YouTube Ads vs. Google Ads is a question we get asked often. Businesses looking to get the best return for their investment (ROAS) and commit to a platform they can springboard from.
Answering these questions isn’t as easy as it sounds, as both platforms offer many advantages and they both contain nuances you should be aware of.
YouTube Ads vs. Google Ads: Alphabet Kingdom
If you are looking for the best way to advertise your business online, you might be wondering whether you should use YouTube Ads vs. Google Ads. Both platforms are owned by Google (Alphabet) and offer powerful features to reach your target audience with the right offer. But which one is better for your goals and budget? In this article, we will compare YouTube Ads and Google Ads in terms of their pros and cons, and help you decide which one is right for you.
What are YouTube Ads and Google Ads?
First let’s define what are YouTube Ads and Google Ads, and how they play a major role in the advertising industry as a whole.
What are YouTube Ads?
YouTube Ads are video ads that appear on YouTube, the world’s largest video-sharing platform. You can create different types of video ads, such as skippable in-stream ads, non-skippable in-stream ads, video discovery ads, bumper ads, and out-stream ads. You can also use YouTube’s advanced targeting options to show your ads to people based on their demographics, placements, searcher intent interests, behaviors, keywords, topics, channels, and remarketing lists.
What are Google Ads?
Google Ads are text or image ads that appear on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs) or on websites that are part of the Google Display Network (GDN). You can create different types of Google Ads, such as search ads, display ads, shopping ads, call ads, image ads, app ads, and smart campaigns. You can also use Google’s sophisticated bidding strategies and optimization tools to maximize your return on ad spend (ROAS).
What are the pros and cons of YouTube Ads and Google Ads?
Both YouTube Ads and Google Ads have their advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of the main ones:
YouTube Ads Pros
Low cost: The main difference between YouTube Ads and Google Ads is the cost. It only costs a couple of cents (CPC: $0.50 - $1)to get your video seen while you can spend upwards of $50 for a single click from a traditional Google PPC campaign.
High reach: YouTube has over 2 billion monthly active users who watch over a billion hours of video every day. You can reach an expanded audience with your video ads and build brand awareness or top of the funnel activities.
High engagement: Video is one of the most engaging forms of content online. People tend to watch videos longer than they read text or look at images. You can use video to capture attention, tell stories, demonstrate value, and persuade action.
High conversion: Video can also drive more conversions than other types of ads. According to a study by Wyzowl, 84% of people say that they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video.
YouTube Ads Cons
High production: Creating high-quality video ads can be challenging and expensive. You need to have the right equipment, skills, script, editing software, and talent to produce engaging videos that match your brand and message.
High competition: YouTube is also a highly competitive platform for advertisers. There are millions of videos uploaded every day and thousands of advertisers vying for attention. You need to have a clear strategy, a compelling offer, and a strong call to action to stand out from the crowd.
Low intent: YouTube users are not necessarily looking for your products or services when they watch videos. They might be browsing for entertainment, education, or inspiration. You need to catch their interest and convince them to take action.
Also being a video-based platform, videos help to convey in a handful of seconds the message that you want to give, creating an emotional connection.
Google Ads Pros
High intent: Google users are actively searching for your products or services when they see your ads. They have a clear problem or need that they want to solve or fulfill. You can target them with relevant keywords and show them how you can help them.
High control: Google gives you a lot of control over your ads. You can choose where, when, how often, and to whom your ads appear. You can also set your budget, bids, goals, and metrics to measure your performance.
High variety: Google offers a variety of ad formats and networks to suit your objectives. You can use text ads for direct-response marketing, display ads for brand awareness, shopping ads for e-commerce sales, video ads for engagement, app ads for downloads, and smart campaigns for simplicity.
Google Ads Cons
High cost: Google Ads can be very expensive depending on your industry, competition, location, and quality score. Some keywords can cost you hundreds of dollars per click1. You need to have a high conversion rate and a high customer lifetime value to make a profit.
High complexity: Google Ads can also be very complex and time-consuming to manage. You need to have a deep understanding of the Google Ads interface, the bidding strategies, the optimization tools, and the analytics. You also need to constantly monitor, test, and adjust your campaigns to improve your results.
High ad blindness: Google users are exposed to a lot of ads every day. They might ignore or skip your ads if they don’t find them relevant, attractive, or trustworthy. You need a catchy headline, a clear value proposition, and a strong call to action to get them to click.
How to choose between YouTube Ads and Google Ads?
The answer is: that it depends. LOL. The first 2 questions you should ask is:
- Am I comfortable creating video content?
- Do I want to build my YouTube presence and is this part of a bigger strategy?
When considering YouTube Ads and Google Ads you also need to understand your lead gen or conversion goals, your budget, your industry, your audience, and your offer. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for online advertising. You need to consider the pros and cons of each platform and find the best fit for your situation.
However, you can use the following guidelines:
- Use YouTube Ads if you want to reach a large audience with video content, build brand awareness, generate engagement, and drive leads at a low cost.
- Use Google Ads if you want to target customers who are actively searching for your products or services, generate direct-response leads or sales, and have more control and variety over your campaigns.
As we mentioned in the beginning, YouTube Ads and Google Ads should not be seen in opposition to one another. Nearly every time we run a YouTube Ad, we are running Google Ads at the same time. They can complement each other and help you achieve different objectives at different customer journey stages.
The best way to find out which one works better for you is to test them both and compare their results. You can use tools like Google Analytics, Google Data Studio, or Google Optimize to track and analyze your data and optimize your campaigns accordingly.
About Yugo Media
We hope this article has helped you understand the differences between YouTube Ads and Google Ads and how to choose the best one for your business. If you need more help with creating and managing your online advertising campaigns, you can contact us at Yugo Media. We are a digital marketing agency specializing in YouTube Ads and Google Ads for businesses of all sizes and industries.
We can help you create engaging video ads, optimize your keywords and bids, measure your ROAS, and scale your growth.
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