In the ever-evolving digital advertising landscape, choosing the right platform to spend your marketing dollars can be overwhelming. With the two giants, Meta Ads and Google Ads, dominating the advertising landscape, it is crucial to have an in-depth understanding of the two platforms.
You may be trying to figure out which platform is the best bang for your buck. Or what the differences between the platforms are? Pros? Cons? Throughout this article we will break it down for you, ensuring you can scale your business effectively with advertising campaigns and make sure it aligns with your goals.
What is the difference between Meta Ads and Google Ads?
Meta Ads (formerly Facebook Ads) are ideal for brands looking for brand awareness and engagement with flexible ad budgets. They target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors and help expand and nurture brand awareness. Excelling at casting a wider net, looking to get users to engage with their business or product, and contributing to sales and ROI over time.
Google Ads, on the other hand, targets high-intent users, where businesses can target people who are actively searching for the product or specific keywords. By leveraging search engine queries, it makes it a go-to choice for driving conversions and capturing leads that are ready to take action. It functions on a PPC (pay-per-click) model, meaning you only pay when a user clicks on your ad.
If you are wondering what high-intent users are, they are simply people further down the funnel, closer to the point of purchase.
Both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses, but choosing the right one depends on your advertisement goals. But let us dive into the pros and cons to help you decide which platform is better suited for your business.
What are the pros and cons of Meta Ads vs. Google Ads?
With Google Ads offering a PPC model, it makes it an attractive platform for targeting specific leads. Here are some pros and cons of Google Ads:
Google Ads:
With Google Ads targeting users who are actively searching for specific services or products, it makes it easier to capture high-intent users, ready to buy. By only paying for customers who click your ad, it makes it easy to track ad campaign performance and conversion on your website. With Google Ads being a part of the Search Network and Search campaigns, your ads can also appear through YouTube Ads, Gmail Ads, Shopping, and Display ads.
The cons of Google Ads can be high CPC rates for competitive keywords and queries. Especially in saturated markets, the steep cost-per-click can be a metric that marketers have to consider. Making small businesses with small ad budgets unable to compete with bigger companies, driving up the CPC cost. The initial learning curve of Google Ads can be steeper due to Google’s interface and setup process.
Meta Ads:
Meta ads excel at creating visually appealing content that grabs the consumer’s attention on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. They offer a diverse range of ad formats, including video, photo, carousel, and story ads. With detailed targeting options tailored to interests, demographics, and behavioral data, you can reach specific audiences through Meta ads. So, if your goal is to grow visibility and foster engagement, Meta Ads should be on top of your lists.
Since Meta Ads appear during casual browsing, users may not be actively seeking to buy, resulting in Meta Ad campaigns experiencing lower conversion rates. Furthermore, Meta demands visually appealing ads, or they will get lost in the crowd. With competition rising and ad costs increasing, making sure to be seen is not a must, but a crucial factor for a successful ad campaign.
Which ads are most effective?
Deciding which ads are most effective between Meta Ads or Google Ads entirely depends on your business goals, audience, and your desired outcome.
Meta Ads shine when it comes to grabbing consumer’s attention and fostering brand visibility. They drive engagement for targeted audiences through eye-catching visuals, taking them through the buying decision. So, if your goal is to boost visibility, social proof, and get a high measurable ROI over time, Meta Ads are an excellent choice. Meta is one of the most effective digital top-of-the-funnel strategies out there.
On the other hand, Google Ads excels when it comes to driving immediate conversions and capturing high-intent leads fast. With 3.5 billion searches every day, Google can put your ad in front of millions, while you only pay per click. Targeting ready-to-buy users allows businesses to get great ROI while precisely being able to track performance. Google Ads are therefore an effective bottom-of-the-funnel strategy for capturing ready-to-buy users.
Ultimately, the most effective platform depends on your strategy. For fostering engagement and increasing brand visibility, Meta ads should be at the top of your list. For capturing high-intent consumers with conversion-driven campaigns, Google Ads will have the upper hand.
ROI potential for Google Ads vs. Meta Ads?
When it comes to getting a great ROI through Google Ads and Meta Ads, it varies a lot depending on the industry and audience.
That being said, the latest report from Google in 2023 estimated that for every $1 a business spends on Google Ads, they receive $8 in return through Google Ads and search. This leaves Google Ads with an ROI of 8:1. The estimate is based on revenue generated through Google ads, which also increases revenue from Google Search.
As tracking the ROI of Meta Ads becomes more challenging, both ROAS and ROI are impacted accordingly. The average ROAS (Return On Ad Spend) typically ranges between 3:1 & 4:1, meaning for every $1 you spend on ads, you will get $3-4 in return. However, the exact ROAS can vary depending on industry, campaign strategy, and audience. Meta Ads, however, excel in long-term ROI by building brand awareness and fostering relationships with your audience, which can be worth far more.
If you want to read more about the profitability and ROI of Meta ads check out our article Are Meta Ads Still Worth It in 2024?”
How much are Google Ads and Facebook ads?
The cost of Google Ads and Facebook Ads is determined by your campaign budget. These platforms offer flexible pricing models, allowing you to tailor expenses to fit your specific budget.
Comparing the cost of Facebook Ads and Google Ads, we can look at metrics such as CPM and CPC. Cost Per Mile (CPM) is the price for every 1000 impressions of a digital ad. Cost Per Click (CPC), on the other hand, is the cost for someone clicking on your ad.
The chart above illustrates the difference between Google Ads and Facebook Ads. While Facebook Ads tend to be cheaper per click, Google Ads often deliver a better return for businesses targeting high-intent search users.
What hidden costs should advertisers consider?
Other than CPC and CPM there can also be additional costs to running ad campaigns on Google and Meta.
For starters, ad creation costs. This includes professional copywriting, design, and video production, which can quickly add up—especially if your campaigns require high-quality visuals, such as 3D product videos.
Furthermore, there is the cost of optimization tools and software. Additional platforms to track campaign performance, manage bids, or A/B test campaigns come with additional subscription fees.
Last but not least is the time constraint it takes to set up, manage, and optimize ad campaigns. It can be a time-intensive task, resulting in companies outsourcing to agencies that specialize in paid ads, such as SPARQ Digital. It frees up time to focus on income-producing activities.
Understanding these hidden costs upfront can help you create a more realistic advertising budget and maximize your ROI. We recommend consulting with the agency when you are starting.
Who makes more money from ads, Google or Facebook?
Google Ads provides the highest ROI of 1:8, while Facebook/Meta Ads provide an ROI of 3:1 to 4:1. In the short term, businesses can make more money on Google due to targeting high-intent buyers. Meta can, on the other hand, deliver a higher long-term ROI with increased brand awareness and engagement by its customers.
In the end, it all comes down to your company’s audience, industry, and business goals. Typically, Google Ads are better for making sales, while Meta Ads (Facebook Ads) are better for building brand awareness and connecting with customers
