Google Ads Vs Facebook Ads: Which Is Best For Your Businesses?

Facebook and Google are the leading and popular platforms in their own industry with a huge user base. With billions of active users and huge data set both platforms are widely used by companies in the digital advertising space.  But when it comes to selecting the best platform between Google ads vs Facebook ads most businesses and individuals often get confused.  

If you are one of them looking to find the right answer then you have arrived at the right destination as we are going to highlight every small detail about how Google ads and Facebook ads can be beneficial for your business? And which is best for your business. So make sure you stick till the last.

Table OF Content: 

• An overview of Facebook Ads Vs Google Ads
• Basic knowledge of Facebook Ads and Google Ads
• Difference Between Facebook Ad Vs Google Ads
• Understanding The Advantage Of Using Facebook Ads and Google Ads
• Google Ads VS Facebook Ads: Which Should You Be Using? 
• Frequently Asked Questions 

An overview of Facebook Ads Vs Google Ads

Google and Facebook are the two popular advertising platforms with thousands of businesses using ads to reach their potential customers. Although Google is a search engine and Facebook is a social media platform, both platforms help businesses to advertise their products/services and connect with their potential customers. 

But many businesses and individuals mainly the ones that are stepping new into the online advertising space often ask which is best? 

While both the platforms offer great audience size and targeting options it’s actually difficult to determine the best one if you have the budget for only one platform. It’s just like Coca-Cola and Pepsi (when you have the budget to buy only one but like both the drinks). However, there are a few differences that can help you to identify whether it’s right for your business or not. 

Facebook currently has 2.3 billion monthly active users on the other hand google gets more than 5 billion daily searches. So from the number, you can easily determine the value both the platform can offer to your business. Many businesses are already leveraging the benefit of advertising on Google and Facebook Ads to increase their product/services visibility, leads, sales, acquire new customers, and more. 

So in this article, we are going to highlight every small detail of the advantage of using Facebook ads and google ads so that you are able to make your decision based on facts and evidence. 

Basic knowledge of Facebook Ads and Google Ads

Before we start comparing Facebook ads and google ads it’s important to understand the basics about how both the platforms work.   

What are Google Ads?

Google is one of the popular and world’s leading search engines that holds the largest share of total US digital ad spend i.e 38.6%. So google is not only the popular search engine but also the most widely used online advertising platform. Google ads were formerly known as “Google Adwords” that generally work based on an auction system. 

If you have already used Google Adwords then you might be aware of how Google ads work. On the other hand, if you are new to Google ads then make sure you check out the blog on Google Advertising: How Much Does Google Ads Cost?

The auction process on google is very much similar to the normal auction process but while creating and running google ads you just have to focus on keeping your quality score high because the ad rank (position of your ad in search results) is decided on the factors like a maximum bid and quality score.

Not only that but your CPC (how much you will pay when the user clicks on your ads) is also decided based on your ad rank and the quality score. Google ads are undoubtedly the best way to reach the maximum number of audiences that are actually interested in your product and services. Using google ad you can drive traffic to your website, generate leads, increase awareness, and many more. 

What are Facebook Ads?

Facebook is one of the popular and leading social media platforms with more than 2.3 billion active monthly users. It holds a total share of 19.9% of US digital ad spend and considered one of the most widely used social media advertising platforms. Even today if a business plans to shift from offline to online the first thing they do is create a business page on Facebook with a goal to connect with their potential customers. Today more than 90 million small businesses use Facebook.

However recent research and reports state that Facebook’s organic reach is declining. Seeing that businesses started to use Facebook advertising and guess what many small businesses claim that their revenue doubled just because of Facebook advertisement. Using Facebook advertising you get access to target a vast audience that is interested in your products/services.   

Using Facebook ad manager you can create and run various campaigns not only on Facebook but also on Messenger, Instagram, and the audience network. Facebook ad manager allows you to reach your target audience depending on their location, age group, interests, and more. Using the ad manager dashboard you can easily track the performance of your campaign. 

You can use Facebook to engage a wide range of audiences, increase your brand and business awareness, increase the reach of your product, drive traffic on your web pages, generate sales, and more.  

If you are looking to learn more about Facebook advertising or Instagram advertising then make sure to check our blog on 

• Facebook Advertising: How much Facebook Advertising cost
• Instagram Advertising: How much Instagram Advertising cost

Difference Between Facebook Ad Vs Google Ads 

By now you might have a clear understanding of what Facebook ads are. And what are google ads? Next, we are going to highlight the basic difference between Facebook ads and google ads. Depending on various factors we have compiled the data and give the basic difference between Facebook ads and google ads. 

1. Audience Size 

Both the platforms Google and Facebook help businesses and brands to reach billions of their users. Facebook has more than 2.3 billion active users on the other hand google gets more than 5.8 billion searched every day. So from the numbers, you can easily recognize that both platforms have all the capabilities to help you reach your potential customers. 

And there are also high chances that your potential customers might be using both platforms. Because Google is a leading search engine whereas Facebook is a leading social media platform. SO to determine which platform is best for your business you need to know whether your potential customers are active in these platforms or not? 

You can also ask yourself whether your product is search-oriented or social? Because even if Google is getting more than 5 billion searches every day if your potential customers are not one among them then advertising on google ads will not offer any benefit in terms of revenue and ROI. 

On the other hand, Facebook has helped many newly started businesses to make their product reach their potential customers. Both platforms can be used to reach a wide range of audiences. It’s just about which one is working best for business and product. 

2. Cost & ROI 

When it comes to deciding the best PPC platforms between Facebook and Google then cost always plays a major role. The average CPC on google ads ranges between $1 to $3 for the google search network and for the display network, the average CPC is considered to be $1. On the other hand, the average CPC in Facebook ads ranges between $0.45 to $3.77

Remember the average CPC is very much dependent on the industry you are working in. For example, if your niche is into the legal industry then for running a google ad the average CPC is considered to be $6.75  whereas the Facebook ads have a lower average CPC of $1.32. 

In the same way for running technology-based ads on google the average CPC is between $3.80 on the other hand running the same ad on Facebook would cost you $1.27 (the average CPC). Not only that but the CPC also vary depending on the ad placement. All the able mentioned numbers are the average cost of running the ad on Facebook and Google. The cost may not be exactly the same for your ads. 

By looking at the above numbers you might be convinced that Facebook is cheaper compared to google as Google ad CPC is a bit expensive than a Facebook ad. But remember the value google can bring in for your business, Users there are clicking on the google ads are more likely to be in your buying cycle and can convert into paying customers. 

Facebook is cheap because it helps you to reach a wide range of audiences, connect with them, drive them on your website but when it comes to conversion google always wins the race. Another thing that influences CPC is competition. Businesses are aware of the value Google ads can bring in because it highlights your website when users need it the most so chances of conversion are high. 

That is the reason why more and more businesses prefer to advertise on google for the same keyword giving rise to competition and CPC. So now you know another factor that can help you to decide whether Google ads are best for your business or Facebook ads.  

3. Targeting Options: 

Both Google ads and Facebook ads come with a bunch of targeting option features that help businesses and brands to reach the right set of audiences. Using these targeting (and retargeting) options you can target a specific audience that is actually interested in knowing about your product and finally making the purchase.

Google ads and Facebook ads both allow advertisers and marketers to target their potential based on age, gender, location, income level, interests, and more. Compared to Google, Facebook offers a more advanced targeting option that allows you to reach the right set of audience that is actually interested in taking action on the ad. 

Using Facebook’s advanced feature advertisers and marketers can create a separate audience list based on interest and behaviors which helps you make your reach the right audience. Not only that but you can also make use of a tool called lookalike audience that helps you to advertise to people that relate to your existing customers. This way you can connect with more and more audiences.     

4. Buyers Intent 

When it comes to deciding the best PPC platform to get started with then it’s important to understand the buyer’s intent. So when it comes to buyer intent Google always beats Facebook That’s why it’s important to consider what type of business you are into and most importantly the reason behind running the ads (objective). Whether your potential customers are searching for your product and services when they need them most. 

For example, if any person comes across problems like water leakage or any appliances not working then the first thing they do is go to google and search for their solution. If your business is into the same niche then the search engines would recommend your website to the user in the search results at the time when they need you the most. 

Even If you advertise your products or services on Facebook then also no one is going to remember that before three or four months they came across a post about your services. So in this scenario, Google is the clear winner. 

Facebook ads are more about reaching potential customers, building a strong connection with them, and spreading awareness. Because most of people visit Facebook not to purchase any product but to relax. That means getting instant conversion is difficult when it comes to Facebook but google has full potential to convert users into paying customers. 

5. Ad Formats 

When it comes to Ad format it’s all about the objective for your campaign. Undoubtedly Facebook has got a lot to offer when it comes to selecting objectives and goals. In short, Facebook allows you to be more creative that is the reason why we said Facebook is the best when it comes to awareness and connecting with potential customers. 

Google allows advertisers and marketers to display titles and descriptions to catch their potential customer’s eyes on the search result page. And there are various ad extensions that you can use to enter additional information that means no matter how attractive your product and services the only option you have is to use the text to grab potential customers’ attention. 

On the other hand, Facebook allows you to add visual content and text content to grab your potential customer’s attention and encourage them to take action on your ads. Facebook allows advertisers and marketers to use an image, videos, carousel, and more to run the image and video-based ads to capture your audience’s attention. Mainly if you are running an ecommerce website then visual content will help you to make your ad more effective and result-driven. 

6. Engagement 

If you are running paid ads then you need to ensure that it is getting placed on the right platform so that you are able to leverage the platform to get more engagement on your ads. Knowing which platform can offer you more engagement can help you to make your paid ad strategy more effective and efficient. Will both platforms have a huge user base which means both Facebook ads and google ads can help you to get engagement. 

But when it comes to selecting one among them then facebook can comparatively offer more engagement than google. More than 50% of marketers and advertisers claim that when it comes to engagement facebook ads offer more user engagement than Google ads. On the other hand, 40% of marketers claim that their ad performs well on Google when it comes to engagement. SO both platforms offer engagement but Facebook’s engagement rate is comparatively more than Google’s. 

Remember there is a huge difference between engagement and conversion. It’s not necessary that the person engaging with your ad will convert. So if your aim is to get more engagement then Facebook is undoubtedly the winner but when it comes to conversion google always leads the race. 

Facebook Ads Vs Google Ads (Summarizing the difference)

Understanding The Advantage Of Using Facebook Ads and Google Ads: 

Both the platforms are considered the two important gorillas of PPC advertising that is helping various businesses and companies around the world to maximize their reach. If you are new to PPC advertising then you might get confused in selecting the one among them because both platforms claim that they help businesses to drive maximum ROI and offer robust targeting options along with a user-friendly interface. So let’s take look at the advantage s of using google ads and Facebook ads: 

Why use Google Ads? 

Being the world’s most popular and widely used ad platform google is considered one of the leading online advertising platforms that helps brands and businesses to reach a wide range of audiences. Using Google ads, brands and businesses get access to a huge user base who are actively looking for different answers and solutions in the form of products and services.  

Google ads allow marketers and advertisers to reach their potential customers using network search and display networks. The search ads are displayed in the search results where hundreds of advertisers and marketers bid on keywords to rank their ad on the top in SERP/ Whereas display ads are displayed in the form of banners on various websites mostly used to spread awareness. 

Allows you to target users that can convert 

As mentioned earlier, Google allows businesses and brands to target billions of users and make their ad reach the right audience that is actually interested in purchasing the product. Differentiating between Facebook ads and Google ads is a bit difficult process as every marketing strategy needs the help of both the platform to spread awareness, reach the right audience, and convert them into a customer. 

But when it comes to selecting a platform that offers more conversion than Google ads is the clear winner. Google is continuously adapting machine learning and artificial intelligence technology to help users find the right and accurate solution whenever they type the keyword in the search box. In the same way, Google helps marketers and advertisers to target the same keyword that is being used by the user and make their ad reach the right audience who are actually searching for their products and services. 

Wide range of ad formats 

As we have mentioned earlier google ad format might not offer you to be more creative compared to Facebook ads. But still, marketers and advertisers can use the different ad formats to make their ad copy enticing and compelling. When Google Adwords was launched it was more focused on text-based ads but now there are various ad extensions like site links, call expansion, structured snippets, app extensions, social proofing, location targeting, and many more features are made available for advertisers and marketers. 

Not only that but Google is also helping advertisers by offering ad formats tailored for unique needs mainly for businesses like manufacturers, hotels, and more. So no matter what type of product you’re selling to the audience using these ad formats you can increase the chances of conversion.  

Improved Analytics 

When it comes to running online advertisements marketers and advertisers may use various strategies and tactics to get the best result. But to identify whether their ad is performing well among the audience or not they need a detailed performance report and other metrics that can help them to identify why their ad is not performing well among their potential audiences. 

Using google analytics every marketer and advertiser can get detailed reports about their ad performance. Using the metrics offered by google analytics one can easily analyze why their ad is not performing well and what steps they can take to optimize the performance of the ad.  

Why Use Facebook Ads? 

Google is one of the leading search engines but when it comes to selecting the best and popular social media platform then Facebook is the king of social media with more than 2.4 billion active monthly users. People have started using Facebook not only to connect with new people (the purpose it was launched) but facebook also helps the user to know what’s happening around them thanks to various social media pages. 

Not only to get knowledge but Facebook is another source for entertainment as people can find various funny content, clips, and more. So with billions of active users, Facebook also helps brands and businesses to reach and connect with their potential customers by allowing them to run paid ads. So above we have highlighted the advantage of using Google ads, next let’s take a look at how Facebook ads can benefit your business. 

Give access to a huge user base 

Similar to Google ads, Facebook has billions of active monthly users which make it the best platform for businesses and brands to connect with their potential customers because it offers all opportunities to advertise the product and services with a goal to spread awareness, drive traffic, and more. 

Using Facebook ads manager you can create an ad with a specific objective and goal and target the right set of audiences who are likely to take action on your ads. Facebook allows you to make your product visible to the maximum user by using features like demographics, interest, behavior, and more.

Allows business to share attractive and engaging visuals

Compared to text ads, visuals grab more attention. Google is more focused on offering text-based ads but Facebook allows marketers and advertisers to share attractive visuals to make their ad more compelling and engaging. Using various ad formats like images, videos, carousel and more you can share videos and multiple images to encourage users to click on your Facebook ad. 

Facebook can actually help businesses that are looking to spread awareness about their products and services or drive traffic and generate leads. Businesses that are in the e-commerce field can get benefited from the Facebook ads feature as you can share multiple images of your products and encourage the user to take action on it. 

Offers granular targeting options 

To make your ad reach the right set of audiences, Facebook offers a granular targeting option that allows you to target people based on their location, occupation, marital status, and more. One of the biggest advantages of using Facebook ads is that it allows you to advertise to a specific group that is the extremely granular group of people so that you can target the right set of audiences that matches your niche. 

Today on Facebook people like to share what they like, what they eat, their profession, their location, and many more. These actions are analyzed by Facebook and help when advertisers and the market use attractive tool offers by Facebook called “lookalike audience”. Advertisers and the market can make use of their existing customer information and upload it with the same target audience.  

Google Ads VS Facebook Ads: Which Should You Be Using?

Both platforms are considered one of the most powerful advertising that can help brands and businesses to reach their potential customers. So it’s hard to determine the best platform you can use for your business. As many marketers and advertisers claim that using both platforms for your business offers more benefits and brings more value to the table.

But from the above difference, we can say if you are looking to spread awareness and reach audiences then Facebook can be the best advertising platform. On the other hand, if you are looking to get instant conversion then Google ads can help you with converting users into potential customers. Not only that but if your text and visuals are appealing then both the platform can help you to drive traffic on the website and dedicated landing pages. 

Many people recommend comparing Google display ads with Facebook ads but both platforms share similarities and help businesses reach the right audience and spread awareness about their product and services. But again if you have both Google advertising and Facebook advertising included in your strategy then there are high chances that your business will start seeing the paid ad effectiveness and results 

If you need further help with paid advertisement then you can always reach out to our highly experienced marketing professionals that can help you to create an attractive marketing strategy for your business. 

Frequently Asked Questions: 

1. Which are cheaper Facebook Ads or Google Ads? 

Marketers and advertisers often look to identify which of the advertisement platforms among Facebook and google cost less. So compared to google ads Facebook ads tend to cost a bit less but it totally depends on what your ad objective and the industry you are working in. The average CPC of the consumer services industry in Google ads is $6.40 whereas the average CPC in Facebook ads is considered to be $3.08. In the same way for the legal industry, the average CPC for google ads is $6.75, on the other hand, the average CPC in Facebook ads is $1.32. 

2. Is it work paying for Google Ads? 

Google gets more than 5 billion searches every day and today for every small answer and solution user seeks help from Google so it’s very obvious that your potential customer might be searching for your product and services on Google. SO it’s worth using Google ads to reach your target market. Not only that but businesses of any type and kind can advertise on the platform and reach out to millions of people and when it comes to cost compared to outbound marketing cost, google ads cost very less and allow you to reach maximum users. But remember it’s worth spending money on google ads only when you are getting a return on investment. 

3. Which is better for businesses Instagram ads or Facebook ads? 

Facebook is the parent company of Instagram but the recent report from Instagram ads have made advertiser and marketer question which platform is better for advertising Facebook or Instagram? If you have strong visual content specifically built to grab user attention and engage them then Instagram can be the best platform. On the other hand, if your content includes more text then we recommend using it on Facebook.  

4. What is the minimum budget for google ads? 

Before you determine the minimum budget it is important to know the average CPC cost so that you are able to set the right budget for your paid search campaign. The average CPC for Google ads ranges between $1 to $3 for search ads and for display ads the CPC is considered to be low i.e. $1. Remember the CPC cost may not be exactly the same as it depends on what type of industry your business falls into. For example, the ecommerce industry gets an average CPC between $1 to $2 whereas the legal industry gets an average CPC of $6.75. 

5. What are the objectives and Goals offered by Facebook ads? 

The ad format is very much dependent on the objective and goals so let’s look at the objective and goals offered by Facebook. 

Before you start your campaign you need to select an ad objective. Let’s look at the three most 

• Awareness
• Consideration 
• Conversion 

Each objective allows you to select different goals:

If you have select the objects Awareness then you get to select the goal as

• Brand awareness 
• Reach

If you are looking to encourage users to perform action then you can select objective as Consideration and goal as: 

• Traffic 
• App Install 
• Engagement 
• Video views 
• Lead Generation 
• Messages 
• Product Catalog Sales

If you have selected conversion as the objective then the gaol can be 

• Store Visit 
• Conversion  

6. What are the goals offered by Google Ads?  

To run a google ad you need to select the goal so below we are listing the goals offered by google : 

• Sales 
• Leads
• Website Traffic 
• Product and Brand Consideration 
• Brand Awareness and Reach 
• App promotion 

Next, you can select the campaign type that includes: 

• Search campaign 
• Display Campaign 
• Shopping campaign 
• Video Campaign 
• App Campaign