Start with Google ads if people already search for what you sell, because you're paying to appear at the moment they're ready to buy. Start with Meta ads if your product is new, visual or easy to explain in a few seconds, because Meta is better at finding people who didn't know they needed you. Most businesses end up using both.
How the two platforms find customers
The difference comes down to intent. On Google, the customer tells you what they want by typing it. Someone searching "emergency boiler repair Ilford" or "NDIS support worker near me" has a problem today. Your ad answers it.
On Facebook and Instagram, nobody is searching. People are scrolling. Meta's job is to show your ad to the people most likely to care, based on what it knows about their interests and behaviour. That makes it good at creating demand, but it needs strong creative to stop someone mid-scroll.
| Google ads | Meta ads | |
|---|---|---|
| How people find you | They search for it | You find them while they scroll |
| Best when | Demand already exists | You need to create demand |
| What wins | Keywords, bids and landing pages | Creative: the hook, video and offer |
| Cost per click | Often higher | Often lower |
| Lead quality | Usually higher intent | Varies more, depends on creative and offer |
| Good for | Services, local businesses, urgent needs, B2B | Ecommerce, apps, new products, visual brands |
When to start with Google ads
- People already search for your service. Plumbers, clinics, solicitors, care providers and B2B software all have clear search demand.
- The need is urgent. Someone searching for help today converts faster than someone who saw an ad while relaxing.
- You sell to a specific location. Google lets you target tightly by area and show up in local searches.
In our work with Homage, an in-home care provider in Australia, we built Google campaigns around urgent searches from families on government waitlists who needed a carer that week. Over twelve months, Google cost-per-lead fell from A$124 to A$67.
When to start with Meta ads
- People don't know to search for you yet. If your product is new or solves a problem people put up with, you need to show it to them.
- Your product is visual or easy to demonstrate. A 15-second video can do the selling.
- You want to build an audience over time. Meta lets you retarget people who watched your videos or visited your site.
For My Dental Buddy, a children's brushing app, nobody was searching for "gamified toothbrushing app". Meta ads led with a feeling every parent knew, the nightly brushing battle, and creative testing cut cost per install by 61%.
Why most businesses end up using both
The platforms work best together. Meta creates interest, and some of those people later search for you by name on Google. Google captures people who are ready now, and Meta can follow up with visitors who didn't convert. When we rebuilt Homage's Meta ads to support search instead of running on their own, cost-per-lead fell on both platforms.
A sensible order for most businesses:
- Fix tracking first, so you can see which ads lead to real customers, not just clicks or form fills.
- Start on the platform that matches how your customers buy.
- Once that platform is profitable, add the other to feed or follow up the first.
What about TikTok?
TikTok works like Meta, finding people as they scroll, but rewards content that looks native to the feed. It suits brands with under-35 customers and products that are easy to show on video. For most B2B businesses and older audiences, Meta and Google come first. Read more on our TikTok ads page.
How much should you spend to test?
Enough for the platform to learn. A budget that's too small spreads across too few results to tell you anything. Rather than picking a round number, work back from your goal. Each platform needs a steady flow of conversions to optimise (Meta, for example, aims for about 50 per ad set in a week to finish its learning phase), so your test budget should cover that at a realistic cost per result for your industry. We work this out with you on a strategy call.
Common questions
Is Google or Meta cheaper?
Meta usually has cheaper clicks, but cheaper clicks don't mean cheaper customers. Judge each platform on cost per customer and return on ad spend, not cost per click.
Can I run both from the start?
You can, but splitting a small budget across two platforms often means neither gets enough data to work. If your budget is limited, start with one and add the second once the first is profitable.
How long until I know if it's working?
Expect early signals in two to three weeks and a clear picture in 60 to 90 days, once tracking is solid and you've tested several ads or keyword groups.
