How Local Businesses Can Grow Revenue Using Google and Facebook Ads Together
A frequent question that we often get from our partners is if Google Ads are better than Facebook Ads and vice versa. The truth is that small business stakeholders and marketers should not view these two as competing forces but rather as effective complementary advertising tactics. In this piece, we'll give a quick summary of what Google and Facebook Ads and then breakdown a few ways the tools can work together to maximize your paid media investment.
Overview of Google Ads
Google Ads run on Google search engine and their partner websites through Google's Search Partners or Display Network. Often referred to as paid search, Google Ads use the pay-per-click pricing model where advertisers pay each time a prospect clicks on their ads.
The Google system essentially works with an advertiser targeting keywords from user search queries with your ad's intent appearing when someone searches the keywords. This means that Google Ads show to customers and prospects who have high intent of purchasing your product or service. One can look at Google Ads as outbound marketing, where we are using the platform to help us find potential customers.
Overview of Facebook Ads
Facebook Ads run in many placement areas on Facebook and Instagram and on websites that are part of the Facebook Audience Network. Facebook's auditioning system is a bit different from Google, where advertisers deal with pay-to-play type models. Targeting is based on interest and behavior rather than keyword or search query. The other significant difference from Google is that Facebook advertising is a discovery channel, which means we help potential customers find out about the brand, service, or product based on their interest and behavior.
Bringing Google and Facebook Ads Together
The best way to bring Google and Facebook Ads together is by running them in tandem. Because of the high intent nature of Google and the brand awareness nature of Facebook, you'll likely want to put more of the combined budget into Google. The allocation distribution will vary depending on competition, location, and industry.
Facebook Ads Increase Brand Searches on Google
The paid media tandem's primary way to work together is by increasing prospect search queries for your brand. For example, a prospect that may have never heard of your brand may need a service and is intrigued by your ads but needs more information. In many cases, one of their next steps in the buyer journey is to conduct a search on your brand in which your Google Ads is likely to appear to convert a sale potentially. According to WordStream research, advertising on Facebook leads to a 34% increase in brand searches on Google.
Google Ads Give Facebook Ads Copy and Targeting Inspiration
We've seen how Facebook helps Google Ads out, but how does Google pay the favor to Facebook? There are a couple of ways. One method is to look at which keywords and ads have the highest conversions in Google and test those keywords and ad copy as in the headline of a Facebook Ad.
Another method that is a bit more complex is to create a lookalike audience based on the Google Ads audiences that have converted. To execute this tactic effectively, you'll need to have consistent UTM parameters and have at least 500 - 1,000 conversions from your Google Ads audience.
Google and Facebook Ads Improve ROI and Customer Data
Now that you know that you don't have to choose between Google and Facebook Ads, but should use them in tandem as part of your marketing mix, you're one step closer to better data on customer and improved ROI in the long run. As Peter F. Drucker said, "The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him/her and sells itself."
If you're interested in learning how AdMax Local might help your business succeed with paid media, schedule a free consultation with us today!
Posted On : 22-02-2021
Author : Patrick Dean Hodgson
