Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads: Which Is Better for Ecommerce?

Google Ads is an online advertising platform built by Google that allows marketers to bid to display product listings, short commercials, or videos to web users/visitors. Facebook Ads, on the other hand, is a paid social advertising platform that is mostly utilized on Facebook.

This article delves deeper into the debate between Google Ads and Facebook Ads in terms of audience size, buyer intent, ad formats, and targeting choices. The article begins with an explanation of the significance of internet advertising in today’s industry.

Why Advertise Online?

Advertising is more important than ever before. With online advertising, you will be able to reach a wider audience than ever before. Online advertising allows businesses to target specific demographics, interests, and even locations. As a result, businesses are able to get their message across to a wider range of potential customers. Additionally, online advertising is often more cost-effective than traditional forms of advertising. In order to be successful in today’s competitive marketplace, it is essential for businesses to understand the importance of online advertising.

You may benefit from online advertising in the following ways:

  • Influence Buyer Behavior

  • Provide Multiple Purchase Routes

  • Increase Sales Through Repetition

  • Increase Brand Awareness

  • Increase the dissemination of information

  • Provide Reminders to Prospective Buyers

What exactly is Google Ads?

Google Ads is a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising network that was previously known as Google AdWords. According to Internet Live Stats, Google is the world’s largest search engine, with over 5 billion Google searches every day. This makes Google Ads an excellent area to promote if you want to reach out to this massive volume of search traffic.

The following are the most typical strategies to market your brand on Google Ads:

Display Network

Display Network Campaigns show your advertising on applications and websites that contain keywords linked to the site’s content. These advertisements might be photos, videos, or anything else. Here’s an example of a common display advertisement:

google display ads

Search Network

The search network provides adverts for queries based on phrases such as “car insurance.” These advertisements appear near the top of Google search results. With Google PPC, you can target audiences with search and buying intent for your product and services.

google search results

Video Ads

Video advertising allows you to display advertisements on streaming sites such as YouTube. These adverts are also seen on the Google Display Network.

 

Google Shopping

The ads displayed on Google Shopping are e-Commerce-related. Based on direct product searches, these advertisements allow your products to appear for high-intent and relevant searches. When someone searches for your product, your product will appear on Google shopping with product images price, shipping details and more.

google shopping ads

Google Ads Retargeting

Google allows you to remarket to a customer who visited your store but has not made a purchase. By retargeting the customer and showing your brand to your potential customer, it can help to strengthen your brand and close the sale.

The Advantages of Google Ads

Google Ads can help you target potential customers easily with buying intent. When someone searches for a keyword related to your business, your ad can appear at the top of the search results. This helps to ensure that potential customers will see your ad and be more likely to click on it. In addition, Google Ads allows you to target potential customers based on their location, age, gender, and interests. This ensures that your ad is being seen by people who are most likely to be interested in what you have to offer. As a result, Google Ads can be an extremely effective way to reach new customers and grow your business.

What exactly are Facebook Ads?

Facebook Ads are paid advertisements similar to Google Ads that appear solely on Facebook. These advertisements may be seen in a variety of plcements, including:

  • Facebook Newsfeed
  • Right Column in Facebook
  • Video Feeds
  • Marketplace on Facebook
  • Instagram’s Feed
  • Instagram Stories
  • Inbox of Messenger

Facebook Ads are better suited for reaching people towards the top of the funnel. When comparing Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads, Facebook Ads are superior for product and brand awareness. Here’s an example of a Facebook advertisement:

facebook newsfeed ad example

Advantages of Facebook Ads

According to a 2021 Statistics Report, Facebook has over 2.7 billion monthly active users. Aside from its large audience, Facebook offers its users granular targeting options. Marketers may now reach out to individuals based on their habits, life events, demographics,and interest.

Before initiating a campaign, Facebook also allows you to build a ‘duplicate audience,’ which acts as your user persona. As a result, Facebook Advertising will display your ads to audiences that match your description. This is where Facebook Ads clearly outperforms Google Ads. Aside from that, by utilizing Facebook Ads, you may reach more individuals and end up with a higher Click-Through Rate (CTR).

What Are the Differences Between Google Ads and Facebook Ads?

Now that you understand what Google Ads and Facebook Ads bring to the table, you can better grasp the debate between Google Ads and Facebook Ads. Your option will be determined by your use case.

Here are some considerations for making an informed decision on which tool is best for you:

Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads: What’s the Difference?

While both Facebook Ads and Google Ads are pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platforms with a competitive bidding structure, they function differently. Facebook Ads are paid social adverts that show to users on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and the Audience Network. Google Ads are paid search adverts that show alongside Google’s search results.

Audience Size in Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads

Both Facebook and Google have massive reach. Facebook has an estimated 1.73 billion daily active users, but Google processes more than 5.8 billion queries each day. Mobile advertising income accounts for about 90% of Facebook’s total advertising revenue.

However, your target audience is a mishmash of people who use both platforms. As a result, making a decision solely based on audience size is not recommended. To understand how to use your ad campaigns on various channels, you must first comprehend two concepts:

  • Product Orientation: Determine if your product is social or search-oriented.

  • Target Audience Activity: Consider where the majority of your target audience spends most of their time.

If your product is brand new, Facebook is a better place to start building an audience and engage people with your products.

Buyer Intent in Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads

In terms of buyer intent, Google Ads outperforms Facebook Ads. For example, if a person’s refrigerator breaks down, they might look for a new fridge. Search Ads would put your company in front of prospective clients at the precise moment they require your product.

In addition, Facebook Ads are less likely to convert leads rapidly. People who spend time on Facebook do so to socialize and unwind. Facebook does not prioritize shopping. If you want rapid conversions, Google Ads should be your first port of call.

Cost and ROI of Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads

The cost of your advertising strategy is critical. Across sectors, the average CPC (Cost Per Click) on Google Ads is $2.69. eCommerce enterprises may expect to pay roughly $1.16 per click in sponsored search. Businesses in the legal field, on the other hand, must pay an average of $6.75 each click. To illustrate, the most costly term on Google Ads is “insurance,” which has a high CPC of $54.91.

Facebook ads are somewhat less expensive than Google ads. A fashion advertiser may only have to pay $0.45 per click on Facebook. Insurance and banking are the most expensive sorts of industries to advertise on Facebook. The average CPC for them remains at $3.77. Despite the fact that the average CPC on Google Ads is higher, it might be a superior alternative for reaching customers at the time of their purchase decision.

Another metric to consider is CPA (Cost Per Action) to see if your efforts will generate a high Return On Investment (ROI). CPAs, like CPCs, perform based on how well-targeted your advertising is and how high your Conversion Rate (ideally high) is. The average CPA for Facebook across all sectors is $18.68. Across all industries, the average CPA for Google Ads is $48.96 for search and $75.51 for display.

Targeting Options for Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads

Both Facebook Ads and Google Ads allow you to target (retarget) certain audiences. Prospects may be targeted by geography, gender, age, and economic level, among other criteria, across both platforms.

However, in terms of advanced targeting choices, Facebook is the superior alternative. Aside from the previously stated targeting methods, Facebook allows you to create audiences based on numerous behaviors and interests. You may be really exact in your targeting; for example, you might target vegetarian parents with children aged 6 to 10 with a household income of $50,000 to $100,000. So, if your target demographic is really specific, Facebook Ads will be an excellent strategy to boost your company’s success.

Facebook also has a great option called lookalike audiences, which allows you to advertise to people who are similar to your current audience. Facebook uses its existing data to connect your customers to other users who have similar interests, which may be a very successful choice for marketers.

Campaign Features of Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads

The fundamental contrast between Facebook Ads and Google Ads campaigns is how audiences are targeted. Although Facebook Ads offers a wide range of audience targeting options, there isn’t much search or purchasing intent.

While Google Ads offers fewer audience targeting options, its customers are actively seeking for a certain product or service. Aside from target demographics, each platform has its own set of capabilities, such as Google Local Service Ads and Facebook Instagram Ads.

Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads: Usability

Both Facebook and Google ads might look perplexing at first glance. While Facebook Ads’ interface is more user-friendly, Google Ads’ interface is more data-driven.

Most individuals find it easy to use Facebook’s basic functions, while many struggles to grasp its more complex features. Google, on the other hand, is more difficult to learn at first, but once mastered, the entire platform is simple to use, and users may eventually expand into display and retargeting advertisements for even greater reach and sales.

Conclusion

Should you advertise on Google ads or Facebook ads? Both are excellent platforms for online marketing, it all comes down to your marketing objective. Are you looking for sales and leads or brand recognition? Google Ads is effective to target users with search intent, which implies reaching out to consumers who are ready to buy. Whereas Facebook Ads are an excellent choice for increasing brand recognition and getting people engaged with your products.

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