Today we compare Facebook Ads cost vs Google Ads cost to help you decide which option is best for your business.

At Relevantly, we have over 15 years of marketing experience and have worked with both Google Ads and Facebook Ads over the years.

In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at both advertising options, what to expect when it comes to price, and how you can choose the right one.

Let’s dive in!

Facebook Ads Cost vs Google Ads Cost

Both Facebook and Google are pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platforms. Pay-per-click means that you only pay for the clicks that your advertisement gets.

As both Facebook ads and Google ads are PPC advertising, running an ineffective ad on either platform can be a waste of money.

Even a poorly designed ad will still generate clicks - but that doesn’t mean it will generate leads.

An ineffective ad will get clicks but no sales (or conversions). You don’t want to pay for views - you want to pay for conversions!

That’s why it’s so important to ensure you know what you are doing before you spend money on your ads - or work with professionals who understand more than just the basics.

In short, both Google ads and Facebook ads can help you get more sales and increase traffic to your website.

When it comes to Facebook advertising cost vs Google ads cost, There is no ‘perfect’ advertising option, as your specific goals, target audience, and product or service will impact how much you pay per ad on either platform.

Still, we can look at the average numbers to help you get a sense of which platform may be best for you!

Facebook Ads vs Google Ads

On average, Facebook ads ($1.72 average CPC) cost $0.97 less per click when compared to Google ads ($2.69 average CPC).

However, CPC is not the only thing that matters! After all, the reason we run ads is to increase sales and traffic.

Because of that, click-through rate (the percentage of people who click an ad) and conversion rate (the number of people who “convert” - they contact you, buy something from you, or complete another “goal” you set) are important metrics to look at as well.

So, when we take a look at this information, we see that Facebook has a lower CPC and a much higher average click-through rate, but Google does outperform Facebook when it comes to click-through rate.

This may be due to the fact that when people are on Google, they are looking for a specific thing related to the keyword they typed into the search bar.

On Facebook, many users are not necessarily looking to shop, as it is primarily a social network.

Although at first glance it might seem that Facebook ads always are the best choice, that isn’t necessarily true. Both Google ads and Facebook ads have their place!

Why Choose Facebook Ads

Top Pros

Cost effective, full control over your budget
Easy to build brand awareness
Excellent targeting capabilities
Variety of ad types (video, carousel, image, etc)
Can appear on desktop and mobile Facebook app, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger

Top Cons

Lower intent to purchase (most users are not on Facebook to shop)
Ads set-up can be confusing
With so many users, narrowing down a target audience can be difficult

Facebook Ads are an excellent choice if your main goal is to increase brand recognition, drive traffic to your website, and gain more conversions.

Remember, most people are not on Facebook to shop, which is likely the reason why Facebook ads have a lower CTR than Google ads.

However, Facebook ads are still an extremely effective advertising technique. Take a look at the results from an actual ad we ran:

With a budget of just $200.00, our ad reached nearly 30,000 people and resulted in 2,677 landing page views on the target web page!

Facebook ads also have a fairly high conversion rate, with 9.21% being the average.

This is an important metric to keep in mind - how much is a conversion worth to you?

If you ran an ad for $100.00, and a single conversion was worth $200.00, then you would only need to get one conversion from your ad to have a 100% return on investment (ROI)!

Facebook Ads Are Best For Increasing Brand Awareness

If you are starting a new business or just starting to get your name out there, Facebook ads are your best choice. You can reach thousands of potential customers in your area for less than $100.00.

With Facebook ads, It’s easy to get your name out there, target the right potential customers, and increase traffic to your website.

Why Choose Google Ads

Top Pros

Users are ready to shop/find a particular service or product
Users are already in the purchasing mind frame so you don’t have to convince them to buy
Ideal for services like home improvement, plumbing or electrical, real estate, etc.
No need for design or video skills - Google ads just require written copy

Top Cons

Cost more on average than Facebook ads
Complicated user interface, not for beginners
Many people skip paid advertisements entirely and go right to organic search results when viewing the search engine results page (SERP)

Google ads are a great choice for your business if you know you want to advertise a very specific product or service, and you know that people may be searching for a very specific keyword.

For example, if you are a plumbing company, it would be easy to advertise your business for a search keyword such as “Plumbing services in Kitchener” or “Plumbers Waterloo.”

Although Google ads can be an effective form of advertising, it’s important to keep in mind that some users choose to skip Google ads altogether and instead, favour organic (non-paid) results.

One study that looked at where users focused on search results found that organic ads were viewed 100% of the time, while the top result paid ads were viewed 91% of the time.

Although 91% of the time is still quite high, it’s important to remember that organic results almost always perform better than paid ads on Google.

google ads are best for businesses advertising a ‘searchable’ product or service

Facebook ads often rely on click-worthy images or intriguing headlines, but Google Ads are straight to the point, because they are for users who are already searching to buy a product or invest in a service.

If you have a ‘searchable’ product or service that you know many people in your service area will be looking for on Google, then paid Google ads may be a great choice for you.

facebook ads cost vs google ads cost: which is right for me?

If you are looking at the average cost alone, Facebook ads give you more bang for your buck.

However, both types of advertisements have their place, and depending on your business, one platform may work better than another.

In general, all businesses will benefit from Facebook advertising in some capacity, while only particular types of businesses will find a good ROI through Google ads.

There are a number of benefits to creating Facebook ads, including creating greater brand awareness, the ability to easily interact with your customers (through facebook comments or Facebook Messenger), drive lots of traffic to your website, and pique interest in your products or services.

In order to create an effective Facebook marketing strategy and ensure your advertising dollars are not wasted, it’s best to work with a Facebook advertising company!

When you work with the professionals, they can ensure that your ads are attractive, well-written, and optimized to reach your perfect target audience.