Google Ads or Sklik? Stop Guessing and Start Deciding Based on Data

Czech businesses spent CZK 70.7 billion on online advertising last year — 10.6% more than the year before. And yet the same question keeps coming up: google ads vs sklik, which is better? The problem is not the platforms. It is that most businesses choose a system based on what they heard from a friend, not what makes sense for their type of business.

This article will give you a concrete answer — not a generic ‘use both’. We will go through data on the Czech PPC scene, strengths and weaknesses of each platform, and a decision matrix based on your type of business.

The Czech PPC Scene in Numbers: Where People Really Search

Google holds approximately 81–85% of the search share in the Czech Republic (per Statcounter GlobalStats, September 2024). Sklik and Seznam.cz acknowledge this. But the second number is equally important: Seznam.cz reaches 95% of Czech internet users through its network.

How is this possible? Seznam does not just sell search results. It sells space on Novinky, Super.cz, Zboží.cz and other websites that Czechs visit daily. Here Sklik plays a completely different game than Google.

E-commerce data for 2024, analysed by Vladimír Přichystal on a sample of 24 Czech e-shops: PPC campaigns generate a total of 40.8% of revenue. Google Ads accounts for approximately 36%, Sklik for 4.5%. At first glance a crushing result in favour of Google — but these numbers do not capture how many businesses actively use Sklik, nor under what conditions and with what budget.

Google Ads: What It Does and Who It Is Ideal For

Google Ads is today one of the most complex advertising systems in the world. Campaigns cover virtually the entire purchase funnel:

• Search — text ads at the moment a user is actively searching for your products or services
• Shopping — product cards directly in search results, ideal for e-shops with a catalogue
• Display — banner advertising on millions of websites in the Google Display Network
• YouTube — video advertising with precise targeting by demographics and interests
• Performance Max — automated campaign across all channels at once, driven by artificial intelligence

Google’s strength is reach and automation. Smart Bidding strategies such as Target CPA or Maximize Conversions optimise spending in a way manual management cannot achieve.

The weak point? Higher competition equals higher CPC. In popular segments such as insurance, legal services or real estate you pay hundreds of crowns per click. And the system complexity — PerformanceMax is powerful but almost opaque. Without an experienced manager it easily becomes a black box into which money disappears.

Google Ads is ideal for: e-shops with national or international ambition, businesses targeting younger generations, B2C and B2B segments that want to scale quickly.

Sklik: Where It Excels and Who Needlessly Ignores It

Sklik is the advertising system of Seznam. And Seznam is not just a search engine — it is a media house with a portfolio of websites that reach a specific and loyal audience.

Campaign types on Sklik:

• Search on Seznam.cz — works analogously to Google Search, but with significantly lower competition and lower CPC.
• Content network — ads on Novinky, Super.cz and other sites. Internal analysis shows Sklik’s content network performs better than Google Display Network for Czech advertisers.
• Retargeting — re-engaging users who visited your website. On Czech news websites, Sklik retargeting has an exceptional position.
• Zboží.cz — product ads on the price comparison site, still one of the most influential places for Czech purchasing decisions.

The minimum daily budget on Sklik is CZK 30 per campaign — an entry barrier that allows even small businesses to test without risk.

Where Sklik falls short: smaller reach outside the Czech Republic, older interface, narrower portfolio of automation tools. If you want to target customers in Germany or Poland, Sklik will not help you.

Sklik is ideal for: local businesses and services, e-shops focused on the Czech market, businesses targeting the 40+ age group, anyone who wants cheaper retargeting on quality Czech content.

Direct Comparison: 6 Key Criteria

Decision Matrix: By Business Type

Instead of a general answer — four profiles. Find yours.

E-shop with limited budget (up to CZK 20,000/month)

Start on Sklik. Lower CPC means that for the same money you get more clicks and more data for optimisation. Add Zboží.cz — it is a cheaper entry into product search than Google Shopping. Once you have conversion data and know what works, add Google Search campaigns for your strongest keywords.

Recommendation: Sklik as a base + Google Ads selectively.

Local business / services (restaurants, tradespeople, clinics)

Google Ads is stronger here thanks to Google Maps and local search results. Local campaigns in Google make sense as a first choice. Add Sklik as a retargeting tool — you will re-engage people who visited your website but did not call.

Recommendation: Google Ads primarily, Sklik for retargeting.

B2B company (manufacturers, SaaS, professional services)

The B2B purchase cycle is long. A customer will visit your website multiple times before deciding. The combination works best: Google Ads captures intent in search, Sklik retargeting keeps your company top of mind on Czech websites.

Note: B2B targeting on Sklik is more limited than in Google Ads, where you can target users with specific professional interests.

Recommendation: Google Ads + Sklik retargeting as a necessary combination.

Company targeting the 40+ audience

Here Sklik gets an advantage that few acknowledge. Users of Seznam news websites — especially Novinky.cz and Super.cz — are largely in the 40–65 age group and spend tens of minutes on these sites daily. Reaching them with banners and native advertising in an environment they are at home in is significantly more effective than Google Display.

Recommendation: Sklik as the primary channel, Google Ads for search.

When You Use Both Platforms: How It Works in Practice

The synergy of Google Ads and Sklik is not about putting money in both places and hoping. It is about structure.

1. Primary conversions in Google Ads. Search campaigns on keywords with direct purchase intent. This is where reach and intent are greatest.
2. Retargeting on Sklik. Users who came from Google and did not buy receive a reminder on Novinky or in the Seznam content network. CPC of retargeting campaigns on Sklik is significantly lower than Google remarketing.
3. Zboží.cz as a supplement. E-shops advertising on Google Shopping should test Zboží.cz in parallel. Some customers compare prices exclusively there.
4. Measure correctly. Both platforms must be connected to GA4 and conversions must be uniformly defined. More about measuring results at ads-agency.cz/analytics/.

Most Common Mistakes When Choosing a Platform

‘Google is bigger, so I’ll put everything there.’ The biggest platform does not mean the best results for your specific product and audience. E-shops with smaller budgets in particular pay for this shortcut with excessively high CPC.

‘Sklik is for dinosaurs.’ Rejecting a platform without testing is a pure waste of money. If your customers read Novinky.cz or shop via Zboží.cz, Sklik is relevant for you.

Set and forget. Both systems change — algorithms, auctions, user behaviour. A campaign that worked last year may not work today. PPC is not a one-time investment, it is ongoing management.

Missing conversion measurement. Investing in advertising without properly set up measurement is like driving at night without lights. Before launching any campaign, check GA4 and connections with advertising platforms.

If you have doubts about how your campaigns are performing, read about how to spot a bad PPC agency at ads-agency.cz/blog/jak-poznat-spatnou-ppc-agenturu-9-varovnych-signalu/.

Three Questions Instead of a Conclusion

Before you decide, answer three things:

• Where do your customers spend time — do they search actively, or do they need to be engaged with content?
• How much do you want to invest in advertising per month — and how quickly do you need data for optimisation?
• Are you targeting primarily Czech-speaking audiences, or do you want to expand beyond borders?

Your answers will guide you. And if you are not sure — that is exactly the moment when it makes sense to talk to someone who does this every day.