. Demand Gen campaigns are designed to engage users through visually appealing ads on YouTube, Gmail, and Discover. Display Ads help businesses expand their reach by showing image-based ads on websites and apps, while Shopping Ads showcase product listings with prices and images directly in search results, making them ideal for e-commerce. Video Ads, primarily on YouTube, drive engagement through compelling video content.

Advantages of Using Google Ads

• High Intent Traffic: Google Ads targets users who are actively searching for information related to your business. This makes the leads generated from Google Ads highly qualified and more likely to convert into customers.
• Massive Reach: As the most popular search engine, Google reaches billions of users worldwide, making it a powerful platform for driving traffic to your site.
• Precise Targeting: Google Ads enables companies to target users according to precise keywords, location, device, language, and so forth, so your ads reach the most appropriate audience.
• Flexible Budgeting: You can allocate a daily or monthly budget, so Google Ads is suitable for businesses of any size. The platform also provides real-time monitoring, so you can tweak your strategy as required.

Examples of Successful Google Ads Campaigns

IKEA

IKEA aimed to increase store visits and sales by segmenting Google Ads campaigns based on device type and geographic location. Targeting users near physical stores with relevant ads resulted in a 38% decrease in cost per click, a 232% surge in store visits, a 117% boost in sales, and a 68% improvement in ROAS. (ref)

Samsung

Samsung utilized Google Ads to promote a new Galaxy smartphone by creating over 400 ad variations designed to more than 300 audience segments derived from Google Analytics insights. This strategy resulted in a return on ad spend (ROAS) that was more than double their initial investment. (ref) 

Dollar Shave Club

Dollar Shave Club bid on “razor subscription” and similar terms, directing users to a $9 starter set landing page. Their clear, consistent CTA – “Try for $9” – drove 12,000 orders in 48 hours post-launch in 2012, per historical data. (ref) This campaign exemplifies how Google Ads can turn intent into action. 

What are Facebook Ads?

Facebook Ads is a paid advertising service offered by Facebook and its family of apps, including Instagram, Messenger, and Audience Network. Unlike Google Ads, Facebook Ads target users based on interests, demographics, behaviors, and social connections, enabling businesses to run highly targeted campaigns across various formats, such as News Feeds, Stories, and Messenger.

Instagram, as part of this ecosystem, improves brand visibility, especially through visual-centric ads in stories and posts, reaching a younger, trend-focused audience. Additionally, Facebook’s AI-driven campaign automation optimizes ad performance by automatically adjusting targeting, creative elements, and budget allocation in real time, focusing on more efficient and effective campaigns.

Advantages of Using Facebook Ads

• Precise Demographic Targeting: Facebook provides advertisers with the ability to target people according to their interests, location, age, gender, and even life events. This simplifies reaching special audiences and making people aware of the brand.
• Engaging Ad Formats: With Facebook Ads, you can publish all types of ads, such as photos, videos, carousels, and even interactive ads such as polls and augmented reality ads. These eye-catching ads are excellent for telling stories and evoking emotions.
• Brand Awareness: Facebook Ads are perfect for generating brand awareness since they enable you to reach users who are not necessarily searching for your product but can be interested, as per their behavior and preferences.
• Affordable Entry Point: Facebook Ads generally have a lower cost-per-click (CPC) than Google Ads, so it is a suitable option for small-budget businesses.

Examples of Successful Facebook Ads Campaigns

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola’s multimedia campaign in South Africa employed Facebook’s reach and frequency buying, Carousel, Canvas, and Video ads to engage users across various mobile devices. The campaign reached millions, increasing individual reach by 42% and total campaign reach by 96%, while being three times more cost-effective than TV advertising. (ref)

Nike

Nike’s “You Can’t Stop Us” video ad, launched in July 2020, showcased athletes overcoming adversity. The ad garnered over 117 million views on YouTube, making it the platform’s top ad in 2020. On Twitter, it amassed over 20 million views within its first week. (ref)

Simplilearn

Simplilearn, an online education platform, leveraged Facebook’s video ads, Custom Audiences, Lookalike Audiences, and dynamic ads to target professionals aged 24-45 in India’s top cities and Indian expats in the U.S. Over five months, the campaign doubled leads, increased reach by 50%, reduced lead costs by 60%, and engaged 10 million viewers. (ref)

When to use Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads

Choosing between Google Ads and Facebook Ads largely depends on your business goals, target audience, and the nature of your product or service.

Use Google Ads When:

• You Want Immediate, High-Intent Traffic: Google Ads are ideal if you’re targeting users who are actively searching for your products or services. It’s a great choice if you want to drive traffic quickly.
• You Are in a Competitive Industry: Industries like legal services, healthcare, and finance can benefit from Google Ads due to the high-intent searches that are common in these fields.
• You Need Lead Generation: If your goal is to generate leads directly (e.g., form submissions and phone calls), Google Ads can deliver measurable results efficiently.

Use Facebook Ads When:

• You want to Build Brand Awareness: Facebook Ads excel at targeting users based on their interests, behaviors, and demographics. It’s perfect for companies looking to introduce a brand or product to a new audience.
• You Have a Visual or Lifestyle-Oriented Product: If you have a product or service that benefits from a visual presentation (such as fashion, food, or fitness), Facebook Ads’ creative formats are an excellent choice.
• You want to Retarget Users: Facebook’s retargeting options are powerful, allowing you to reach people who have already engaged with your website or social media profiles.

So, if you’re running an online electronics store and want to capture users searching for “best budget smartphones”, Google Ads will help you reach high-intent buyers ready to make a purchase. On the other hand, if you are promoting a new café and want to attract local customers by showcasing mouth-watering images of your dishes, Facebook Ads is the better choice for engaging your audience. The key is to choose the platform based on whether you need quick conversions (Google Ads) or long-term engagement and brand-building (Facebook Ads).

Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads FAQ

Which platform is better for e-commerce? 

Google Ads tend to work better for e-commerce businesses targeting high-intent shoppers, while Facebook Ads can be effective for building brand awareness and retargeting previous visitors.

Can I use both Google Ads and Facebook Ads together? 

Absolutely! Many businesses use a combination of both platforms. For example, you can use Google Ads for immediate traffic and Facebook Ads for brand building and retargeting.

Which platform has a better ROI? 

The return on investment (ROI) depends on your goals. Google Ads might provide a quicker ROI due to its high-intent targeting, while Facebook Ads can build long-term engagement that eventually leads to conversions.

How do I measure success?

Google Ads tracks CTR, conversions, and ROAS; Facebook focuses on engagement, reach, and cost-per-lead. Define your KPIs first.

To conclude, choosing between Google Ads and Facebook Ads depends on your business objectives, target audience, and budget. If you’re aiming to capture high-intent users actively searching for your product or service, Google Ads is the ideal choice. On the other hand, if you want to build brand awareness or target specific audiences based on interests and demographics, Facebook Ads offer powerful tools for doing so. Ultimately, the best strategy may involve using both platforms in tandem, taking advantage of Google Ads for direct response and Facebook Ads for long-term engagement. The best way to find what works for your brand is to run small-budget test campaigns on both platforms.

So, are you ready to scale your business? Let Inter Smart design a winning ad strategy. Get in touch with us today!