How Google Ads and Social Media Ads Work Together for Maximum ROI

Posted on Jan. 17th, 2025

Running a successful ad campaign is about more than just choosing one platform and hoping for the best. Google Ads and social media advertising each play a unique role in your marketing strategy, and when used together, they create a powerful, multi-channel approach that increases visibility, engagement, and conversions. Google Ads capture customers actively searching for your products or services, while social media ads put your brand in front of new audiences who may not be looking—but are highly likely to be interested. Instead of thinking of them as competing channels, businesses should use both to maximize results.

Generating & Capturing Demand

Google Ads are intent-driven, meaning they target users who are actively searching for specific products or services. When someone types in “best HVAC repair near me” or “local marketing agency,” they’re already interested and looking for solutions. Google Ads ensure that your business appears at the top of those search results, giving you a direct opportunity to convert those high-intent customers into leads or sales. The beauty of Google Ads lies in their ability to meet people at the exact moment they’re ready to take action.

Social media ads, on the other hand, focus on creating demand rather than capturing it. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn allow businesses to introduce their brand to potential customers before they even start searching. Through detailed audience targeting, social media ads get your business in front of the right people based on their interests, behaviors, and demographics. This means you can warm up potential buyers and plant the seed—so when they do need your service, they think of you first.

Building Brand Awareness, Then Closing the Sale

Social media is where customers discover brands, engage with content, and build familiarity with businesses. People scroll through their feeds, interact with posts, and get exposed to ads that introduce them to products or services they may not have considered before. By consistently appearing in their feed, your brand becomes recognizable and memorable, making it easier for customers to trust you when it’s time to make a decision.

Google Ads step in when those same customers are ready to buy. After seeing your brand multiple times on social media, they may not convert right away—but the moment they start actively searching for related services, your Google Ads put you front and center. This seamless transition from brand awareness to purchase intent ensures that potential customers don’t just remember you—they choose you.

Turning Interested Visitors Into Paying Customers

Not every visitor will convert on the first visit, and that’s where retargeting ads come in. Retargeting allows you to re-engage people who have already interacted with your brand, whether through your website, a previous ad, or social media engagement. Google Display Ads and Facebook Retargeting Ads are both powerful tools to bring potential customers back and guide them toward completing their purchase.

Retargeting works because it reminds users of what they were already interested in. Someone might visit your website after seeing a social media ad but leave without taking action. A well-placed Google retargeting ad can reappear in their browsing experience, keeping your brand fresh in their mind. Likewise, Facebook and Instagram retargeting ads can remind users about a product they viewed or a service they considered, nudging them back to convert.

Hyper-Targeted Audiences for Maximum ROI

One of the biggest advantages of using Google and social media ads together is the ability to fine-tune audience targeting. Google Ads let you reach people based on specific search intent, ensuring your ad appears only when someone is actively looking for what you offer. This highly targeted approach ensures your budget is spent on people who are ready to convert.

Social media ads allow for an even deeper level of audience targeting, using interests, behaviors, demographics, and lookalike audiences to reach potential customers before they even think about searching. By combining both approaches, you can capture new audiences with social media ads, then retarget them through Google when they’re ready to take action. The result? A well-rounded, high-performing ad strategy that maximizes every marketing dollar.

A Multi-Touch Strategy Increases Trust and Credibility

Customers rarely make a purchase or book a service after seeing just one ad. Research shows that most buyers need to see a brand multiple times before they feel confident enough to commit. By using both Google Ads and social media ads, businesses can create multiple touchpoints that reinforce their brand message, increasing trust and credibility over time.

For example, a potential customer might first see your brand in a Facebook ad while casually scrolling. Later, they come across a Google Search Ad when actively looking for solutions. Finally, they’re reminded of your business through a retargeting ad, which nudges them to make a decision. Each touchpoint reinforces your credibility and keeps your business top-of-mind, leading to higher conversions.

Testing and Optimization

Advertising isn’t a one-and-done effort—it requires continuous testing, analyzing, and optimizing to improve performance. By running campaigns on both Google and social media, businesses gain access to a wealth of data that helps refine their strategy. Google Ads data can show which search terms drive the most conversions, while social media insights reveal what types of creative, messaging, and audience segments perform best.

This cross-platform data can be used to improve both ad types. If a particular message performs well on Facebook, it can be adapted for Google Ads to enhance effectiveness. Likewise, keyword data from Google Ads can help optimize targeting for social media campaigns. The ability to analyze performance across multiple platforms allows for smarter decision-making and higher returns on ad spend.

Cost-Effective Scaling for Long-Term Success

One of the biggest benefits of running both Google Ads and social media ads is the ability to scale your campaigns effectively. Google Ads tend to be more expensive per click but drive high-intent traffic, while social media ads build awareness at a lower cost. Using both ensures that your advertising budget is allocated efficiently—maximizing reach without overspending.

As your campaigns gather data, you can identify which platforms, audiences, and ad creatives bring in the best results. This allows you to adjust budgets accordingly, ensuring that every dollar spent is working toward increasing ROI. Instead of relying on just one channel, a diversified ad strategy ensures steady growth and sustainable business success.

Google Ads and social media ads are not competitors—they are partners in a strong marketing strategy. When used together, they create a comprehensive digital advertising approach that attracts new customers, nurtures leads, and drives conversions. Social media generates awareness and interest, while Google Ads capture intent and close the deal. By leveraging both platforms, businesses can create highly effective, multi-touch campaigns that maximize engagement and ROI.

If you’re ready to implement a high-performing advertising strategy that blends Google and social media ads for maximum impact, BRANDify Creative Marketing is here to help. Call us today at (334) 868-0095, and let’s launch a campaign that gets real results!