Advertising on Facebook vs Google: Which is Better?

Advertising on Facebook and Google are two of the most popular ways to promote a business online. Facebook Ads and Google Ads are both powerful advertising platforms that allow businesses to reach their target audience in unique ways. However, choosing between the two can be a daunting task for many businesses.

Facebook Ads is a social media advertising platform that allows businesses to target their audience based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and location. On the other hand, Google Ads is a search engine advertising platform that allows businesses to appear at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs) for specific keywords. While both platforms offer pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, they differ in terms of their targeting options, ad formats, and pricing models.

In this article, we will explore the differences between Facebook Ads and Google Ads and help businesses determine which platform is best suited for their advertising needs. We will examine the pros and cons of each platform, their targeting options, ad formats, and pricing models. By the end of this article, businesses will have a better understanding of which platform to choose for their advertising campaigns.

Understanding the Advertising Platforms

Google Ads Overview

Google Ads is an online advertising platform developed by Google that allows advertisers to display ads on Google's search engine results pages, websites, and mobile apps. It is a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platform, which means that advertisers pay only when a user clicks on their ad. Google Ads allows advertisers to target their ads based on keywords, location, device, and more.

Google Ads has two main types of ads: search ads and display ads. Search ads appear at the top of Google's search engine results pages when a user searches for a specific keyword. Display ads, on the other hand, appear on websites and mobile apps that are part of Google's display network.

Facebook Ads Overview

Facebook Ads is an advertising platform developed by Facebook that allows advertisers to display ads on Facebook and Instagram. It is a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platform, which means that advertisers pay only when a user clicks on their ad. Facebook Ads allows advertisers to target their ads based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and more.

Facebook Ads has several types of ads, including image ads, video ads, carousel ads, and more. Image ads are the most common type of ad on Facebook and appear in the user's newsfeed. Video ads, on the other hand, are becoming increasingly popular on Facebook and can be used to tell a story or showcase a product.

Both Google Ads and Facebook Ads are powerful advertising platforms that can help businesses reach their target audience. However, they have different strengths and weaknesses, and businesses should carefully consider which platform is best for their advertising needs.

Campaign Objectives and Targeting

Defining Campaign Goals

The first step in creating a successful advertising campaign is to define the campaign goals. Both Facebook Ads and Google Ads provide a range of campaign objectives to choose from. Facebook Ads offers a broader range of objectives, including brand awareness, lead generation, and app installs. Google Ads, on the other hand, offers a more focused range of objectives, such as search, display, and video campaigns.

It is important to choose the right campaign objective that aligns with the overall business goals. For example, if the goal is to increase brand awareness, a Facebook Ads campaign with the objective of "Brand Awareness" would be a good fit. If the goal is to generate leads, a Google Ads campaign with the objective of "Lead Generation" would be more appropriate.

Audience Targeting Strategies

Once the campaign goals are defined, the next step is to target the right audience. Both Facebook Ads and Google Ads provide a range of audience targeting options to choose from.

Demographics

Facebook Ads allows advertisers to target audiences based on demographics such as age, gender, and education level. Google Ads, on the other hand, allows advertisers to target audiences based on age, gender, and parental status.

Interests and Behavior

Facebook Ads allows advertisers to target audiences based on interests and behavior. Advertisers can target people who have expressed interest in specific topics or products, as well as people who have engaged with their brand in the past. Google Ads, on the other hand, allows advertisers to target audiences based on interests, but does not provide as much granularity as Facebook Ads.

Location

Both Facebook Ads and Google Ads allow advertisers to target audiences based on location. Advertisers can target people based on country, state, city, and even zip code.

Lookalike Audience

Facebook Ads allows advertisers to create a lookalike audience based on existing customer data. This means that Facebook will find people who are similar to the advertiser's existing customers and target them with ads. Google Ads does not offer this feature.

Retargeting

Both Facebook Ads and Google Ads allow advertisers to retarget people who have interacted with their brand in the past. This includes people who have visited the advertiser's website, as well as people who have engaged with their brand on social media.

Interest and Intent

Facebook Ads allows advertisers to target audiences based on their interests and intent. Advertisers can target people who have expressed interest in specific topics or products, as well as people who are likely to be interested in their products based on their online behavior. Google Ads does not provide as much granularity in this area.

Life Events

Facebook Ads allows advertisers to target audiences based on life events such as marriage, new job, and new baby. This can be useful for advertisers who want to target people who are going through major life changes.

In conclusion, both Facebook Ads and Google Ads provide a range of audience targeting options to choose from. Advertisers should choose the right targeting strategy that aligns with their campaign goals and overall business objectives.

Budgeting and Costs

Budget Allocation

When it comes to budget allocation, it is important to determine the advertising platform that best aligns with the business objectives and target audience. Facebook Ads and Google Ads have different strengths and weaknesses, and therefore require different budget allocations. For instance, if a business is targeting users who are searching for specific products or services, it may be more beneficial to allocate the budget towards Google Ads. On the other hand, if the business is looking to build brand awareness or engage with users on social media, then Facebook Ads may be the better option.

Understanding Cost Structures

Understanding the cost structures of Facebook Ads and Google Ads is crucial for budgeting and cost management. Facebook Ads operates on a cost-per-click (CPC) or cost-per-impression (CPM) basis, while Google Ads operates on a cost-per-click (CPC) basis. According to AgencyAnalytics, the average cost-per-click for Facebook Ads is $1.92, while the average cost-per-click for Google Ads is $2.69.

It is important to note that the cost per click can vary based on factors such as competition, ad relevance, and targeting. Therefore, businesses should continuously monitor and optimize their campaigns to ensure that they are getting the most out of their ad spend.

In addition to CPC, businesses should also consider the cost per conversion (CPCo), which is the cost of acquiring a new customer through advertising. According to AdRoll, the average cost-per-conversion for Facebook Ads is $19.68, while the average cost-per-conversion for Google Ads is $48.96.

Ultimately, the return on investment (ROI) should be the primary consideration when it comes to budgeting and cost management. Businesses should regularly analyze their ad performance and adjust their budget allocation accordingly to maximize their ROI.

Ad Formats and Creative Strategies

Choosing the Right Ad Formats

When it comes to advertising on Facebook and Google, it's crucial to choose the right ad format that suits your business goals. Facebook offers a variety of ad formats, including video, images, and text-based ads, while Google Ads primarily focuses on text-based ads.

Video ads on Facebook are a great way to engage with the audience as they tend to be more eye-catching and memorable than other ad formats. Images are also a popular choice as they can be used to showcase your products or services. Text-based ads, on the other hand, are great for delivering concise messages and driving clicks to your website.

Google Ads offers text-based ads that appear at the top or bottom of the search results page. These ads are triggered by specific search queries, making them highly relevant to the user's search intent. Google also offers display ads that can be used to showcase your products or services on websites within the Google Display Network.

Creative Best Practices

Regardless of the ad format you choose, it's important to follow creative best practices to ensure your ads are effective. Ad copy should be concise and attention-grabbing, with a clear call-to-action that encourages engagement.

When it comes to images and videos, they should be high-quality and relevant to the message you're trying to convey. Avoid using stock photos or generic images that don't accurately represent your brand.

Engagement is key to the success of your Facebook ads, so it's important to create ads that encourage clicks, likes, and shares. This can be achieved by using eye-catching visuals, compelling ad copy, and a clear call-to-action.

On the other hand, Google Ads are focused on driving clicks and impressions. Ad copy should be concise and relevant to the user's search intent, with a clear call-to-action that encourages clicks.

By choosing the right ad format and following creative best practices, businesses can create effective ads that drive engagement, clicks, and impressions on both Facebook and Google Ads.

Measuring Success and Optimization

Key Performance Indicators

To measure the success of advertising campaigns on Facebook and Google, advertisers need to track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). KPIs are metrics that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. The KPIs that are commonly used to measure the success of advertising campaigns on Facebook and Google include:

• Click-through rate (CTR)
• Conversion rate
• Quality score
• Engagement rate
• Ad placement
• Cost per acquisition (CPA)

Advertisers need to track these KPIs to ensure that their advertising campaigns are performing well. If the KPIs are not meeting the set targets, then the advertisers need to optimize their campaigns.

Optimization Techniques

To optimize advertising campaigns on Facebook and Google, advertisers need to follow some best practices. These optimization techniques can help advertisers to improve the performance of their campaigns and achieve better results. Some of the optimization techniques that can be used to improve the performance of advertising campaigns on Facebook and Google include:

• Retargeting: Retargeting is a technique that can be used to target users who have previously interacted with the brand. This can help to increase the conversion rate and improve the ROI of the campaign.
• Mobile optimization: With the increasing use of mobile devices, it is important to optimize advertising campaigns for mobile devices. Advertisers need to ensure that their campaigns are mobile-friendly and can be easily viewed on mobile devices.
• Paid social: Paid social is a technique that can be used to target users on social media platforms. This can help to increase the awareness of the brand and drive more traffic to the website.
• Remarketing: Remarketing is a technique that can be used to target users who have previously visited the website but did not convert. This can help to increase the conversion rate and improve the ROI of the campaign.
• Funnel optimization: Advertisers need to optimize the funnel to ensure that the users are moving through the funnel smoothly. This can help to increase the conversion rate and improve the ROI of the campaign.

By following these optimization techniques, advertisers can improve the performance of their advertising campaigns on Facebook and Google. It is important to note that optimization is an ongoing process, and advertisers need to continuously monitor and optimize their campaigns to ensure that they are performing well.

To optimize their campaigns, advertisers can use various resources such as Google Ads and Facebook Ads resources, blogs, and forums. Advertisers can also use tools such as Google Analytics and Facebook Analytics to track the performance of their campaigns and make data-driven decisions.