Facebook aims to compete with Google with updated ad program

In an attempt to entice more small-business customers to advertise on Facebook (NYSE: FB), the company in June launched a tracking pixel, a piece of code that allows advertisers to see who visits their websites from Facebook ads.

The ability to track customers, along with other recent changes, might be a game changer for certain small businesses and better arms the social media platform to compete with Google AdWords, according to the New York Times.

Facebook advertisers can now specify objectives such as driving traffic to a website, encouraging more “likes” or securing more sales. They also can decide whether their ads would appear in the website’s “news feed” or in a column on the right side of its pages, as well as more effectively target demographics they want to reach.

Read more from the New York Times.