Like it goes in the song, it’s all about the money. And money is a lot about advertising, especially search advertising. Today, at 411 Locals, we are going to cover the topic of Facebook’s new Search Ads experiment, what it is all about, can its prospective success measure up to Google Ads, and should you care at all? Let’s begin!
It has been a long time since Facebook dipped toes into search advertising. It was back in 2012 when the company tried Sponsored Results, but that experiment did not prove successful enough. This time around, Facebook is re-entering the world of search advertising with Search Ads in its Marketplace and search results.
But First, What Are Search Ads?
Search ads are pay-per-click ones that appear when a search query is made. They are related to the conducted search and can be seen above the search results.
What We Know So Far
The experiment is open to selected businesses in the US and Canada. Those businesses belong to the automotive, retail, and e-commerce industries. What is different in creating campaigns using Facebook Ads Manager is you will now see “Search Results” as a placement option if your business falls under one of the eligible industries. You can use that option as an addition to your Facebook advertising strategy because to use it, it is mandatory to run news feed ads, first. In a way, it is an extension to your current ads.
The format of the Search Ads will be similar to the news feed ones — headline, image, and text. How will they appear to users? Either as a static image or in a carousel format, and they will have the “Sponsored” tag.
Can It Compete with Google Ads?
Facebook’s Search Ads do not come with the option to target specific keywords or phrases which already puts Google one step ahead. Of course, that can change if the experiment proves to be successful, but only time will tell. If it happens, businesses will have to decide which platform is more suitable for the needs of their advertising goals or use Facebook’s new option as a natural extension to their marketing strategy.
To the question of should you care, the answer is pretty obvious — you should. The world of online advertising is rapidly developing, and competition is ever growing. If you want to thrive in it, you might want to consider turning to a reputable SEO company to take care of that for you. 411 Locals would be more than happy to step in and take over!
Stay tuned for our next topic!