
Written by: Benjamin Paine
Managing Director at Digital Nomads HQ
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Facebook Ads vs. Google Ads: Which Should You Be Using?
Deciding between Facebook Ads and Google Ads comes down to which is best for your business, your target audience and your digital marketing strategy. It’s important to understand the pros and cons of using each platform, but it’s also important to realise that the two platforms are not competing with each other – you don’t have to pick just one.
In fact, you can benefit from both simultaneously. But that begins with understanding what each one offers and the needs of your business.
Understanding Google Ads
Overview of Google Ads
Key Features and Functionalities
Advantages of Google Ads
High Search Intent User Targeting
Extensive Reach Across Search Networks
Measurable Results and Analytics
As discussed when looking at understanding Google Ads, measurable results and analytics around core marketing KPIs is incredibly beneficial for marketers. The data provided is extensive and real-time, meaning performance metrics like impressions, clicks, conversions and ROI are all easy and accurate to track.
This opens the door to sustainable development and continuous improvement in your Google Ads marketing. Marketers can always be learning and achieving better results.
Disadvantages of Google Ads
Higher Competition and Bidding Costs: The bidding model of Google Ads and PPC inherently drives average costs up, particularly in competitive industries. This comes from the rising average cost of keywords, which can make it too expensive for smaller businesses trying to balance budget constraints and ROI in highly competitive keyword bidding environments.
Complexity in Campaign Management: The complexity of Google Ads strategies demands specialist knowledge. That forces expert management of this department , which can be financially restrictive for smaller businesses. Attempting to execute Google Ads campaigns without specialised PPC departments will likely lead to poor ROI, missed opportunities and sub-optimal results.
Understanding Facebook Ads
Overview of Facebook Ads
Key Features and Functionalities
Advantages of Facebook Ads
Advanced Audience Targeting Capabilities: Being able to target precise audience segments is one of the most beneficial features of Facebook Ads, allowing marketers to reach the most high-interest potential customers based on factors like gender, behaviours and location.
This creates a much better ROI than the more scattershot digital advertising approach of targeting broad audiences with content, reducing ad spend while improving conversion rates. When push comes to shove, that’s a more effective advertising strategy.
Visual Content Engagement: Users are more likely to engage with visual content, which is a particularly high percentage of Facebook and Instagram content. This provides active users with the opportunity to really stand out by creating outstanding content with strong visual elements.
Effective Brand Building and Community Interaction: Building brand persona is perhaps the best use of Meta marketing. Social media marketing is a great way to increase brand awareness and brand reach while building and fostering genuine relationships with the target audience. Likes, comments and shares all boost reach and interaction, which feeds increases in brand engagement and even an emotional connection with potential customers.
Leveraging the targeted ads to offer content that gives users value without asking for sales in return is an effective long-term brand building strategy.
Disadvantages of Facebook Ads
Lower Intent User Targeting
Potential Ad Fatigue Among Users
The Right Advertising Option for Your Business Objectives
Assessing Business Goals and Campaign Goals: This is the first and, arguably, most important factor to consider when deciding on Google Ads vs Facebook Ads for your advertising efforts and marketing goals.
Do you want to capture high user intent search traffic for direct conversions?
Then Google Ads is your friend. Do you want to build brand awareness, reputation and engagement?
Then Facebook Ads is the way to go.
Evaluating Advertising Budget and Resources:Resources and budget are also critical to deciding your marketing platform. Google Ads are generally more expensive in the PPC model, meaning they’re better suited to higher-budget companies and campaigns. Meanwhile, Facebook Ads and general Meta marketing is more affordable on a cost-per-click and cost-per-impression basis.
It’s worth noting that the complex nature of Google Ads demands precise keyword management from a team of experts, which can be more expensive as an investment in your marketing. On the other hand, Facebook Ads (along with all social media advertising efforts) need additional investment in keeping content fresh to minimise risk of ad fatigue.
Case Studies: When to Leverage Each Platform
Google Ads: Understanding when is the best time to utilise each digital marketing option and how to optimise your strategy for each is a critical skill for marketers. As you can see in the case study for Symmetry Orthodontics, the right strategy can enable targeted advertising in a cost-effective Google Ads solution.
Google Ads proved to be the most appropriate option for a business targeting consumers with very specific needs which would be mirrored in their search intent.
There’s no hiding just how complex the strategy needs to be in order to achieve such strong results, but it’s important to remember that execution is equally crucial in a results-driven Google Ads campaign.
Facebook Ads: Moving over to Facebook Ads, you can see in the case study for Junction Moama that local engagement was a critical part of the strategy. Therefore, Meta marketing became the clear choice for enhancing brand presence in order to drive reservations in the long run.
Our decision on the platform and strategy of this campaign was informed by the unique, specific needs of the business. As a restaurant – particularly one with a major selling point being their picturesque location – local marketing clearly makes more sense, since only people within a certain distance of the restaurant will make reservations.
Factors like this might sound straightforward, but they can often be overlooked in the decision-making process when marketing isn’t executed by experts.
Leveraging Both Platforms
Conclusion: Making an Informed Decision
Rather than deciding between Google Ads vs Facebook Ads, combining both platforms gives marketers optimal results.
However, we know that it isn’t always viable or affordable to have an in-house dedicated Google Ads marketing team or to commit a large portion of their limited budget for advertising efforts to Facebook Ads.
That’s why leaning on the specialist resources of a digital marketing agency like Digital Nomads HQ for outstanding advertising services can be invaluable for a business like yours.
As the winner of the Business Services award in the Large Business category of the Sunshine Coast Business Awards 2024, we believe that no agency offers better digital marketing services than DNHQ.
In fact, we have an entire team of experts dedicated to Google Ads and PPC as well as a team for Facebook Ads and Meta marketing.
Feel free to get in touch and find out what we can do for your business. We’ll always be happy to help!

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