Google & Facebook Compete For Sales, Even If That Means Skewing the Data

Every day, two of the most powerful companies in the world, Google and Facebook, compete for sales attribution.

What is Attribution?

Attribution is the connection between the revenue generated and the marketing channel that brought that specific customer. You might ask yourself, “ok, but why does this matter?” It matters because if you have no clue where your ad dollars are going it could mean you overspending in the wrong traffic channel or underspending in the right one.

Google and Facebook, compete for sales attribution every second of every day and yet, with their immense market power and individual successes, they seemingly play a careful game of divide-and-conquer in terms of advertising and sales. The challenge in sales attribution is to find out which traffic channel is generating the most value. It’s a complex process, and the results are far from straightforward. Making sense of it all, can not only be confusing but also very time-consuming. That’s where GNR8 Media comes in.

GNR8 Media works with companies of all sizes to help them maximize the value of their online investments. Our team has decades of collective experience analyzing Google and Facebook sales attribution for our various clients. We use this knowledge to inform targeted sales strategies using third-party validation to help our clients meet their goals.

So let’s examine how both Google and Facebook compete for sales attribution and why that's a huge problem for small business owners and Fortune 500 companies alike.

Lets start with Google

Google as you already know is a search engine giant, so it’s no surprise that search-based ads that include specific keywords are their bread and butter. This allows them to be very targeted and easy to reach. As a result, the ads that you see when you search for certain terms are often very much tailored to individuals’ specific needs.

Google is also very keen on analytics, making use of its robust tracking and reporting resources. This lets them build a more detailed picture of how their ads are performing and what kind of results they are achieving. This kind of granularity is highly valuable for sales attribution since it allows us to better understand which channels and keywords are driving the most conversions.

Now Facebook

Facebook’s approach to sales attribution is slightly different. Because the social network is built around user-generated content and interests, Facebook often views its ads as part of a larger conversation and relationship, rather than just simple transactions.

This means that Facebook tends to be more wide-ranging in terms of its approach to targeting. They can target people based on interests and behavior, allowing for a much greater level of personalization and engagement.

This allows Facebook to be more creative with the kinds of ads it offers, often offering more “unique” solutions than Google might. Facebook also has the advantage of being able to measure engagement, and this can be used as an important metric when it comes to sales attribution.

Its Competition

So how do Google and Facebook compete for sales attribution? It all comes down to one thing – delivering better results. Google’s approach is all about targeting, making use of its vast trove of data to provide highly tailored ads specific to an individuals search. Facebook, on the other hand, is more interested in engagement, using its wide reach to connect with more users and offering more unique solutions.

The ultimate challenge for companies like GNR8 Media is to figure out which company can deliver the most value and where your ad dollars are effectively being spent. By analyzing the data and measuring results, it’s possible to determine which of these two giants is best suited to provide the most impactful and cost-effective results.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, Google and Facebook both play an important yet elusive role in the world of e-commerce. Each one brings unique advantages and opportunities to the table, and it’s up to companies like us to carefully analyze data and measure results to determine which one is best suited for a given situation. By doing this, companies can maximize their online investments and move their business forward.