If you are looking to build your online presence, you might be wondering… Where should I put my marketing budget? When it comes to PPC (pay-per-click) advertising strategy, then Google Ads seems like the obvious choice, right? But what about other options such as Yelp Advertising? Well, we’re here to help answer the debate: Google Ads vs. Yelp Ads.

In all honesty, it just depends how much you’re willing to pay, what your goals are (both long-term and short-term), and most importantly, what your needs are?

Everything Google Ads

Google Ads allows advertisers and businesses to reach customers who would potentially be interested in the service or products they have to offer. As we mentioned before, Google Ads is a PPC advertising solution, which means that the advertiser is only paid when a web user clicks on one of your ads and visits your website.

There are two Google Ads features that you should know about as they are one of the most important things you should know about Google Ads. They are called “advertising channels.”

  • Google Search Network – This is the most popular way to advertise with Google. With this channel, advertisers can target search keywords or phrases, that way, when consumers search for these specific words, ads are shown along with the organic search results. Basically, you are advertising to people who are actively searching for the service or product your business provides. This means it is highly effective.
  • Google Display Network– Google partnered with more than 2 million websites so that businesses can advertise to potential consumers as they surf the web. This is what they call “display ads.” With this feature, you can advertise on specific sites, or you can target users based on their browsing habits, interests, preferences, and more. The choice is yours, but you have the option to go the PPC route, or you can pay for every 1,000 impressions, which means how many people saw your ad.

Everything Yelp Ads

If you have ever looked up where to eat or any other business, you have probably seen their yelp page. The first thing you’ll probably do is read their reviews, and statistics show that consumers will trust those reviews as if it was said from someone they know. See, Yelp can benefit local and small businesses, but it is only ideal for companies that are based in the U.S. since most of its traffic comes from the U.S. So you might be wondering how is Google Ads and Yelp Ads even a debate? Well, because its users have a higher intent to buy, which means the likelihood of a consumer buying your product or service is relatively high.

Here are some quick statistics:

  • 82% of Yelp users buy a product or service when visiting a company’s site.
  • 51% of users make $100,000 or more
  • 69% of its user are Gen X and Millennials
  • It is the 40th most popular website in the U.S. and the 180th most popular in the world

The Pros and Cons Between the Two

Google Ad Pros

  • Quick setup
  • Market share domination
  • Effectively target engaged customers
  • Focus on local business
  • Flexible budgeting
  • Measurable result tools

Google Ad Cons

  • Might be hard to learn if you’re not an expert
  • Not every click is a guaranteed conversion
  • It’s very competitive
  • The more competitive (depending on the industry you’re in) the high the cost-per-click
  • Optimization is a MUST

Yelp Ad Pros

  • Good traffic
  • Your business pops up on your competitors’ page as well
  • High mobile presence
  • Location targeted advertising

Yelp Ad Cons

  • High starting advertising cost
  • Can’t target keywords
  • Not much tracking and reporting result tools

If You Had to Choose

After reading this article, the choice is obvious… Google Ads is the best value for your advertising budget. It’s PPC platform alone is enough to convince you, as it is well worth your time and money in the long run.

Of course, understanding the ins and outs of Google Ads or Yelp Ads can be complicated for someone who doesn’t have much experience in marketing. But don’t worry, if you are looking to expand your marketing plan, let our experts help you! Contact Fotex Labs or call us at 858-228-7697.