A Comparison of the Two Most Popular Advertising Platforms

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, online advertising has become a cornerstone of successful marketing strategies. Businesses are constantly seeking innovative ways to connect with their target audience and achieve their marketing objectives. Amidst this dynamic environment, two platforms have emerged as the undisputed leaders in online advertising: Google Ads and Facebook Ads. Both offer powerful tools and extensive reach, but they operate on distinct principles and cater to different user intents. This article provides a comprehensive comparison of Google Ads and Facebook Ads, delving deep into their intricacies to help you determine which platform is best suited for your specific needs.
Market Share and Reach
Google's dominance in the search engine market is undeniable. With a commanding 93.51% market share in the UK and 81.95% globally, Google is often the first port of call for users seeking information, products, or services online. This translates to an unparalleled reach for Google Ads, giving businesses access to a vast audience. In fact, 63% of people have clicked on a Google Ad at least once, highlighting the platform's ability to capture user attention.
While Google's reach is primarily based on search intent, Facebook boasts an impressive global advertising audience of 2.2 billion users. In the U.S. alone, Facebook's ad revenue reached $39.5 billion in 2024. However, it's important to note that Facebook's share of the global social media market is shrinking, with a projected decline from nearly 89% in 2013 to 38.2% by 2025. This shift in market dynamics underscores the need for businesses to carefully consider their advertising strategies and adapt to the evolving social media landscape.
Average Cost Per Click
CPC is a critical factor in online advertising, representing the price you pay each time a user clicks on your ad. Understanding the average CPC for Google Ads and Facebook Ads can help you budget effectively and optimize your campaigns for maximum return on investment.
Google Ads
The average CPC for Google Ads can vary significantly based on several factors, including industry, ad network (Search or Display), targeting options, and ad quality. Across all industries, the average CPC for Search Ads is $2.69, while the average for Display Ads is $0.634. However, highly competitive industries like legal ($6.75) and consumer services ($6.40) tend to have higher CPCs. It's worth noting that small to medium businesses invest seven times more in PPC advertising than in SEO, indicating the perceived value and effectiveness of paid search campaigns.
To gauge the quality of your ads, Google uses a metric called Quality Score. This score considers factors like the relevance of your keywords and ad copy to the user's search query, as well as the landing page experience. A higher Quality Score can lead to lower costs and better ad positions, highlighting the importance of creating high-quality, relevant ads.

Facebook Ads
Facebook Ads generally have a lower average CPC compared to Google Ads. Sources report average CPCs ranging from $0.30 to a couple of dollars. However, similar to Google Ads, the actual CPC for Facebook Ads can vary significantly depending on factors like industry, campaign objective, targeting, relevance, and ad quality. For conversion objective campaigns, the average CPC on Facebook Ads can range from $0.42 to $3.897.
It's important to understand that Facebook bills advertisers based on two primary metrics: cost per click and cost per mille, also known as cost per 1,000 impressions. This means that you can choose to pay for clicks or for impressions, depending on your campaign objectives and budget.
Average Conversion Rate
Conversion rate, the percentage of users who complete a desired action after clicking on your ad, is a key indicator of ad campaign effectiveness. Both Google Ads and Facebook Ads offer tools and features to track and optimize conversion rates.
Google Ads
The average conversion rate for Google Search Ads is around 3.75%. However, this figure can vary significantly across different industries. For e-commerce businesses, the average conversion rate for Search Ads is 2.81%, while for Display Ads, it's 0.59%. The dating and personals industry boasts the highest conversion rate at 9.64%, while industries like e-commerce and technology have lower average conversion rates.

Facebook Ads
The average conversion rate for Facebook Ads across all industries is around 9.21%. Notably, 54% of surveyed marketers find Facebook Ads "very effective" for driving sales, indicating the platform's potential for generating conversions. Similar to Google Ads, industry plays a significant role in conversion rates on Facebook. Fitness (14.29%) and education (13.58%) have the highest conversion rates, while technology lags at 2.31%.

Targeting Options
Both Google Ads and Facebook Ads offer a wide array of targeting options to help you reach the most relevant audience for your campaigns. However, the nature of these targeting options differs significantly between the two platforms.
Google Ads
Google Ads excels in intent-based targeting, allowing you to reach users actively searching for specific keywords related to your products or services. You can target based on keywords, location, demographics (age, gender, parental status, household income), topics, and placements (specific websites or apps). Google Ads also offers advanced options like in-market audiences (users actively researching or considering products/services like yours) and remarketing (targeting users who have previously interacted with your website or app).
Google Display Network targeting allows you to refine your audience based on interests, age, and gender. You can choose from affinity audiences (broad interest groups), custom affinity audiences (narrower interest groups based on keywords and URLs), and in-market audiences (users actively looking to purchase products or services like yours).
Furthermore, Google Ads offers various audience targeting options, including:
Affinity audiences: Reaching people based on their passions and long-term interests.
In-market audiences: Targeting users actively researching or planning to purchase products or services like yours.
Custom audiences: Building new audience segments based on keywords, websites, or apps.
Remarketing audiences: Re-engaging with users who have previously interacted with your website, app, or YouTube channel.
Facebook Ads
Facebook Ads, on the other hand, focuses on demographic and interest-based targeting. You can target users based on their demographics, interests, behaviors, and connections. Facebook also offers custom audiences (targeting users based on your existing customer data) and lookalike audiences (finding new users similar to your existing customers).
Facebook allows advertisers to target or exclude users based on specific locations, age, and gender. You can refine your targeting further by using detailed targeting options, which include:
Demographics: Targeting users based on education, financial status, life events, and more.
Interests: Reaching users based on their interests in various categories, such as business, technology, entertainment, and hobbies.
Behaviors: Targeting users based on their purchase history, device usage, travel preferences, and more.
Ad Formats
Both platforms provide a variety of ad formats to cater to different campaign objectives and user preferences.
Google Ads
Google Ads offers various ad formats, including:
Text ads: Simple text-based ads that appear on search results pages. These ads are easy to create and manage, making them a cost-effective option for driving website traffic.
Responsive ads: Ads that automatically adjust their size and format to fit available ad spaces. These ads can appear as text or image ads and are designed to reach a wider audience across different devices and placements.
Image ads: Static or animated image ads that appear on websites and apps. These ads can be effective in capturing user attention and conveying your brand message visually.
App promotion ads: Ads designed to drive app downloads and engagement. These ads can appear on Google Search, Google Play, and other websites and apps that partner with Google.
Video ads: Video ads that can appear on YouTube and other websites. These ads offer a more engaging and immersive experience for users, allowing you to tell your brand story and showcase your products or services in a dynamic way.
Shopping ads: Ads that showcase product images, titles, and prices. These ads are ideal for e-commerce businesses looking to drive traffic to their product pages and generate sales.
Call-only ads: Ads that encourage users to call your business directly. These ads are effective for businesses that rely on phone calls for lead generation or customer service.
Facebook Ads
Facebook Ads offers a diverse range of ad formats, including:
Image ads: Single image ads with a headline, description, and call-to-action. These ads are simple yet effective in conveying your message and driving traffic to your website or landing page.
Video ads: Video ads that can appear in news feeds, stories, and in-stream placements. These ads offer a more engaging way to connect with your audience and tell your brand story.
Poll ads: Mobile-only ads that include a two-option poll. These ads can be effective in increasing user engagement and gathering feedback from your target audience.
Carousel ads: Ads that showcase up to 10 images or videos in a scrollable format. These ads are ideal for highlighting different products, features, or promotions.
Slideshow ads: Ads that create a video-like experience using a sequence of images. These ads are a cost-effective alternative to video ads and can be used to tell a story or showcase a product in a dynamic way.
Collection ads: Mobile-only ads that allow users to browse products within the Facebook app. These ads offer a seamless shopping experience for mobile users.
Instant Experience ads: Full-screen, mobile-optimized ads that load quickly and offer an immersive experience. These ads are ideal for showcasing your brand or product in a visually engaging way.
Lead ads: Mobile-first ads designed to capture user information. These ads are effective for lead generation campaigns, allowing users to easily submit their contact details without leaving the Facebook app.
Dynamic ads: Ads that automatically promote relevant products to users based on their interests and behavior. These ads are ideal for e-commerce businesses with a large product catalog.
Messenger ads: Ads that appear within the Facebook Messenger app. These ads can be used to initiate conversations with potential customers and provide personalized support.
Stories ads: Full-screen vertical video ads that appear in between user stories. These ads offer a more immersive and engaging experience for mobile users.
Bidding Strategies
Both Google Ads and Facebook Ads offer various bidding strategies to help you manage your ad spend and achieve your campaign objectives.
Google Ads
Google Ads provides several bidding strategies, including:
Manual bidding: You manually set your bids for each keyword or placement. This gives you more control over your ad spend, but it requires more time and expertise to manage effectively.
Automated bidding strategies: Google Ads offers automated bidding strategies that use machine learning to optimize your bids based on your campaign goals. Some popular automated strategies include:
Target CPA: This strategy aims to get you as many conversions as possible at or below your target cost per acquisition.
Maximize Conversions: This strategy automatically sets your bids to help you get the most conversions for your budget.
Maximize Clicks: This strategy focuses on getting you as many clicks as possible within your budget.
Target ROAS: This strategy helps you get the most conversion value for your budget by setting bids to achieve your target return on ad spend.
Facebook Ads
Facebook Ads also offers various bidding strategies, including:
Lowest cost: This strategy automatically sets your bids to get you the lowest cost results.
Bid cap: You set a maximum bid amount that you're willing to pay for each action.
Target cost: You set a target cost that you'd like to pay for each action, and Facebook will automatically adjust your bids to try and achieve that target.
Ad Quality and Relevance
In both Google Ads and Facebook Ads, ad quality and relevance play a crucial role in campaign success. High-quality, relevant ads are more likely to generate clicks, improve conversion rates, and lower your costs.
Google Ads
Google's Quality Score is a key indicator of ad quality and relevance. This score considers factors like the relevance of your keywords and ad copy to the user's search query, as well as the landing page experience. A higher Quality Score can lead to lower costs and better ad positions.
Facebook Ads
Facebook also emphasizes ad quality and relevance. Factors like ad relevance, engagement rate, and landing page experience can affect your ad's performance and cost. Creating ads that are relevant to your target audience and providing a positive user experience on your landing page can significantly improve your campaign results.
A/B Testing
A/B testing, also known as split testing, is a valuable technique for optimizing your ad campaigns in both Google Ads and Facebook Ads. By testing different ad variations, you can identify which elements resonate best with your audience and drive the best results.
Google Ads
Google Ads allows you to run A/B tests to compare different ad variations and identify the most effective elements. You can test different headlines, descriptions, calls-to-action, and images to see which combinations generate the most clicks and conversions.
Facebook Ads
Facebook Ads also offers A/B testing capabilities through its Ads Manager. You can test different ad creatives, headlines, descriptions, calls-to-action, and targeting options to optimize your campaigns for maximum performance.
Case Studies and Expert Opinions
Examining real-world examples and expert opinions can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of each platform.
Google Ads
Away Travel:

By focusing on capturing unbranded search traffic, Away Travel achieved a 4.3% click-through rate with their Google Ads campaigns, significantly exceeding industry benchmarks. This case study highlights the importance of targeting users who are actively searching for products or services like yours, even if they haven't specified a brand in their search query.
Glossier:

Glossier effectively structured their Google Ads campaigns by segmenting them into branded and non-branded campaigns, as well as acquisition and remarketing campaigns, to reach their target audience effectively. This case study demonstrates the value of a well-structured campaign that considers different user intents and stages in the buyer's journey.
Samsung:

Samsung leveraged Google Ads to promote their new Galaxy smartphone, creating over 400 ad variations tailored to more than 300 audience segments, resulting in a 2x increase in return on ad spend. This case study showcases the power of Google Ads in reaching a large and diverse audience with personalized messaging.
Expert Opinions on Google Ads
Google Ads Experts emphasize the importance of setting clear campaign goals, utilizing advanced targeting options, and optimizing campaigns for conversions. They recommend switching to Expert Mode in Google Ads to gain more control over campaigns, including setting bids, refining keywords, and customizing settings. Regularly analyzing the search terms report and Quality Score are crucial for optimizing Google Ads campaigns.
Experts also highlight the importance of aligning your campaign goals with the appropriate Google Ads campaign type. For example, if your goal is to drive phone calls to your business, you can use a "Call-only" campaign. If you want to increase visits to your physical store, you can use a "Local" campaign. And if you're looking to build brand awareness, you can use a "Video" campaign.
Facebook Ads
Noah Kagan:

By using Facebook Ads to drive traffic to his website and build his email list, Noah Kagan successfully promoted his courses and achieved a significant return on investment. This case study demonstrates the effectiveness of using Facebook Ads for lead generation and nurturing potential customers through email marketing.
Design Pickle:

Design Pickle utilized Facebook Ads retargeting to generate $5,800 in monthly recurring revenue by offering a free custom design to users who had previously interacted with their website. This case study highlights the power of retargeting in re-engaging with potential customers and driving conversions.
Seltzer Goods:

Seltzer Goods increased their ad spend during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a 9.68x ROAS and a 785% increase in monthly revenue. This case study showcases the potential of Facebook Ads in driving sales and achieving a high return on investment, even during challenging times.
Expert Opinions on Facebook Ads
Experts suggest starting Facebook ad campaigns with over-performing organic posts to maximize reach and engagement. Installing the Facebook Pixel is crucial for tracking conversions and implementing remarketing campaigns. Focusing on ROI and optimizing campaigns based on performance data is essential for success with Facebook Ads.
Experts also recommend using Facebook's Advantage+ placement tool, which uses machine learning to optimize ad delivery for maximum return on investment. This tool can help you reach the most relevant audience across different placements and devices, ensuring that your ad spend is used effectively.
Image Guidelines
Google Ads

Google Ads has specific image requirements for different ad formats. For responsive display ads, the recommended image size is 1200 x 628 pixels for landscape and 1200 x 1200 pixels for square images. It's crucial to use high-quality images that are relevant to your ad copy and landing page. Google Ads also supports dynamic image assets, which use machine learning to automatically select relevant images from your landing page.
Image extensions in Google Ads can increase click-through rates by making search ads more visually appealing. These extensions allow you to add images to your text ads, making them stand out on search engine results pages and capturing user attention.
Facebook Ads

Facebook Ads also has image guidelines to ensure optimal ad performance. The recommended image resolution is 1080 x 1080 pixels, with an aspect ratio of 1.91:1 to 1:136. It's best to use high-resolution images that capture your brand essence and showcase your product or service clearly. Avoid overcrowding the image with text, as ads with less than 20% text tend to perform better.
Experts recommend using images that look native to the Facebook platform to improve ad performance. This means using images that blend in with the organic content in users' news feeds, making them less likely to be perceived as ads and more likely to capture attention.

Synthesis and Conclusion
Choosing between Google Ads and Facebook Ads ultimately depends on your specific business goals, target audience, and advertising budget. Google Ads excels at reaching users actively searching for information or products, making it ideal for businesses with a strong online presence and a focus on driving website traffic and conversions. Facebook Ads, with its extensive targeting options and diverse ad formats, is better suited for businesses looking to build brand awareness, engage with their audience on a personal level, and drive conversions through social media.
One key difference between the two platforms lies in user intent. Google Ads targets users actively seeking something specific, while Facebook Ads targets users based on their interests and demographics. This distinction is crucial in determining which platform will be more effective for your specific campaign objectives.
It's also important to align your ad formats with your campaign objectives. For example, if your goal is to drive website traffic, text ads or responsive ads on Google Ads might be more effective. If your goal is to increase brand awareness, video ads or Stories ads on Facebook might be a better choice.
While broader targeting options can increase your reach, narrower targeting can improve your conversion rate by focusing on a more relevant audience. Finding the right balance between reach and targeting is crucial for maximizing your return on investment.
In many cases, the most effective approach may involve a combination of both platforms, leveraging the strengths of each to create a comprehensive online advertising strategy. By carefully considering the factors discussed in this article and analyzing your specific needs, you can make an informed decision and maximize your return on investment in online advertising.
To further enhance your online advertising strategy, consider exploring advanced features like Google's custom audiences and Facebook's lookalike audiences. These tools can help you refine your targeting and reach new potential customers who are most likely to be interested in your products or services.
By staying informed about the latest trends and best practices in online advertising, and by continuously testing and optimizing your campaigns, you can achieve your marketing goals and drive business growth in the digital age.
Choosing the right platform for your digital marketing strategy can be a complex decision. At Omni Media Consulting, we have a team of experts who can help you navigate the intricacies of Google Ads and Facebook Ads, develop a tailored strategy, and maximize your return on investment. Contact us today to learn how we can help you achieve your marketing goals and drive business growth.
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