Overview

Google and Facebook are the most prominent players in the paid media market. For business owners who would like to invest in online advertising, a question that they often come across is: Google ads or Facebook ads, what is right for my business in 2022? Well, there is no simple answer to this question. With a limited marketing budget, deciding where to spend your money to get tremendous ROI can be extremely challenging. 

There are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to choosing between Google ads and Facebook ads. 

Although these two powerful ad platforms have a lot of common ground, they have significant differences too. Let’s look at which of the above is the best fit for your business in 2022.

Google Ads, formerly Google AdWords, is a paid advertising platform. According to Live Internet Stats, Google is the world’s largest search engine, with over 5 billion Google searches per day. This makes Google Ads an excellent place to advertise if you want to reach out to this massive amount of search traffic.

Facebook Ads:

Unlike Google, Facebook Ads offers paid social advertising. Advertisers pay to have their ads shown to users based on their social behavior. Facebook Ads are better suited for reaching consumers near the top of the funnel.


Audience size

audience size google ads vs facebook ads

 Google Ads:

Google has an enormous user base that sees around 6 billion searches every day. Your ads will appear on every Google display network, including mobile sites and apps. This is one of the main advantages of using Google as an advertising platform.

Facebook Ads:

Facebook gives advertisers the advantage of reaching out to the audience based on their social behavior. Facebook has more than 2 billion active monthly users, and this number grows daily. With Facebook Ads, you can reach your audience via Facebook News Feed, Instagram Feed, Facebook Marketplace, Facebook Video Feeds, and Facebook messenger, to name a few.


Targeting Options

Google Ads:

Ad targeting is a crucial component of successful advertising campaigns. This is where Google Ads shines. You can target users using Google Ads based on demographics such as age, gender, location, device type, affinity, custom intent, device, and keywords. Google ads allow you to reach out to those who have already interacted with your website and mobile app. This increases your reach and brand awareness.

Facebook Ads: 

Facebook offers a helpful tool called lookalike audiences that allows you to advertise to people who bear a resemblance to your existing audience. Facebook’s targeting options are extensive and include interests, life events, demographics, purchasing behaviors, and location. Facebook leverages its current data to match your customers to similar users, which can be a very profitable option for advertisers.


Ad format

ad format google ads vs facebook ads

Google ads:

If you use Google Ads, you must work with a small text block to catch the customers’ attention on Search Engines. When working with Search Ads, you can use ad extensions to add more information and text, but your format will ultimately be constrained to text.

Facebook Ads:

Facebook allows you to add visual impact to your message using image-based ads. Facebook avoids ’ad fatigue’ by constantly introducing new ad formats. This is a significant benefit if you are an eCommerce business looking for a platform best suited for you.


Buyer intent

buyer intent google ads vs facebook ads

Google Ads:

This is another criterion where Google ads are well ahead of Facebook ads. When it comes to Google Ads, people search for a product or service when ready to purchase. For example, if a user’s TV breaks, they immediately search for TV repair services. Google Ad would now find the potential customer at the right time. Thus, on Google Ads, you’ll get more quality leads.

Facebook ads:

Facebook ads are less effective in terms of converting leads quickly. It’s unlikely that a user will recall the TV repair shop they saw on Facebook a few weeks ago. People who spend time on Facebook do so to socialize and relax. Google Ads should be your first port of call if you want immediate conversions.


Cost

cost google ads vs facebook ads

Google Ads:

Every keyword you target on Google Ads (CPC) has a cost per click. It refers to the price you pay for each click when a user clicks on your Ad. Across industries, the average CPC (Cost Per Click) on Google Ads is $2.69. eCommerce businesses can consider paying around $1.16 per click in paid search. On the other hand, firms in the legal industry generally have to shell out $6.75 on average per click.

Facebook Ads:

Facebook Ads are comparatively cheaper than Google Ads. The CPC for a business in the apparel industry could be as low as $0.5.The average cost per acquisition (CPA) for Facebook Ads is around $18. Facebook ads cost less than Google Ads, but Google Ads still does a better job of getting you quality leads that convert into sales.


Return of Investment

Google Ads: 

Although Google Ads is more expensive than Facebook ads, the users who are clicking your ads may have a higher chance to be your potential buyers. They are better at reaching the users at the time of their purchasing decision. So, Google ads give you a great ROI. For every $1 you spend on Google Ads, you get $2 as a return.

Facebook Ads:

In the case of Facebook ads, your ROI is more than just revenue; it is the reach or impression of your brand or product on your audience base. Since Facebook Ads have a granularity of targeting options, it is beneficial to improve your brand awareness and ultimately increase your sales and revenue.


Both Google ads and Facebook ads are powerful advertisement platforms crucial for businesses in this digital world. So, first, you need to ask yourself some questions like, what is the goal of my campaign? What kind of audience am I targeting? And, What is my budget? 

If you’re clear on these terms, deciding between Google Ads vs. Facebook ads for your business in 2022 would be easy. However, our advice is to choose Google Ads if you want quality leads and want to make more sales as quickly as possible. Google Ads work exceptionally well for B2C and B2B businesses; on the other hand, Facebook Ads are more effective in B2C markets. Although your business goals will determine the best platform, the products you sell, and your target audience, using both channels instead of one can often yield better results.