Google Ads vs Facebook Ads

If you have considered PPC (Pay Per Click) marketing for your business you’ve probably done a little surface research on the main platforms – Google Ads, Facebook Advertising (now Meta Ads), and LinkedIn Ads. I completely understand that you may be at a loss as to which one to use – from the outset they look similar, and it can be difficult knowing which is the best choice for your B2B (Business to Business) marketing.

Don’t worry – I’ve got extensive experience with these PPC platforms and want to share my knowledge. Below, I pit two of the most popular PPC platforms against each other to see which is the best for B2B marketing – Google Ads vs Facebook Ads.

After reading this article, you will have a clear idea of the pros and cons of both platforms, and if either is more suitable for your business and for B2B marketing.

Google Ads – Overview

Google Ads is the most popular and most-used PPC platform. You can use it to create a wide variety of ad types including:

Search ads

Display ads

Shopping ads

YouTube video ads

App promotion ads

Call-only ads

Local service ads

Local search ads

The ads are displayed either on Google SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages), or the Google Display Network which includes over 2 million websites.

How your ads appear will depend on which type of Google Ads advertising you choose to use. The ads are customisable, and you can create headlines, ad copy, and insert images.

Keywords can also be targeted, and you can direct traffic to landing pages or product pages on your website.

Google Ads – Pros & Cons

Pros

Huge potential audience: Google Ads has one major benefit – it’s immense potential audience. Did you know that Google (the search engine) processes on average 3.5 billion searches per day¹? That’s just the search engine. Your ads have the potential to be displayed across the vast Google Display Network which contains over 2 million business and sources. Simply put, Google Ads is the best option for potential reach.

Relatively Low CPC: If your business has budget constraints, Google Ads offers can sometimes offer relatively low CPC (Cost Per Click) rates in the PPC industry. Search ads average at $2.69, while Display ads come in at $0.63. However, this varies depending on your industry and the competition within it. For some industries the cost per click may become prohibitive and you’ll need to run forecasts to see if an ROI (return on investment) looks achievable. We have an ROI Calculator you can use at https://www.keyprinciples.co.uk/roi-calculator/.

Good documentation: Just do a simple Google search (ironic eh?) for Google Ads guides and you will be inundated with useful articles, videos, and more. Because of the huge popularity of this platform, Google Ads has some of the best documentation available. It’s quite easy to get help with your campaigns and learn the nuances of the platform. However, please beware of the advice provided by the Google reps – for more information check out our very popular blog titled Google Ads Representatives – The Ugly Truth.

Great for high-intent audiences: A customer with high-intent is someone who has already done research and is ready to make a decision/purchase. Google Ads allows you to target high-intent customers which can result in more conversions, enquiries, downloads and more. This is done through things like customer targeting and keyword usage. Targeting the right keywords and adding negative keywords (keywords that you wouldn’t want to be found for is crucial.

Versatile ad types: Search ads, Display ads, YouTube ads, Local search ads, Shopping ads – these are just a few examples of the different ad types Google Ads offers. Regardless of your marketing aims, or target customer, you can find an ad type that matches your requirements. The versatility of Google Ads is what makes it such an attractive option.

Cons

Higher learning curve: Although there’s lots of potential automation available within the Google Ads platform, using these as a small business is not recommended at the beginning. I would not recommend getting Google to set up campaigns for you either. You’ll need to either buy a course from a reputable provider and learn how to do it or appoint a Digital Marketing agency. Appointing an agency can also be scary and I do, unfortunately, hear of lots of horror stories, so it may be worth checking out our blog at https://www.keyprinciples.co.uk/choosing-the-right-digital-marketing-agency/ before you start the process of finding the right agency for you.

No searches: Put simply, if no one is searching for what you offer then most definitely Google Ads Search will not be right for you. Of course, there are other options available so you can look at these including Display Advertising, Remarketing (to retarget people that have already visited your website) as well as potentially YouTube ads.

More competitive platform: It’s estimated that approximately 80% of businesses² globally use Google Ads in some capacity. That’s some serious competition! This is one of the drawbacks of Google Ads – you must realise that you will be bidding for keywords and ads against many other businesses in your industry. Other platforms like Facebook Ads and LinkedIn Ads are still competitive, but perhaps not to the same degree as Google Ads.

Strict ad design: The variety of ads available on this PPC platform are fantastic. However, Google also has strict quality guidelines for things like images, copy, and content. This is because they want to uphold high standards for their ads which ultimately benefits everyone. However, it can mean more time and effort perfecting your content and making sure it gets a high-quality score.

Some products and services cannot be advertised: Some products and services simply cannot be advertised using Google Ads platform. For details regarding the restrictions, please go to https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/6008942?hl=en. It is worth noting that Google can sometimes add more products and services without warning, so a word of warning – don’t reply completely on Google Ads to generate leads and sales for your business, or you may find your business has disappeared overnight! As an example, one client involved in mobile phone repairs was forced to stop advertising using Google Ads. Fortunately, they had also invested in SEO (search engine optimisation) to improve their natural ranking on Google as well as customer loyalty programmes to enable them to continue trading after that bombshell from Google hit the industry.

Facebook Ads – Overview

Facebook Ads or Meta Ads is an advertising platform that allows you to create ads for the Facebook and Instagram social media platforms. It also offers a range of different ad types including:

Image ads

Video ads

Poll ads

Carousel ads

Slideshow ads

Collection ads

Instant experience ads

Dynamic ads

Aside from the ads, Facebook offers some useful features such as the Facebook Shop where customers can buy directly from you, and the Facebook Marketplace where you can engage in P2P business. You can create ads based on different goals such as lead generation, conversions, brand awareness, video views, or engagement.

Facebook Ads – Pros & Cons

Pros

Great targeting features: Meta Ads has excellent targeting options. They know so much about their users. If you have extensive customer demographic information, you can use this to make your ads more effective. Essentially, any personal info people have shared on their FB profile (such as age, location, interests, etc.) can be utilised as a targeting option. Look-a-like audiences can also be created so you can upload information on your current clients and Facebook will go and find more individuals like your clients.

Solid retargeting options: This platform has some top retargeting options too – if someone visited your website but didn’t perform a ‘conversion action’ such as request a quote, you can retarget them with relevant ads. It works out quite cost effective, but of course you still need to make a return on your investment.

Ad variety and design features: Facebook Ads provide a range of ad design options and features. You can create a range of ad types³including stories, carousel posts, video ads, instant experience ads, and collections. This gives you greater creative license and means you can produce different ads to suit different target customers. In fact, we always recommend testing a variety of ad formats and messaging from the beginning.

Cons

Facebook Ads guidelines: The Facebook Ads guidelines are strict, and it can be difficult trying to navigate the platform and making sure your content gets approval. Certain types of businesses and content are prohibited from being advertised via Facebook ads so for some companies, Meta Ads is a non-starter. We have experience in understanding these guidelines so if you are unsure, please feel free to contact us and we can offer some guidance.

Geared towards B2C: It’s generally viewed that Meta Ads are B2C orientated. This is due to the platforms the ads are displayed on, and the types of users. Facebook and Instagram are typically used by individuals for personal interests, entertainment, or businesses advertising to customers. So, you are interrupting people potentially at a time when they would prefer not to see business related adverts. However, it can still be useful if used wisely.

Limited results for beginners: It is true that anyone can get started on the Facebook Ads platform and create their first ad. But, without more training, experience, and research, the results may be limited. Just like Google Ads, it is worth looking at training or appointing an advertising agency.

Google Ads vs Meta Ads – Are There Situations Where One Platform is Better?

We’ve looked at the pros and cons, but how do the platforms compare in specific areas such as audience share, cost, and specific B2B marketing?

Audience Size

Google Ads wins when it comes to audience size. Facebook doesn’t lack in this area as the platform has an estimated 1.73 billion daily users, but Google Search trumps this alone – not mentioning the Google Display Network. If you want to try and reach the greatest number of potential customers possible, Google Ads is the better option – as long as people are searching for what you offer if you’re looking at Google Search.

ROI & Cost

Compared to other PPC marketing platforms, both Google Ads and Meta Ads can be cost effective. Google Ads averages at $2.69 for search ads, and $0.63 for display ads, while Facebook Ads averages at $0.97.

Overall, therefore, it could be said that Facebook Ads is the cheaper option, but you have to consider other factors like the audience and B2B suitability.

Also, the industry your business operates in plays a huge role in cost. For example, businesses in the legal industry see their CPC for Google Ads average at $6.75, whereas eCommerce businesses get a better deal at around $1.16.

B2B Marketing

When it comes to B2B marketing, LinkedIn Ads is typically viewed as the best PPC option. But, as I’m not covering that here, for me, Google Ads beats Meta Ads. This is mainly due to the audience demographics, intent, and usage across the two platforms.

As previously mentioned, Facebook and Instagram are primarily used by individuals whereas Google Ads has more scope for B2B interactions. You will find more businesses searching for information on Google than you would Facebook.

There is an element of industry variance though. For example, if you are a business selling to solo entrepreneurs and small companies, Facebook could still be a viable option as these businesses themselves will most likely use Facebook for marketing.

In contrast, if you are a business selling to larger companies on a wholesale level, Facebook is unlikely to generate many conversions.

For B2B Marketing, Google Ads Benefits from Greater Exposure and Relevant Audience

Facebook Ads is certainly a powerful marketing tool, and I don’t want this article to diminish its value. However, I suggest that it is better for B2C marketing – for businesses selling or offering services directly to the end customer.

Google Ads has the edge for B2B marketing due to the more relevant audience, scope, and targeting features. More businesses will use Google Search for high-intent queries and you so you can target them easier.

If you want more advice or want to start paid advertising, we are happy to help. You can contact us to arrange an initial chat where we analyse your business and marketing goals and discuss which strategies would be suitable such as paid advertising, SEO, or social media marketing.