PPC and paid social are both paid ads, but PPC typically means search-driven ads (like Google or Microsoft/Bing) that show when someone types a need, while paid social shows ads inside social feeds (like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn) to people who match an audience even if they are not searching.
Think of PPC as “answering demand” and paid social as “creating demand and staying visible.” If someone in Orlando searches “emergency dentist near me” or “termite treatment Orlando,” PPC puts you in front of that person at the moment they want to book. Paid social is better for building awareness, promoting an offer, or bringing back past website visitors with reminders, reviews, and short videos.
How PPC and paid social ads differ
| What you’re comparing | PPC (most often paid search) | Paid social ads |
|---|---|---|
| Where the ad appears | Search results, Maps placements, display sites, YouTube, and partner networks (depending on campaign type) | Feeds, Stories, Reels, in-stream placements, and platform partner placements (depending on the network) |
| How people “arrive” at your ad | They type a query, your ad shows for matching keywords or intent signals | They scroll, your ad is delivered to a defined audience |
| Buyer intent | Often higher because the person is actively looking | Often lower at first, but great for warming people up and retargeting |
| Targeting foundation | Keywords, location, device, schedule, and audience layers | Interests, behaviors, demographics, video engagement, lookalikes, and retargeting |
| Creative format | Mostly text-based messaging plus assets (sitelinks, call, location, and more), some image/video in certain campaigns | Visual-first, image/video and strong hooks matter a lot |
| Best use cases for local businesses | Calls, form leads, “near me” searches, urgent services, high-intent comparisons | Brand awareness, promotions, content offers, reputation support, retargeting, and nurturing longer decisions |
| What success looks like | Qualified calls/leads, booked appointments, cost per lead, conversion rate | Cost per result, qualified leads, view-through engagement, retargeting conversions, frequency control |
If you’re deciding where to start, we usually start with PPC when you need leads now and you have clear “service + city” demand. We start with paid social when you have strong visuals (or can film them), want more brand lift in your service area, or your buyers need multiple touches before they call.
If you want a team to build and manage search campaigns that focus on calls and qualified leads, our PPC services are built for local businesses that need results tied to revenue.
If social ads are the bigger fit because your business depends on awareness and repeat touches, our social media marketing services cover both content and ads so your campaigns do not run out of fresh creative.
For a deeper breakdown of when paid social is the right move (and what to run first), our FAQ on what paid social advertising is walks through common use cases in plain English.
