Search marketer ears likely perked up to hear that Facebook launched search advertising this week. But anyone who’s expecting it to be similar to AdWords or adCenter is going to be disappointed. Actually, it’s more akin to other forms of Facebook advertising, despite appearing in search results.
Consider these typical AdWords ads:
Consider these typical AdWords ads:
They appear above or to the right of search results. In contrast, the new Facebook Sponsored Results appear within the search box, as suggestions when you type:
Beyond placement, Facebook’s search ads can’t be targeted to keywords, as can Google’s ads, nor can they link to content outside of Facebook. The chart below summarizes some of the key differences: