Google Ads vs Facebook Ads: What’s Better for Your Business Goals?

Choosing between Google Ads vs Facebook Ads isn’t necessary if you know what you’re doing. Both of them have their own place in a good marketing campaign.

You’re actively tapping into intent with Google Ads (people who are searching for solutions). But Facebook Ads are best for general discovery and awareness; actually getting your name out there. Google can grab people who are ready to buy, whereas Facebook catches people who might be intrigued by your brand.

Throughout this article, we’ll explain the main differences (intent vs interest) of the two when it comes to:

• Targeting options
• Ad formats
• Costs
• Tracking
• Using both channels to meet your goals

The Core Difference Between Google Ads and Facebook Ads

Google Ads is mostly about “permission marketing,” which means showing ads to the people who actually asked for something. That doesn’t mean asking for your business in particular, but if they Google “best repair shop near me”, for example, Google puts your company at the top of the page in the promotions section.

Facebook (Meta) Ads use “interruption marketing.” They put ads in users’ social feeds based on their profiles and what they interact with most. If you regularly engage in soccer discourse on Facebook, you might get ads for soccer games/apps, for example.

Google’s massive search volume (almost 200,000 searches every second) means your ads appear when someone types in a query. In contrast, Facebook’s 3+ billion users allow ads to be displayed based on different demographics or interests.

Google’s approach helps you find customers who want what you offer, and that often drives direct conversions. Facebook Ads help you find customers by sparking interest in people who haven’t specifically searched for you.

Audience Targeting Capabilities Compared

Both platforms offer deep targeting, but in different ways. Google Ads focus on keywords and search intent. You bid on search terms (or show ads on relevant websites) to reach people actively looking for services like yours.

You can then layer on other demographics like location and language, plus Google’s in-market or affinity audiences.

Facebook Ads target people based on their profile data. You can pinpoint users by:

• Demographics
• Interests
• Behaviors

You can upload customer lists or use Custom Audiences to target people similar to your best customers (Lookalikes). For example, targeting people who follow specific pages or have certain life events (new parents, engaged) is straightforward on Meta.

In short: Google = searchers and their intent keywords. Facebook = people’s interests, demographics and social behaviors.

Ad Formats & Creative Freedom

These networks give you many different ad formats, but they’re not the same. 

Facebook Ad Types (Image, Video, Carousel, Reels, Instant Experience)

On Facebook and Instagram, you can choose from various formats that are as digestible as TikTok-style scrolling:

• Single Image Ads: Simple, one-photo ads. Easy to create for any business.
• Video Ads: Play in the feed or Stories. Great for storytelling or demos.
• Carousel Ads: Up to 10 images or videos that users can swipe through. Handy for showing multiple products or a step-by-step narrative.
• Reels Ads: Probably the best option because of how many people use Reels. They’re just short vertical videos in the Reels feed; just like TikTok.
• Instant Experience: A full-screen mobile experience that opens when someone taps your ad. You can combine images, videos, and buttons (like a mini-landing page) to grab attention.

Each of these formats is for different goals. Reels are usually best because of how native they look to other content on the app and how entertaining some of them can be. You don’t feel like you’re watching an ad.

Need engaging visuals and storytelling to make your Facebook ads stand out? Visit our design page for inspiration.

Google Ad Types (Search, Display, YouTube, Shopping)

Google Ads also supports multiple channels:

• Search Ads: Text ads that appear on Google’s search results. They match user queries directly (e.g., someone searching ”best eco-friendly yoga mat”).
• Display Ads: Visual banners or responsive ads that are shown on the Google Display Network (millions of websites and apps). Useful for things like remarketing or raising awareness.
• YouTube Video Ads: Videos on Google’s video platform. You can target by interests or keywords around related content.
• Shopping Ads: Highly visual ads for e-commerce products that show both the image and price right in search results.
• Other Formats: Google also offers Discovery ads (they show up in Gmail and Discover feds), and Location/Local Service ads if your business has a physical presence and isn’t solely online-based.

Google has some visuals (Display, Shopping, YouTube), but the most common Google Ads format is still just search ads. So that’s just plain text links.

Facebook Ads are explicitly designed for visual storytelling, so they’re generally more engaging than Google. The creativity with Google Ads ends at writing compelling headlines and extensions. It can’t compete visually.

Explore our Social Media Advertising services to ensure you’re getting the most out of social media.

Which Platform Offers More Flexibility for Creative Storytelling?

Facebook clearly wins the creative freedom contest. Its ad types, from Stories to Reels, give you a playground to tell stories or create engaging content.

Google’s platform is just inherently more constrained by intent. On Google Search you’re basically writing headline copy, though you can get more creative with Display and YouTube.

Costs & ROI: Which Platform Is More Budget-Friendly?

Generally, Facebook Ads are cheaper per click. But the higher-intent traffic part of Google Ads — how people are intentionally searching for a service or product like your business — means potentially higher ROI per conversion.

For example, recent data shows average CPC (cost-per-click) around $1.66 for Google Ads vs about $0.29 for Facebook Ads (median values). However, it depends on the industry: a legal services keyword on Google might cost $5+, while a travel ad on Facebook could be under $0.20.

And it’s also worth noting that Facebook ad costs have remained relatively flat since 2021, whereas Google’s costs have generally risen. Why? People are spending more time on Facebook (around 35 minutes per day on average) and doing fewer searches (only 3-4 Google queries per day). That could be a factor in relative cost.

Also, the ROI that you’ll get largely depends on your goals. You have lower costs on Facebook, so that means you can focus on cold leads and just getting your brand out there by any means possible for cheap.

Google has higher CPC, but it’s justified because of the whole immediate intent angle (searchers might convert faster, which means better ROI for sales campaigns).

We’d recommend tracking your Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) and Return On Ad Spend (ROAS) on both of these platforms. Accept that you’re probably going to spend a bit more per click on Google, but it should pay off in higher conversion rates. Then Facebook’s volume can fill the funnel cheaply.

Facebook generally wins on lower costs and cheap leads, but Google can deliver more qualified traffic that converts. So, the best approach is to adapt your budget based on your sales funnel and where you get better ROI.

Conversion Funnel Fit: Which Platform Matches Your Business Goals?

Google Ads and Facebook Ads play different roles in the marketing funnel. Google Ads excel at the bottom of the funnel because they catch users right before purchase.

That’s because your ad shows up exactly when someone is looking for a solution. If someone searches “best running shoes size 8,” and your ad appears with a special offer, conversion will likely be quick.

Facebook/Instagram Ads are most effective at the top and middle of the funnel. They target users who are not actively searching but could be persuaded by a compelling creative or promotion. That’s now your job to create that copy or content that tips them over the edge.

Match the platform to your goal:

• Awareness/Engagement: Facebook (good for brand building and lead generation offers).
• Consideration: Both can work (Facebook to build interest, Google retargeting or search for research intent).
• Direct Conversions: Google (especially if users know what they want, plus there’s Shopping campaigns for e-commerce).

You might run a Facebook video ad to an audience of athletes (awareness), then you can retarget those same viewers with Google Display or Search later.

Or a plumber might only need Google Ads (“emergency plumber near me”) since the need is immediate.

Performance Tracking & Attribution

It’s vital to track how you're doing on either platform to know which ads are working. Let’s compare how each platform lets you measure success.

Google Ads: Offline Conversions, GA4, Call Tracking

Google Ads has solid tracking tools. You can track:

• Online form submissions
• Sales
• App installs

And Google supports Offline Conversions, so if a lead comes in online but closes offline, you can simply import that data back into Google Ads so it’s all organized.

For example, if a customer fills out a quote form and then later buys in-store, syncing your CRM lets Google match that sale back to the ad click.

Phone Calls

Google Ads can count phone calls as conversions via Call Extensions or Call Tracking. You can attach a phone number directly in your search ad (Call Extension) and Google will log calls from it.

Or you could use a Google-forwarded phone number on your website (when someone clicks to call, it records details like call duration and area code). That’s generally more useful for service businesses, from dentists to local services.

Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

You can collate general website analytics and ad data when you integrate GA4 with Google Ads. GA4 is an analytics tool by Google, and you can use it to track a wide range of events (scrolls, video plays, etc.) and cross-device behavior.

Facebook Ads: Pixel, Events, Aggregated Event Measurement

Tracking this kind of data from Facebook Ads means using the Facebook Pixel (for web) and the Facebook SDK (for apps). These are tools that report when someone clicks on your ad and then takes action on your site (it could be just page views or actual purchases).

However, Apple’s iOS14 privacy changes limited how much data the Pixel can capture from iPhones. As a result, Facebook introduced Aggregated Event Measurement (AEM): you can only track up to 8 conversion events per domain on iOS now, and the data is aggregated (not individual user journeys).

Then they pushed its Conversions API (CAPI). This server-side integration means you can send conversion data (like completed purchases or CRM leads) directly from your server to Facebook.

Unlike the Pixel (browser-based), CAPI bypasses ad-blockers and privacy limits, which means better accuracy and privacy. And you can use the customer lists or CRM data with Facebook Custom Audiences.

Facebook’s tracking is definitely still powerful, but it’s a lot more restricted than it used to be. 

Which Platform Gives You Better Data Control?

Neither platform actually hands you the raw user data; it’s through aggregate metrics. Google’s main advantage here is tying ads into GA4, where you control your analytics property and can import various data (including offline).

Also, if you need fine-grained data for active campaigns, GA4 + Google Ads is generally transparent (given you have consent to track). Facebook’s advantage is its user data. This was previously very granular, but privacy rules now force more limits.

So, from a control standpoint, Google centralizes data in your Analytics and Ads accounts. That means you can customize tracking extensively.

Facebook still collects a lot of valuable user data, but it only shares limited conversion events with advertisers. That said, the Conversions API on Facebook means YOU (the advertiser) are in charge of what data gets sent to Meta, which is a more controlled setup for first-party data.

Assume there’s some tracking loss on both sides and plan accordingly: use GA4 and Google Ads offline imports on the Google side, and use Pixel + CAPI on Facebook.

Platform Strengths & Weaknesses Side-by-Side

Should You Combine Google Ads + Facebook Ads?

Absolutely. You should use each where it’s strongest.

For example, you might run Facebook campaigns to generate interest and top-of-funnel leads, then run Google campaigns to capture demand and convert those warmed-up users. That’s a feedback loop: use Facebook to spark interest, then retarget or capture with Google.

Synergy Across the Funnel

Think funnel strategy: Top of funnel could be Facebook (broad interest, engaging creatives, video views, email list sign-ups). Bottom of the funnel is Google (search ads, Shopping, local intent) to catch people who are actually ready to buy.

Split-Budget Strategies: 70/30, 50/50, or Campaign-Based

There are a few rules of thumb:

• 50/50 Split (or 60/40): A balanced approach. Good if you need both awareness and conversions equally.
• 70/30 (toward Google): If immediate ROI/sales is important to you (like a short sales cycle or established product), we’d suggest Google.
• 70/30 (toward Facebook): If the goal is brand-building or a new product launch, invest more in Facebook to warm up audiences.
• Campaign-Based: Sometimes allocate per-campaign rather than platform. For example, have separate budgets for “Awareness” vs “Conversion” campaigns across both networks, then you can optimize each.

You can start with small tests (e.g. $500 each channel for a month), then see how they’re doing. If Google leads to more sales per dollar, you can shift more budget there, or vice versa.

How to Set Up Cross-Channel Retargeting

Cross-channel retargeting means using the data from one platform to retarget on the other.

• Pixel-to-Audience: Add both Google and Facebook pixels on your site. Create Google remarketing lists (via Analytics or Ads) of visitors, then you can target them with Google Display or YouTube ads. Likewise, create Facebook Custom Audiences from pixel events (e.g. site visitors) to target on Facebook
• Shared Creatives: Show consistent messaging. If someone clicked your Facebook ad (top of funnel), retarget them on Google search with a search ad for a related product or discount.
• Sequential Ads: Show a Facebook video to a cold audience, then show a related Google Display or video ad, then finally a Search ad for best converters.
• Tools: Some businesses use tag managers or integration tools to share audiences across channels. For example, tracking leads from Facebook and automatically adding them to a Google Ads audience.

Factors to Consider Before Choosing

• Goals: Is it immediate sales or brand awareness? Google is often best for sales-focused goals. Facebook is better for awareness or early-stage leads.
• Budget: Smaller budgets may stretch further on Facebook (lower CPC), but Google might bring quicker ROI.
• Audience Behavior: Do your customers search for products (Google) or discover them socially (Facebook/Instagram)? If you know what demographics (like age and location) you’re targeting, you could favor one channel.
• Creative Resources: If you have strong visual content (videos, images), Facebook can showcase it better than Google. Google search might be better if you have persuasive ad copy and keyword strategies. You can explore our Talent Management services to elevate your ads with high-quality influencers.
• Sales Cycle: Quick purchase cycles (like retail) benefit from search, while longer B2B sales might use Facebook/LinkedIn for nurturing.
• Privacy/Tracking: Know that Facebook’s iOS tracking limitations might affect performance data. And then Google’s GA4 integration requires cookie consent.

Lastly, don’t forget SEO and Content. Paid ads work best when your organic presence is also strong. For businesses looking to boost organic traffic alongside ads, our SEO services page has tips on improving search rankings. And for expertly managed PPC, see our Paid Media services page for more on how we help clients optimize both Google and Facebook campaigns.