Google Display Network VS TikTok Ads

Google Display Network averages $0.79 CPC and $3.68 CPM. TikTok Ads is bought on CPM only, averaging $9.45. Analysis for Ireland in 2026.

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Advertising in Ireland

Ireland is a small but disproportionately strategic European ad market — CPMs run roughly 5% above US baselines, but the country's outsized role as the European HQ for Google, Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, and most major tech platforms makes it relevant beyond its population (~5.2M). Most platforms' EU-wide commercial decisions are made in Dublin, and EU GDPR enforcement against US tech companies routes through the Irish DPC (Data Protection Commission), which has been historically criticized as slow but is now more active. Domestic ad spend is dominated by retail, financial services, telecom, and a notably high concentration of B2B SaaS due to Dublin's tech employer base. English-language creative is standard; Irish (Gaeilge) creative is rarely used outside specific cultural campaigns.

Currency
EUR
Top Ad Platforms
Google Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, TikTok Ads
CPM vs US Baseline
+5% premium
Regulatory Notes
EU GDPR enforced by the Irish DPC, which has lead supervisory authority over most US-headquartered platforms; ePrivacy Regulations govern cookies and direct marketing.

Quick Comparison

Google Display Network

Display advertising across Google's network of partner sites

CPC
$0.79
CPM
$3.68
Lower Cost
Best For:
Brand awareness Remarketing Visual products
Pricing: low

TikTok Ads

Short-form video advertising on TikTok

CPC
CPM only
CPM
$9.45
Best For:
Gen Z Viral content Creative brands
Pricing: medium

Google Display Network vs TikTok Ads, at a glance

The metrics where both platforms publish data. Lower is better for cost metrics.

Google Display Network is 61% cheaper per thousand impressions

Note: TikTok Ads publishes no CPC benchmark.

When to Use Each Platform

Choose Google Display Network If:

  • You're targeting brand awareness
  • You're targeting remarketing
  • You're targeting visual products
  • You want lower cost per thousand impressions ($3.68 vs $9.45)

Choose TikTok Ads If:

  • You're targeting gen z
  • You're targeting viral content
  • You're targeting creative brands

Under the hood

The auction, the creative, the budget floor — the three things you actually need to know before picking a platform.

Google Display Network
How it bills

GDN buys impressions across 2M+ publisher sites via a real-time auction. You can bid CPC or CPM depending on the campaign goal. CPCs are 4–7x lower than search, but conversion rates are also lower — it's a top-of-funnel channel, not a decision-point channel.

Creative at a glance

Responsive Display Ads: 15 images (1200×628 landscape, 1200×1200 square, 1200×1500 portrait), 5 logos, 5 short headlines (30ch), 5 long headlines (90ch), 5 descriptions (90ch). Google auto-assembles.

Min. spend for signal

$30–75/day gets a display campaign to statistical signal, though retargeting audiences reach signal faster and are the recommended entry point for smaller budgets.

TikTok Ads
How it bills

TikTok Ads runs on CPM ($8–12 typical, higher for premium placements like TopView). CPC is available but the platform's optimization heavily favors CPM-bid campaigns. Auction density is lower than Meta but growing quickly; creative quality dominates.

Creative at a glance

9:16 vertical video (1080×1920), 9-60s (best performance 15-30s), native-feeling — polished ads underperform UGC-style creative here by 2-3x. Sound-on is standard. Captions optional but boost completion.

Min. spend for signal

$500/day ($15K/month) is the practical floor for the Traffic and Conversion objectives to exit learning phase in a reasonable window. Smaller budgets work for Awareness and Video View goals.

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Related Comparisons

Data last updated: July 1, 2026

Advertising in Ireland: FAQs

The Irish DPC is the lead supervisory authority for Google, Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, Apple, and most other major US tech platforms operating in the EU. Its rulings shape what those platforms can offer to advertisers across the entire EU — recent decisions have constrained Meta's behavioral advertising approach, for example. For media buyers, watching DPC activity is effectively watching the leading edge of EU adtech regulation.

Yes — Dublin's tech employer concentration (Google, Meta, LinkedIn itself, Stripe, Salesforce, AWS, plus a large indigenous SaaS base) makes LinkedIn unusually deep for B2B targeting relative to the country's size. CPMs typically run \u20ac35-\u20ac75 for tightly-targeted senior-tech audiences. International B2B brands often run Ireland-specific campaigns to reach EU regional decision-makers based in Dublin.

Slightly lower on average — Irish CPMs run roughly 10-15% below UK equivalents on Meta and Google for broad consumer targeting. The gap narrows for premium B2B LinkedIn inventory, where Dublin's tech concentration drives competitive pricing. EUR/GBP exchange shifts make the apparent gap move quarter to quarter, so denominate budgets and benchmarks carefully when comparing.