Buying advertising space is nothing new. In fact, the first recorded ad placement dates back to 1752 in the Halifax Gazette. For over 250 years, businesses have invested heavily to capture consumers’ attention through newspapers, radio, television, and other communication channels. Before the digital era, it was very difficult to measure whether a newspaper ad […]
Buying advertising space is nothing new. In fact, the first recorded ad placement dates back to 1752 in the Halifax Gazette. For over 250 years, businesses have invested heavily to capture consumers’ attention through newspapers, radio, television, and other communication channels.
Before the digital era, it was very difficult to measure whether a newspaper ad was profitable. These channels are considered mass media—they’re costly and often reach people outside your target audience.
With the rise of search engines and social media came new models like pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and social media ads.
Each option has its own advantages. Here’s a breakdown of the differences between Google Ads and social media advertising—specifically Facebook Ads*.
*This article does not cover all digital advertising options.
Google’s advertising offering is divided into three main networks:
Search Network
Display Network
App ads (via Google AdMob)
You can also run ads on Gmail, YouTube, and Google Shopping.
Search ads appear when users look for a product or service. They’re identified by the “Ad” label in search results.
With CPC, you only pay when someone clicks on your ad.
You create campaigns using relevant keywords tied to your business and website content. An auction takes place between advertisers targeting the same keywords.
Your goal? Rank as high as possible in search results.
Google determines ad ranking based on:
Your bid
Keyword relevance
Ad quality
Landing page quality
Example:
If someone searches for “men’s clothing” but lands on a page selling women’s clothing, your relevance score drops—affecting both your quality score and ranking.
Used mainly for Display and YouTube ads.
You pay based on how many times your ad is shown (per 1,000 impressions).
This bidding strategy focuses on conversions.
You set a target cost per conversion, and Google optimizes your campaign to achieve it.
To use this effectively, you need to know your customer acquisition cost (CAC).
Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)
Maximize conversions
Maximize conversion value
Enhanced CPC (eCPC)
Maximize clicks
Target CPM (tCPM)
Viewable CPM (vCPM)
Display ads are visual and offer advanced targeting options. You can choose where your ads appear across websites to maximize effectiveness.
Google processes about 40,000 searches per second—that’s billions every day.
This gives you access to an enormous and ever-growing audience.
You can target users based on:
Age
Location
Gender
Interests
Many think budget is the key factor—but relevance matters more.
If users find exactly what they’re looking for after clicking your ad, Google rewards you with better rankings.
Google allows you to retarget users who:
Visited your website
Interacted with your ads
You can create personalized campaigns to increase conversion rates.
Need help with Google Ads? Let us help!
Facebook Ads launched in 2007, three years after Facebook itself. Today, it remains one of the most powerful advertising platforms thanks to its massive data ecosystem.
Despite changes like Apple’s iOS 14 update, Facebook Ads are still highly effective.
Unlike Google Ads—which capture intent (people actively searching)—Facebook Ads focus on discovery.
You don’t pay per click in the same way. Instead, you set a daily or total budget, and your ads generate impressions. Your job is to create compelling content that drives clicks.
Your ads can also appear across:
Messenger
Boosted posts are quick promotions of existing content—often used when a post performs well organically.
Ads Manager campaigns are more advanced and allow for:
Detailed targeting
Specific objectives
Full campaign control
Not all users are ready to buy.
Facebook allows you to tailor ads based on:
Awareness
Consideration
Conversion
Facebook’s data allows precise targeting based on:
Demographics
Psychographics
Interests
This results in highly personalized audiences and better performance.
Facebook offers a powerful tool called the Pixel.
How it works:
You launch a campaign
Users visit your website
The Pixel collects data
You build a custom audience
You retarget that audience
This means your future ads target people already interested in your product.
Ad costs on Google and Facebook have increased over time—and that’s normal.
As more businesses invest, competition rises.
That’s where smaller platforms can shine—especially for agile SMEs.
Relatively new, often with strong performance and lower acquisition costs.
Great for younger audiences and still underutilized by many businesses.
More niche, but can deliver excellent results in the right industries.
The key is always the same: know your audience and choose the right channel based on your goals.
Looking to get started with digital advertising? Duo can help—get in touch with us today!
Explorez notre blogue pour découvrir des conseils, des astuces et les dernières tendances et pratiques de la communication visuelle. Restez à jour!
Voir tous nos articles
Have a question in mind? We’ll be happy to answer all your inquiries as quickly as possible. Talk to you very soon!