Do Facebook Ads Make Google Adwords Obsolete

Of the two channels, Facebook ads seems to get much more press than Google Adwords. You often hear of DTC companies and startups built off the back of Facebook ads. You rarely hear founders bragging about their innovative Google Adwords search ads and how this launched them to the top. Does this mean Google Adwords is unnecessary? Any real expert PPC consultant would say no.

I’ll lay out reasons here why you commonly hear Facebook launching businesses to new heights and why Google Adwords tends to get overlooked. Either way, it’s best to use both channels, and even as a top Google Adwords agency, we always recommend leveraging Facebook.

A PPC Consultants Take on Facebook Ads  

1. Early on Facebook was in a State of Arbitrage

When Facebook first started launching ads in 2007, the placement was cheap. You could get tons of inexpensive, targeted traffic to your site. This is how many startups and DTC brands got many early customers. Because there were not many advertisers using Facebook, impressions were cheap. But there were still millions of users.

Now in 2021, the competition is fierce. Not only are there small businesses and websites, but the big dogs have entered the game. The largest advertisers on Facebook are all large well-known brands. Top advertisers include Disney, Procter & Gamble, Home Depot, and Walmart. And as more big brands come, Facebook is getting less and less welcoming to startups and SMBs. This  year’s wave of bans starts to show the writing on the wall. With the arbitrage window closed, small businesses, startups, and new brands will have to get more creative and find other channels.

2. Saturation and Rising CPCs

With this increased competition, the CPCs and CPMs on Facebook have risen significantly. Unlike Google Adwords or YouTube, where the number of ads increases with an increase in searches, Facebook has a limited number of ad placements. There are only so many placements on each user’s news feed to show and ad. Since the traffic is more expensive, it becomes much more challenging to allocate your budget appropriately. As a Google Adwords management agency, we recognize the limitations Facebook can have.

3. Facebook Fatigue

Many users are simply becoming tired of Facebook and using the service less and less. This is especially true for younger demographics. With this is less opportunity to advertise to them on Facebook. Almost all PPC consultants believe Facebook is here to stay and will be a staple for a long time. It is not the only player now. Even with the acquisition of Instagram, younger users are flocking to other Apps like Tiktok and will continue to do so.

4. Facebook’s Shortcomings

Facebook is making it harder and harder to advertise for a small business owner. Unless you are spending a ton there a month, you won’t be able to get a hold of a customer service rep. The rules are becoming more strict, and it seems like the norm to get your account banned once every few months. We’ve run into this problem multiple times. But as an experienced Google Adwords Management Agency, we’ve rarely had this problem occur on Google

Facebook Recommendations as a Google Adwords Management Agency

As a PPC consultant, I believe Facebook is a great advertising platform. But it is becoming a bit more challenging. For this reason, Google Adwords remains the platform that every SMB  must be on. We believe Facebook ads can be great for some businesses, and most should allocate a budget for remarketing. But if you do not have your Google Adwords strategy in place, it will be tough to rely solely on Facebook Ads.