Almost always yes. Google builds your brand and customer base. Amazon captures the 56% of product searches that never hit Google. Most successful brands run both with different goals for each channel.

Which has better ROAS?

Amazon often shows higher ROAS because of higher conversion rates. But this is misleading — Amazon takes 15-35% in fees that are not reflected in ad ROAS. True profit per sale is often better on Google despite lower apparent ROAS.

We are only on Shopify — should we start selling on Amazon?

If your product has demand on Amazon (check with a search), adding Amazon as a sales channel captures revenue you are currently losing to competitors. Just do not let it become your only channel — own the customer relationship on Shopify.

How much should we spend on each?

Start with $50-100/day on each to gather data. After 30 days, analyze true profit per channel (including all Amazon fees) and allocate based on where profit per dollar is highest while maintaining brand-building investment on Google.

Can you manage both channels?

Yes. We manage Google Ads (Shopping, Search, Performance Max) and provide strategic guidance on Amazon Ads allocation. Having one team overseeing both channels prevents cannibalization and optimizes total budget allocation.

Paid Media Comparison

Your ideal customer just searched for your product. Did they search on Google or Amazon? The answer determines your strategy.

Google and Amazon both capture high-intent product searches. Someone typing "organic protein powder" into either platform is ready to buy. The difference is what happens next.

On Amazon, they buy on Amazon. Amazon owns the customer. You never get their email. You cannot retarget them outside Amazon. Your margins shrink because Amazon takes their cut. But the conversion rate is enormous because Amazon has already built the trust and the checkout experience.

On Google, they land on your Shopify store. You own the customer. You capture their email. You build the relationship. You get full margin minus ad cost. But you need a store that converts, a brand they trust, and a post-click experience that competes with Amazon's convenience.

Most successful eCommerce brands run both — but the allocation depends on your goals.

150+

Brands Managed

56%

Product Searches Start on Amazon

$23M+

Revenue Driven

4-8x

Avg. ROAS

Both platforms capture buyer intent — the most valuable moment in advertising. The strategic question is not which is better (both can be profitable) but how to allocate budget based on your brand goals, margin structure, and growth stage. Here is how they compare.

Google Ads vs Amazon Ads — feature by feature

Feature	Google Ads	Amazon Ads
Customer Ownership	Customers land on your store. You capture email, build relationships, retarget, and own the lifetime value of each customer.	Amazon owns the customer relationship. No email capture. No retargeting outside Amazon. Limited ability to build brand loyalty.
Purchase Intent	High intent for Shopping Ads (product searches). Mixed intent for Search Ads (some research, some buying). Requires a strong landing experience to convert.	Extremely high purchase intent. 56% of product searches start on Amazon. Buyers on Amazon are ready to buy now — they just need to pick who from.
Conversion Rate	Typical eCommerce conversion from Google Ads: 2-4%. Depends heavily on your store experience, brand trust, and post-click journey.	Typical Amazon conversion: 10-15%. Amazon trust, Prime shipping, and familiar checkout dramatically reduce purchase friction.
Profit Margins	Full margin minus ad cost. No marketplace fees. You keep the customer relationship and all repeat purchases at no additional acquisition cost.	Amazon referral fee (8-15%) + FBA fees + ad cost. Margins significantly compressed. But higher conversion can offset lower per-unit profit.
Brand Building	Every click builds your brand. Customers remember your store, your packaging, your experience. Repeat purchases come direct without ad costs.	Limited brand building. Customers remember buying on Amazon, not from your brand. Repeat purchases often happen through Amazon search again.
Competition	Compete on ad quality score, landing page experience, and bid. Your brand identity matters. Can differentiate through creative and experience.	Compete mostly on price, reviews, and ad placement. Harder to differentiate. Race to the bottom on pricing is common.

Our recommendation

For brand building and long-term customer value: prioritize Google Ads (Shopping and Search) driving traffic to your Shopify store. You own the customer, capture the email, and build lifetime value.

For immediate sales volume and cash flow: Amazon Ads convert at dramatically higher rates. The trade-off is margin compression and no customer ownership.

Best strategy for most brands: 60-70% budget to Google (brand building, customer ownership) and 30-40% to Amazon (volume, cash flow, market presence). Adjust based on where you are in your growth journey.

Pick Google Ads if...

Prioritize Google Ads if brand building and customer ownership are your goals. Best for brands with good margins, strong store experience, and a retention system (email, loyalty) to maximize customer lifetime value.

Pick Amazon Ads if...

Prioritize Amazon Ads if you need immediate sales volume, if your product competes well on price and reviews, or if you are building social proof and revenue history before shifting focus to your own store.

Questions our best clients asked first

Not sure where your ad budget should go?

Book a call and we will analyze your product, margins, and goals to determine the right Google vs. Amazon allocation for maximum profit.

Pick a Time

15 minutes. No pitch deck. Just your data and our honest take.

More comparisons

Google Ads Strategy

Google Shopping drives 76% of all eCommerce ad clicks. If your budget is split 50/50 with Search, you are doing it wrong.

Google Shopping vs Search Ads — Shopping drives 76% of eCommerce ad clicks at lower cost. Here's when to use each and how to allocate budget between them.

Learn more

Paid Media Comparison

Your products are visual. But should you advertise them where people scroll mindlessly or where they actively plan purchases?

Meta Ads vs Pinterest Ads for product sales — Meta has the scale, Pinterest has the intent. Where should your visual products be advertised? Data-backed comparison.

Learn more

Business Decision

Should you hire a marketing team or hire an agency? The honest answer depends on your revenue stage.

Agency vs in-house team — should you hire marketers or hire an agency? Real cost comparison, pros and cons, and when each makes sense for your eCommerce brand.

Learn more

Growth Strategy Comparison

The "SEO vs content marketing" debate is fake. One without the other is a waste of money.

SEO vs content marketing — they are not competitors, they are partners. Here's how to invest in each and why doing one without the other wastes money.

Learn more

eCommerce Growth Consulting

A Shopify store owner came to us doing $40K/month. Six months later, $127K. Here is what we changed.

eCommerce growth consulting. Full-funnel strategy from a team that has driven $23M+ in revenue for 150+ stores. Traffic, conversion, retention — the complete growth system.

Learn more

Conversion Consulting

The average Shopify store converts at 1.4%. Our clients average 3.2%. Same traffic, different results.

eCommerce conversion consulting. Increase your store conversion rate with data-backed changes to product pages, checkout, navigation, and user experience. 150+ stores optimized.

Learn more

Not sure which to pick?

Book a free call

Book Call