For ecommerce brands, choosing where to invest your ad budget in 2026 is more strategic than ever. Two advertising giants, Amazon Ads and Google Ads, offer powerful, yet distinct opportunities. Understanding how they differ and why each matters will help you make smarter decisions with your marketing dollars.
Marketplace Intent vs. Discovery Intent
At the heart of the comparison is intent.
Amazon Ads reach shoppers who are already in purchase mode, typically on Amazon’s marketplace itself. Most product searches start on Amazon, and its audience is inherently transaction-focused. This often results in conversion rates that are higher than typical search ads on Google.
Google Ads, by contrast, target users across the broader web, search, shopping surfaces, YouTube, and more, catching people earlier in the customer journey when they are exploring rather than buying. This makes Google ideal for both awareness and conversion goals.
Why Amazon Ads Often Outperform for Direct Sales
Amazon’s ecosystem naturally attracts users closer to the point of purchase, which contributes to higher conversion rates (often significantly above typical Google figures). Its integrated environment makes tracking and attribution simpler for sales that occur directly on the marketplace, eliminating gaps that sometimes exist with external platforms.
Growing Tools and Capabilities: Amazon continues to innovate with AI-powered ad features, such as new generative video tools that help advertisers produce creative at scale, to enrich campaign performance.
Attribution Feedback Loop: Advertising on Amazon can also benefit organic performance: increased ad-driven sales can improve a product’s visibility and ranking organically on the marketplace.
Limitations to consider:
- Advertising costs include platform fees and commissions.
- Amazon Ads are most effective within the Amazon ecosystem, not broadly across external web properties.
Why Google Ads Still Matter in 2026
Google offers access to users across the full funnel:
- Google Search & Shopping drive upper to mid-funnel intent.
- Display and YouTube provide awareness and engagement.
- AI-powered Shopping tools and personalized ads are now emerging, helping advertisers reach consumers in more dynamic ways beyond traditional paid listings.
Google’s broader ad surfaces help create demand and influence consumer decisions before conversion.
Control & Ownership of Customer Traffic: With Google Ads directing traffic to your own ecommerce site, you have greater control over customer experience, purchase funnels, and post-sale engagement, which can build longer-term value beyond a single transaction.
2025–2026 Strategic Shifts Worth Noting
In mid-2025, Amazon pulled out of Google Shopping ads globally, eliminating its significant impression share (previously around 60%) and reshaping the competitive landscape for shopping campaigns. This created opportunities for other advertisers to capture visibility and potentially lower CPCs in categories where Amazon had been bidding heavily.
This move signals how aggressively Amazon is investing in its own ad ecosystem, potentially shifting where brands must place their bets for growth.
Cost & ROI: Different Strengths
Cost and performance benchmarks vary based on campaign type, industry, and execution:
- Amazon Ads often show higher direct ROAS for ecommerce products due to closed-loop attribution and purchase intent.
- Google Ads can deliver greater scale and reach, especially in competitive or awareness-driven markets.
Both platforms can be profitable, but the roles they play differ: Amazon excels at closing sales; Google excels at finding and educating shoppers.
Strategic Playbooks for 2026
Rather than choosing one over the other, many successful brands in 2026 adopt complementary strategies:
Google Ads for:
- Early-stage discovery and demand creation
- Building brand awareness
- Driving traffic to your own ecommerce store
Amazon Ads for:
- Capturing high-intent shoppers ready to convert
- Boosting visibility directly on Amazon
- Leveraging marketplace data to maximize conversions
Final Takeaway
In 2026, ecommerce advertising isn’t an either/or between Amazon and Google, it’s about purpose. Your investment should align with where your customers are in the buying journey.
- Use Amazon Ads to capture demand when customers are ready to buy.
- Use Google Ads to generate demand and build brand presence early.
The brands that win this year will be the ones that synchronize both channels into a holistic marketing strategy that drives conversion and long-term customer value.