Google Ads vs Sklik? For most Czech businesses—and foreign firms advertising in the Czech Republic—starting with Google Ads pays off. Google drives roughly four-fifths of Czech search visits, and higher data volume helps automated campaigns learn faster. Advertising on the Czech Seznam search engine via Sklik, its ad platform, comes next once your first campaign runs steadily. Sklik pays off earlier if your data shows an above-average Seznam share, or if you run an online store with a product feed for Seznam Nákupy (Seznam Shopping).

We will walk through current search engine shares, 2025 and 2026 platform updates, a five-question decision tree, and a four-to-six-week test that lets your own numbers decide.

How many Czechs search on Google vs Seznam

Per October 2026 StatCounter data, Google drove 80.07% of all search visits, Seznam 13.07%, Bing 5.23%, and smaller engines the rest.

Why do figures differ across sources? StatCounter tracks only visits sent to websites with its tracking code, not zero-click searches. Other tools measure users or queries. What matters most is your own data—it shows how your customers search.

Use a 12-month period to account for seasonal swings. For an online store, compare orders and revenue by source too.

Example: over 12 months, an accounting firm logs 4,000 sessions from google / organic and 900 from seznam / organic (4,900 total). Seznam's share is roughly 18%. That beats the average, so Sklik belongs in the test right away. At 6%, the firm would start with Google.

Who searches on Seznam

We have no verified public data on the age or industries of Seznam users, so we do not guess. We do know search visit shares by device (StatCounter, October 2026):

• desktop: Seznam 14.41%, Bing 12.57%,
• mobile: Seznam 11.87%, Bing 0.35%.

What this means for your industry:

• Services and trades (auto repair, plumber, accountant): people often search on mobile, where Google is stronger. Region and job type still matter.
• B2B companies (wholesaler, manufacturer): buyers search on work computers, where Seznam and Bing hold larger shares.
• Online stores: a product feed for Zboží.cz (Seznam's price comparison tool) and Seznam Nákupy in Seznam.cz search is decisive.
• Healthcare, real estate, and local services: a free listing on Firmy.cz (Seznam's directory, also used by Seznam AI) pays off even without paid ads.

Your own data decides, not the national average—and for desktop customers, watch Bing too.

Recent changes on Seznam and Google

Since 2025, both Google Ads and Sklik have mainly updated automation and search. Before covering three Seznam updates, let's define two terms:

• A product feed is a file of products, prices, and images that the platform uses to build ads.
• Cost per click (CPC) is the amount you pay for a click.

1. Seznam Nákupy: Product ads from Zboží.cz are now managed directly in Sklik. Linking with Centrum prodejce (Seller Center) creates the campaign and shows products on Zboží.cz, Seznam.cz, Obrázky.cz, and Sbazar.cz. A dynamic rate card sets the minimum CPC.
2. Chytrá kampaň (Smart campaign): You enter copy, images, and a logo, while the system controls search and display targeting (SeznamBot must be able to crawl your site). It switches to maximizing conversions once it gets at least 30 search and 30 display conversions in 30 days. Until then, your max CPC applies.
3. Artificial intelligence: In October 2026, Seznam announced that its Seznam AI assistant works with search, Firmy.cz, Zboží.cz, and other services. In Czech, Google has shown AI Overviews since May 2025 and offered AI Mode since October 2025. For website impact, see AI search: how to get into Google and ChatGPT answers.

In Google Ads, the main automated campaign is Performance Max. A single campaign targets Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail, and Maps.

When you import Google Ads campaigns to Sklik (Tools → Import campaigns from Google Ads), search and display campaigns transfer once or on a schedule. Responsive and dynamic search ads, videos, and Merchant Center data do not transfer. Smart strategies also default to a CZK 5 max CPC, which you must adjust.

Decision tree: where to start

Five questions settle whether to choose Google Ads or Sklik. Four appear in the decision tree; weigh the fifth (B2B vs B2C) against your own data.

1. Do you target outside Czechia too? Start in Google Ads. Seznam ads will not reach foreign audiences.
2. Do you run an online store with a product feed? Both networks pay off. A Seznam Nákupy campaign is created automatically once you link Sklik with Centrum prodejce. Evaluate each network separately.
3. Is Seznam's share in your data above 13%? Include Sklik in your test right away. Your customers use it more than average.
4. Does your budget cover two platforms? If both can gather enough conversions for automation to learn, run Google Ads plus an Sklik test. Otherwise stick to one platform, usually Google Ads.
5. Do you sell to businesses or consumers? B2B buyers search mainly on desktop, where Seznam holds a larger share than on mobile. Among mobile consumers, Google is stronger still.

The decision tree keeps you from starting on two platforms without reason. Your test has the final word.

If you already have conversion history in Google Ads, you can easily move a campaign to Sklik via import. If you are starting from zero, verify your site and tracking on one platform first.

Google Ads vs Sklik: why not split a small budget in half

Automated bidding learns from conversions (orders or leads). Splitting a small budget in half usually performs worse than giving one campaign enough data to learn.

Both networks set clear thresholds. For Target ROAS on Search and Shopping campaigns, Google Ads requires at least 15 conversions in 30 days. After changing a target, allow one to two conversion cycles (time from click to purchase) to hit the goal. Sklik's Chytrá kampaň switches to maximizing conversions after 30 search and 30 display conversions in 30 days.

Example: an online store expects 40 search orders a month.

• All in Google Ads: 40 conversions in 30 days clears the 15-conversion mark with room to spare.
• Split 50/50: each network gets 20 conversions. Google barely clears its mark, while Sklik's Chytrá kampaň falls short of 30 and 30.

Splitting the budget slows learning on both campaigns and makes them more volatile. That does not mean Sklik is not worth it—both systems just lack data.

Add the second platform when:

• Your first campaign holds a steady cost per conversion and extra spend no longer brings proportionally more customers.
• Your budget can fund the required conversions on the second platform too.
• You have an above-average Seznam share or an online store with a product feed.

Calculate what a customer can cost using Customer acquisition cost: how much you can afford.

How to test it yourself in 4–6 weeks

A 4-to-6-week test shows whether Sklik or Google Ads pays off for you:

1. Set up identical tracking. Both platforms must track the same conversion at the same value. Sklik uses its own tracking code.
2. Import the campaign. Import your Google Ads search campaign into Sklik. Check bids and ad assets that did not transfer.
3. Keep the budget steady. Any change mid-test restarts learning and skews the result.
4. Test for 4 to 6 weeks. With smaller budgets, lean toward six to gather enough conversions.
5. Compare results. Track cost per conversion, new-customer share, and lead quality—plus cost-to-revenue ratio or ROAS for online stores.
6. Decide. Shift budget where customers cost less. Do not pause a slightly pricier platform right away—it may reach people the first one misses.

Cost per conversion alone is not enough. For services, track which network's leads turn into jobs. For online stores, compare average order value and new-customer share too.

Find more context and guides in our articles and services:

• why ad platforms overstate results: Conversion attribution: why ad numbers exaggerate
• Zboží.cz and other e-commerce channels: Price comparison sites and marketplaces
• practical campaign setup: How to run a successful online PPC campaign
• preparing and evaluating a test with us: marketing campaigns, or tell us what you sell and to whom

Frequently asked questions