PPC can test paid traffic after campaign preparation and approval; it does not guarantee new customers. In the Czech market, you can compare Google Ads and Sklik (Seznam). Suitability depends on the offer, available audience, auction cost and measured inquiry quality.
Neither Google Ads nor Sklik guarantees new customers; PPC only lets you test paid traffic. Compare them on the same query, region and definition of a result. In the worked example a CZK 12,000 campaign costs CZK 300 per submitted form but CZK 1,200 per qualified enquiry. The 70/30 budget split is an authored scenario, not a measurement. I do not offer ad management myself; I do SEO from €340 a month and the websites that ads lead to.
Available audience
Decide from the query, region and targeting. A search engine’s share is not the reach of its entire advertising network. Using Seznam or Google does not establish a customer’s age or technical ability.
Google Ads: The Global Giant
What to compare in Google Ads
What to compare in Google Ads
- Search ads for specific queries
- Product campaigns with a suitable feed and Merchant Center account
- Video on YouTube and other available placements
- Bidding manual or automated, according to campaign type and conversion-data quality
Results depend on the auction, targeting and landing page. Check format availability and market rules before launch.
What advertising actually costs, budget, the auction and management fees, is covered separately in how much Google Ads costs.
Sklik: The Czech Specialist
What to compare in Sklik
What to compare in Sklik
- Search campaigns for relevant queries
- Content network and retargeting including available audiences
- Video ads on Seznam and partner sites
- Product advertising and the terms of Zbozi.cz integration
Options differ from Google Ads. Verify campaign type, targeting and measurement rather than assuming cheaper or older customers.
Detailed Comparison
| Parameter | Google Ads | Sklik |
|---|---|---|
| Search | Search campaigns | Search network |
| Video | YouTube and other available placements | Content-network video |
| Cost | Actual auction and outcome | Actual auction and outcome |
| Returning visitors | Your data audiences, subject to policy | Retargeting, subject to policy |
| Decision metric | Qualified enquiries and sales | Same outcome definition |
Worked example: Ads and Sklik: compare the same brief
ORIGINAL EXAMPLE · FICTIONAL DATA
| Verify | Google Ads | Sklik |
|---|---|---|
| Query | "bike repair Ostrava" | Same query |
| Goal | Completed enquiry | Same definition |
| Budget | Separate media and management | Separate media and management |
| Evaluation | Cost per qualified enquiry | Same method |
Planning comparison; no promised click price.
When to test each platform
Consider Google Ads for search demand, product ads, YouTube or expansion into supported markets. Consider Sklik to test relevant queries and audiences within Seznam’s network. For local services, test the actual region and contacts rather than choosing from assumptions about users’ age.
With a small budget, begin with one measurable scenario. Add another channel when you can evaluate contact quality and the additional cost.
When to test a combination of platforms
A combination can extend reach, but also split a small budget and workload across campaigns. First check whether you can measure and manage each part reliably.
Illustrative budget splits, not a recommended optimum
Google requires no minimum; the budget is derived from the value of a conversion. You pay a specialist for campaign setup and management by scope, and the click budget separately.
Illustrative budget split scenarios
- Smaller budget 70 / 30 Google Ads 70%, Sklik 30%
- Medium budget 65 / 25 / 10 Google Ads 65%, Sklik 25%, Zbozi.cz 10%
- Larger budget 40 / 20 / 15 / 10 / 15 Search 40%, Shopping/PMax 20%, Sklik 15%, Zbozi.cz 10%, YouTube/Display 15%
The 70/30 and 65/25/10 splits and the larger split above are authored scenarios, not measured results or a universal optimum. Set the actual allocation from capacity, data volume, margin and qualified inquiries. Assess budget changes against the overall result, not only platform-attributed conversions.
How to Measure Performance Properly
Without proper measurement, you'll get lost in PPC. For a complete overview of metrics and attribution models, read my article on how to measure online marketing ROI. Set up the following:
Google Analytics 4
- Native Google Ads linking; consistent UTM tagging for Sklik traffic
- Track conversions (purchases, forms, calls)
- Use attribution models to understand the customer journey
Conversion Tracking
- Google Ads conversions, native tracking in Google
- Sklik conversions. Sklik's conversion tracking code
- UTM parameters, for consistent source labels; they cannot capture every customer journey
Key Metrics
- CPA, cost per defined conversion; customer acquisition cost requires records of completed sales
- ROAS (return on ad spend), attributed revenue divided by advertising spend; it does not automatically account for margin, management or other costs.
- Conversion rate, percentage of visitors who buy
- Google Ads Quality Score, a diagnostic tool; the score itself is not an auction input
Worked example: One campaign, two different costs
illustrative example
| Metric | Value | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Spend | CZK 12,000 | Whole campaign |
| Submitted forms | 40 | 12,000 / 40 = CZK 300 |
| Qualified enquiries | 10 | 12,000 / 10 = CZK 1,200 |
| Closed deals | Unknown | Customer cost unknown |
A cheap form submission is not automatically a cheap customer.
Most Common PPC Mistakes
Most common PPC mistakes
- No conversion tracking without data, you can't optimize
- Keywords too broad you're paying for irrelevant clicks
- Ignoring negative keywords filter out irrelevant queries
- Same ads for everyone personalize by audience
- Sending traffic to the homepage always use a relevant landing page
- Set and forget PPC requires regular optimization
- Last-click attribution only customers go through multiple touchpoints
What to verify before launch
Check current ad policies, consent and measurement in each platform. Automated bidding needs correctly defined conversions; it cannot independently know that a cheap form submission was spam. Test a new ad format with a bounded, measurable experiment.
Conclusion
Google Ads and Sklik can be alternatives or complementary channels. Sklik does not guarantee lower prices, and combining both does not guarantee the best result. Decide from relevant contacts, closed deals and total costs. Also verify the landing page and shop purchase journey.
What to take away
- PPC can test paid traffic, but it does not guarantee new customers.
- Compare Google Ads and Sklik by the specific query, region and targeting; using Seznam or Google does not establish a customer's age or technical ability.
- Sklik does not guarantee lower prices, and combining both platforms does not guarantee the best result.
- With a small budget, begin with one measurable scenario and add another channel when you can evaluate contact quality and the additional cost.
- The budget splits in the article are authored scenarios, not measured results.
- Without conversion tracking you cannot optimize, and a cheap form submission is not automatically a cheap customer.
I do not offer PPC campaign management myself. I help with what the ads lead to: the website, lead measurement and SEO, so customers keep coming without paying for every click. Get in touch.