Comparison of Google Ads and Google Analytics

Monday, April 11, 2022

Google AdsGoogle Analytics
Launch DateOctober 23, 2000November 14, 2005
Originally CalledGoogle AdWords (until July 2018)Urchin (until November 2005)
Web Address (URL)https://ads.google.comhttps://analytics.google.com
Paid or Free ServicePay per ClickFree Service
Scope of Analysis & Reporting  
Google Ads ConnectionsIncludedIncluded
Direct Connections Not IncludedIncluded
Organic Connections  Not IncludedIncluded
DescriptionA pay per click online advertising platform where advertisers bid to display brief advertisements, service offerings, product listings, or videos to web users.A free product that provides in-depth reporting on how people use websites. It shows you how people found your site and how they explored it.
Analyzing Website Visitor BehaviorGoogle Ads can only tell you so much about visitor behavior.Google Analytics shows you what people are doing when they arrive on your site.
ReportingReported dailyReported fully after a 72 hour processing window
Tracking ApproachGoogle AdWords can only track clicks on adsGoogle Analytics provides post-click data about what happened on the website after a user clicked on an ad. To get a full picture, integrate your Google AdWords and Analytics accounts.
Fun FactsThe Average Google Ads Click Thru Rate (CTR) is 1.91%More than half of all websites use Google Analytics. There is a paid version called Google Analytics 360. However, the main platform continues to be completely free.
Comparison of Google Ads and Google Analytics

Comparing Analytics and Google Ads conversion metrics