What's the difference between Google AdSense and Google Ads?
Google AdSense is for website owners who want to earn money by showing ads on their site. Google Ads is for businesses that pay to show their ads on Google Search, YouTube, Maps and partner websites and apps.
ShoaibUpdated 3 min read
How does each one work?
| Google AdSense | Google Ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Who uses it | Publishers (website owners) | Advertisers (businesses) |
| Money flow | You earn | You pay |
| What you do | Add Google's ad code to your site | Create campaigns, set budget and targeting |
| Where ads show | On your own website | Search, YouTube, Maps, partner sites and apps |
What does Google say about AdSense?
Google AdSense Help explains that publishers place ad code on their pages, advertisers bid in an auction, and the highest-paying ads show. Advertisers pay for clicks or impressions depending on the ad type, and Google handles billing and pays the publisher. It also says AdSense delivers ads served by Google Ads to your site.
What does Google say about Google Ads?
Google Ads Help says you decide how much to spend and pay only when someone interacts with your ad, like clicking a text ad or watching a video ad. You can reach people by keywords, location, age, interests and time of day.
So which one is for me?
If you run a business and want customers, it's Google Ads. AdSense only makes sense if you run a website with lots of visitors and want income from ads. To go further, read how Google Ads actually works or how much Google Ads costs.
If you'd like Google Ads handled as part of your digital marketing, see our Google Ads service.