Google Ads vs. AdSense: What’s the Difference and Which One Should You Use?

With over 150,000 Google Ads sales occurring every second, according to sites like USA Today, they are both among the fastest-selling and highly desired commodities in the business world. However, that is not the only way to leverage Google's services to get your product or service in front of potential customers' eyes. With Google AdSense also in the wild, how do you know which you should use between Google Ads vs AdSense and why?

Discover which one is best for different situations and how:

• Google Ads drives specific actions and conversions
• AdSense can turn your content into income

Below, we offer guidance on creating a campaign, including the content you need to make and what you can get from both services. Then, stick around to discover how to leverage the differences in Google advertising methods for the best ROI on your efforts.

The Basics of Google Ads vs AdSense

While these systems are both a part of the Google ecosystem, they have very different purposes. They both involve adverts, but in some ways, one could describe them as two sides of the same spectrum, each of which is useful for you when aiming for greater income online.

Google Ads is an advertising platform.As such, it is a location where businesses like yours can bid on specific keywords, then, when the bid wins, they can display ads in areas such as search results or Google's collection of over two million websites it calls the "Display Network".

Campaigns using Google Ads require that you find and manually target a series of specific concepts, such as:

• Keywords
• Demographics
• Locations

Your ads are then promoted to those groups you select, helping you discover customers or leads among those who are most likely to resonate with what you have to offer.

AdSense, conversely, is a publisher program. Instead of pushing ads out, you can use the system to embed ads into your own content, earning revenue when visitors either view or click on ads on your website. In this situation, you are earning, with advertisers setting daily budgets that you will receive a portion of.

In general, small businesses leverage Google Ads to push people to perform specific actions, such as:

• Contacting them
• Making online bookings
• Visiting a website
• Subscribing to a newsletter

On AdSense, the system will automatically crawl your website to determine the most likely demographics and interests of those visiting your content.It will then ensure that the ads you receive match that group. As more people visit your site and potentially click on these ads, you will earn passive income based on the ad's performance.

Google Advertising Comparison for Differing Roles

When using digital advertising platforms like Google Ads, as your business is the one being advertised, you are the one who will be:

• Creating ad copy
• Selecting visuals
• Designating what the ad does when clicked
• Choosing when to display the ad

You then choose how you will fund the campaign and by how much.

On AdSense, others are the ones who create the data, meaning you have less control over it. However, you can ensure that Google does not display ads based on specific content.

You should note that it is possible to leverage both of these services at the same time for maximum impact. You may drive traffic to your site with Google Ads while hosting AdSense ads to monetize that same audience and recoup some of your costs.

Choosing Between Google Ads and AdSense

Each of these services is likely to be a better choice for companies aiming for different sources of income. Ensure you assess your site's goals and what you intend to use each for before pulling the trigger.

Google Ads' Offering

Posting promotions on Google Ads makes much more sense if your priority is generating new leads. You can drive potential customers or sales, rather than bringing in only ad revenue. As such, use Google Ads if you have a clear conversion funnel, especially if you have already tested and refined it so that it is likely to work, as your ads can then bring in new users who are more likely to convert.

If your budget can support ongoing campaign testing and optimization, then you may also want to use Google Ads to increase your visibility online, regardless of whether you have a defined conversion system.

You can also use Google Ads to gather more data about how people perceive your site. With the platform, you get a lot of information back on things like:

• Cost-per-acquisition
• ROI
• Audience demographics
• User click time

You can even do this for your competitor in many cases.

This data can help you better understand how people perceive your brand and whether your hypotheses about your target audiences are correct. It may lead to adjusting your promotion efforts or pivoting the product or service itself. 

Alternatively, you can use it to promote a limited-time offerif you already have a strong following. That way, it can appear more exclusive, driving more sales of that specific product.

AdSense Benefits Overview

AdSense is a great idea if you already enjoy a steady source of organic traffic, which you do not need to pay for. This traffic may come from many different sources, such as search engines or blogs. You can then leverage these visitors to gain extra revenue, helping to supplement your service fees and other outgoings.

If you operate a content portal, displaying the ads is often the purpose of such a site. Your primary source of income may, thus, be people clicking on these.

Take Action with Taradel and Ads Together

Both Google Ads vs AdSense offer different, albeit overlapping, services that boost the visibility of useful sites across the Internet. Each has its purpose, but it is crucial to ensure you use the right one.

Taradel offers an integrated marketing system that blends ads from these services with email, direct mail, and other multichannel efforts. We can help you design and launch the perfect campaign to get eyes on your product and taps on your website. So, visit our site and start planning a campaign, then contact us to learn more about what we can do for you.