The short version
- Google Ads reach people who are searching for what you do right now. Best for urgent or high-intent needs.
- Facebook and Instagram ads reach people by location and interests before they search. Best for visual businesses, offers and events.
- Most service businesses should start with Google. Restaurants, retail, fitness, events and anything people choose with their eyes often do better on Meta.
- Whichever you pick, set up tracking first. Without it you're judging ads on clicks and likes instead of customers.
"Should I be on Facebook or Google?" is one of the most common questions we get. The honest answer is that they're not really competitors. They do different jobs. Once you see the difference, it's usually clear which one to try first.
The big difference: searching vs scrolling
Google Ads show up when someone types a search. They already know what they want: "furnace repair Milton", "physio near me", "wedding photographer Burlington". You're answering a question they've just asked.
Facebook and Instagram ads (both run through Meta) show up while people scroll. They weren't looking for you. You're getting their attention based on where they live and what they're interested in, and giving them a reason to stop.
That one difference shapes everything else: cost, the kind of ad that works, and which businesses do well on each.
When Google Ads usually wins
- Urgent needs. Burst pipe, broken furnace, locked out, toothache. Nobody's scrolling Instagram for a plumber at 11pm.
- High-value services people research. Renovations, legal help, accounting, clinics. People search, compare and call.
- Services people know they need but don't have a name for yet. They'll search for the problem, and you can be there.
Google clicks often cost more than Meta clicks, but the person clicking is usually much closer to calling. If you're a trade, also look at Local Services Ads, which charge per lead instead of per click.
When Facebook and Instagram usually win
- Visual businesses. Restaurants, cafes, salons, landscapers, renovators, boutiques. A great photo or short video sells.
- Offers and events. Grand openings, seasonal promotions, classes, camps, open houses.
- Things people don't search for but want once they see them. A new bakery, a kids' program, a fitness class.
- Staying top of mind. Showing ads to people who visited your website but didn't book (retargeting) is cheap and often effective.
Clicks are usually cheaper, but people are earlier in the decision, so you need a clear offer and a good follow-up. Meta's lead forms can bring in a lot of enquiries, and some of them will be low quality. Following up quickly matters.
Side by side
| Google Ads | Facebook & Instagram | |
|---|---|---|
| How people find you | They search for it | You appear while they scroll |
| Targeting | Search terms, location, time | Location, interests, age, past visitors |
| Best for | Urgent and researched services | Visual businesses, offers, events, awareness |
| Typical click cost | Higher | Lower |
| Lead quality | Usually higher intent | Mixed, needs good follow-up |
| What makes the ad work | The right keywords and a page that converts | The image or video and the offer |
What both need to work
Tracking
Before spending a dollar, set up tracking so you can see calls, form fills and bookings from each campaign. On Google that's conversion tracking. On Meta it's the Meta Pixel and Conversions API. Without it, you'll judge ads on clicks and likes, which tell you very little about customers. Our landing pages and tracking service sets this up properly.
A page that converts
Sending ad traffic to your homepage usually wastes money. A focused page for the service or offer in the ad, with a clear call button and a short form, does much better on both platforms.
A local focus
Both platforms will happily spend your budget on people outside your service area if you let them. Set your locations carefully and check where your results are coming from.
Accounts in your name
Your Google Ads account, your Meta ad account and your Facebook Page should belong to your business, not your agency. If you ever switch providers, you keep the history, the audiences and the data.
How to test without wasting money
- Pick one platform based on the sections above. Don't split a small budget across both on day one.
- Choose one service or offer to advertise, and build a page for it.
- Set up tracking and check it works with a test call and a test form.
- Run it for at least a month with a budget you're comfortable losing while you learn.
- Judge it on cost per lead and cost per customer, not clicks.
- Keep what works, cut what doesn't, then consider adding the other platform.
Should you just boost posts?
Boosting a Facebook post is the simplest way to spend money on Meta, and sometimes it's fine for an event or announcement. But it skips most of the targeting and tracking options, and it optimizes for likes and engagement rather than customers. For anything you're counting on to bring in business, a proper campaign set up in Ads Manager does better.
Want an honest recommendation?
Tell us what you sell, who buys it and roughly what you'd spend. We'll tell you which platform we'd start with, or whether you should fix something else first.See our Facebook & Instagram ads service →