Over the years, Facebook has been steadily building its ad technology, challenging the prowess of search engine giant Google. These business moves, combined with the introduction of native ad formats on Facebook’s news feed, resulted in the social network’s lead in terms of display advertising.

1. Google vs. Facebook:
The Mobile Display Wars
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2. Over the years, Facebook has been steadily building its ad technology, challenging the
prowess of search engine giant Google. These business moves, combined with the
introduction of native ad formats on Facebook’s news feed, resulted in the social
network’s lead in terms of display advertising.
The speed of Facebook’s mobile advertisements came as a surprise to analysts. In
2013, eMarketer’s study believed that Google will continue to reign supreme in the
field of lead display advertising through 2015. Their updated projections, however,
reveal that Facebook has been taking the lead since 2013 and might still win through
2017.
Facebook’s Claim to Fame
2012 was an important year for the social network; in
August of that year, they gained a strong hold in mobile
display advertising. Immediately, they announced that
an application that installs ads would be available later
that fall. It was also in August when Facebook introduced
Custom Audiences, which matches an advertisers’ email
or phone number with the users’ Facebook accounts.
By 2014, Facebook also acquired LiveRail, a video ad
network focused on reducing programmatic inventory
sold on open exchanges. The system focuses on
providing private marketplaces a way to connect with
publishers and have better quality control.

3. The Struggle is Real for Google
Google, on the other hand, has never experienced an easy transition. To keep its
dominance in desktop display, they pour all efforts to gain some traction. According to
Ruth Porat of Alphabet, Google’s parent company reports of the rise in the current
momentum in programmatic and YouTube advertising.
Adobe’s 4Q reports also echoes the
sentiment. The company states that
Google’s Display Network is slowly closing
the gap between them and Facebook.
Compared to the social network’s 77
percent CTR growth rate, Google earned a
CTR rate of 219 percent over the quarter.
Google has also been paying attention to
YouTube’s ad growth. The lagging CPCs is a
result of the company’s acceleration of ad
clicks on the site.
Neck and Neck Battle
Both companies are tying the league with their mobile content deliveries. Google uses
its Accelerated Mobile Pages Project (AMP) against Facebook’s Instant Articles. AMP’s
pages have been promoting Google’s capabilities since February of this year. Instant
Articles, on the other hand, will open to publishers on April 12.
The total effect of all these efforts will not be visible
for several quarters. As the first one wraps up,
experts will see if Google holds up to the momentum.

4. SOURCES:
 http://prcaffeine.com
 http://marketingland.com/martech-landscape-what-is-an-ad-
exchange-161947
 http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Facebook-Twitter-Will-Take-33-
Share-of-US-Digital-Display-Market-by-2017/1012274