With over 3.5 billion internet users worldwide, digital advertising has become extremely important for businesses looking to reach new audiences and drive sales. Two of the most popular paid advertising platforms are Google Ads and LinkedIn ads. But which one should you choose for your business?
Google Ads Overview
Google Ads (formerly known as Google AdWords) is Google’s advertising platform that allows businesses to display ads on Google and its network of partner websites. With Google Ads, you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. The cost per click (CPC) depends on factors like your keywords, niche, and quality score.
Some of the key benefits of Google Ads include:
- Massive reach – Over 90% of internet searches happen on Google.
- Targeting options – Target your ads by keyword, location, device, audience and more.
- Display Network – Show ads on over 2 million websites, videos and apps.
- Remarketing – Reach people who previously visited your site.
- Flexibility – Available on a pay-per-click model. Set daily budgets.
- Analytics – Track performance in real-time and optimize campaigns.
Google Ads is ideal for brands who want to get their ads in front of people when they are searching for products or services related to your business. It’s great for capturing intent-based searches.
LinkedIn Ads Overview
LinkedIn ads allow you to display sponsored content in LinkedIn’s feed and InMail. With over 722 million users, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional social network. LinkedIn advertising is ideal for targeting a professional audience.
Some of the key benefits of LinkedIn ads include:
- Targeted audience – Reach a professional audience in your industry.
- Audience targeting – Target by job title, company, skills, interests and more.
- InMail ads – Send targeted direct messages to your ideal customers.
- Nurturing ads – Stay top of mind with your prospects.
- Cost effective – Average CPC is often lower than other platforms.
- Lead gen forms – Generate and collect leads from LinkedIn.
LinkedIn advertising is ideal if you want to reach a B2B audience. You can target your ads to specific job titles, skills, companies and interests.
Key Differences
While both Google Ads and LinkedIn ads can be effective, there are some key differences between the two platforms:
| Factor | Google Ads | LinkedIn Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | General internet users | Professionals |
| Targeting | Keywords, placements, topics, demographics | Job title, company, skills, interests |
| Metrics | Impressions, clicks, CTR, conversions | Impressions, clicks, CTR, leads, conversations |
| Ad types | Text, display, video, discovery | Sponsored content, InMail, Text Ads |
| Pricing model | CPC (cost per click) | CPC or CPV (cost per view) |
In summary:
- Google Ads is better for targeting general consumers searching for products/services.
- LinkedIn Ads is more optimal for targeting professionals in your industry.
When to Use Google Ads
Here are some of the key situations when Google Ads would be more beneficial than LinkedIn ads:
- Driving website traffic – Google Ads makes it easy to drive targeted people to your website when they search for relevant terms. Just add your landing page URL and keyword to start driving traffic.
- Increasing brand awareness – Brand lift studies show Google Ads is highly effective for building brand awareness. The Google Display Network can help expose your brand to new audiences.
- Generating sales – Optimized Google Ads campaigns can help you generate a strong ROI and immediate online sales. You can analyze sales funnel metrics in your account.
- Reaching local customers – Target your ads by location radius to connect with nearby customers searching for businesses like yours.
- Remarketing – Remarket to people who already visited your website and remind them to come back. This helps turn site visitors into sales.
- Flexible budgeting – Google Ads budgets are highly flexible. Pay only when someone clicks your ad vs. paying by impression.
Google Ads is the better option if you want to reach people actively searching for your products or services across Google search, YouTube, Gmail and the Display Network.
When to Use LinkedIn Ads
Here are some scenarios where LinkedIn ads would be advantageous compared to Google Ads:
- B2B marketing – LinkedIn provides accurate targeting options to reach your ideal clients based on job role, skills, company and interests.
- Lead generation – LinkedIn makes it easy to generate and capture leads through ads and sponsored content. No landing page required.
- Thought leadership – Build authority by publishing long-form posts promoted through LinkedIn’s content marketing options.
- Employee recruitment – Target and reach passive candidates based on industry, experience, skills and other filters.
- Event promotion – Promote upcoming webinars, events and tradeshows to your target audience.
- Nurturing relationships – Build relationships with prospects by delivering consistent, relevant content over time.
LinkedIn advertising makes the most sense when you want to reach a professional audience to generate leads, nurture prospects and establish thought leadership.
Best Practices
To maximize the impact of your LinkedIn and Google Ads, keep these best practices in mind:
Keyword Research
Conduct thorough keyword research to identify high-intent search queries and optimize your account around them.
Audience Targeting
Leverage audience insights and demographics to target your ads to those most likely to convert.
Relevant Ad Copy
Ensure your ad copy speaks directly to your target audience and incites them to click.
Effective Landing Pages
Send traffic to landing pages designed specifically to convert your ad visitors into leads and sales.
A/B Testing
Continuously test different ad creatives, landing pages, keywords and placements to improve performance.
Metrics Analysis
Analyze key metrics like CTR, conversions, impressions and CPC regularly to find optimization opportunities.
The Verdict
Both Google Ads and LinkedIn ads are powerful options, so the best choice for your business depends on your specific goals and target audience. Quality score optimization and in-depth analytics are key to success on both platforms.
Google Ads tend to work better for bottom-of-the-funnel tactics like generating website traffic, conversions and local sales. LinkedIn’s accurate audience targeting makes it preferable for top-of-the-funnel goals like lead generation, thought leadership and brand building.
For the best results, consider using both platforms as part of a comprehensive digital marketing plan tailored to your business objectives and audience. With rigorous optimization, both networks can serve as valuable drivers of ROI and growth.
