If you’ve found yourself asking this question then you’ve come to the right place. While it may seem simple enough to answer, there are a lot of intricacies that you should know first. The two platforms are often compared, which is no surprise considering they’re both under the Google umbrella. With one being the direct competitor of the other, it’s important for you as an advertiser to understand how both platforms operate.
What’s the difference between Google Ads and Google Shopping?
Google Shopping and Google Ads (formerly known as Google AdWords) are 2 different products under the same Google umbrella. Both products allow you to promote your product to customers through paid advertisements. Although they both advertise on Google, they serve slightly different functions and target slightly different customer bases.The major difference between the two is that Shopping ads appear when a customer is specifically searching for a product or service, while Adwords appear when a customer is casually browsing through unrelated content. Because of this, when someone searches for a product using Google Shopping, they have been exposed to either your search engine optimisation efforts or your display advertising efforts.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Google Ads appear beside relevant content in search results pages and on partner sites in the Google Display Network. You’ll also have access to advanced targeting options, such as remarketing lists and demographic information.
Google Shopping appears when people do specific online searches related to your products. You can bid on keywords for items that match your products. The cost per click (CPC) for shopping ads generally tends to be lower than Adwords’.
In addition to these differences, there are also a few similarities between the two products:You can control how much you would like to spend per day and also adjust the CPC which affects your positioning of where you will appear on Google’s listing.
So which one is for you?
Google Shopping is better for product listing ads.
Google Ads are better for paid search keywords.
Google Shopping is great if you’re an online retailer with lots of product inventory to sell, but it’s not so great if you’re a small business owner running an online store with only a handful of products. Or maybe you’re not in business yet? You may have some products you’d like to sell in the future. That’s where Google Shopping ads come in handy. They allow you to set up your ads in advance so when you’re ready to start selling, all you have to do is turn them on.
Google Ads is a more viable solution if you sell higher-cost items or services. It also lets you target potential customers based on their demographics and interests. You can focus on places where your ideal customer lives and works, down to the Post code level, which lets you target specific markets and locations.
If you require assistance in initial setup or management of your Google Shopping or Google Ads account please Contact Us.