Google Ads vs Meta ads: which should a local business start with?

Both platforms can bring in customers, but they work in opposite ways. Google Ads shows your ad to people who are already searching. Meta ads put your business in front of people who weren't looking for you yet. Which one to start with depends mostly on one question: do people already search for what you sell?

The short answer

Start with Google Ads if people actively search for your service when they need it: plumbers, lawyers, repair shops, contractors, accountants, IT support. Start with Meta ads if what you sell is visual, impulse-driven or something people don't know to look for yet: restaurants, boutiques, events, salons, new products. Most growing businesses end up using both, each for what it does best.

How does Google Ads work?

You choose keywords, such as "emergency plumber Regina", and write ads for them. When someone searches a matching phrase, Google runs an auction among advertisers, weighing each bid against how relevant and useful the ad and landing page are. You usually pay only when someone clicks.

The big advantage is intent. Someone typing "furnace repair near me" at 9 pm wants help now, so leads tend to be ready to act. The trade-off is cost: competitive keywords in legal, home services and finance can cost several dollars or more per click, so wasted clicks add up quickly.

Google also offers Performance Max campaigns that spread ads across Search, YouTube, Maps, Gmail and display sites, and Local Services Ads for eligible trades, where you pay per lead rather than per click.

How do Meta ads work?

Meta ads run on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Meta's partner apps. Instead of keywords, you describe an audience (location, age range, interests, or people similar to your customers) or let Meta's system find people likely to respond. Your ad appears in feeds, Stories and Reels while people scroll.

Meta creates demand rather than capturing it. It's excellent for showing something new, building awareness in your area and retargeting people who visited your site. Clicks are often cheaper than on Google, but the people clicking are earlier in their decision, so expect to nurture them.

Side by side

• Intent: Google reaches people searching now; Meta reaches people who match a profile.
• Creative: Google search ads are mostly text; Meta lives or dies on images and short video.
• Lead quality: Google leads are usually warmer; Meta leads often need follow-up.
• Best for: Google for urgent and considered services; Meta for visual, local and new offers.
• Learning curve: both reward patience. Expect the first few weeks to be about learning what works.

How much should a local business spend to start?

Enough to get meaningful data, which depends on your costs per click and how many clicks it takes to win a customer. A useful way to plan: estimate what a new customer is worth to you, decide what you'd happily pay to win one, and budget for at least a month of steady spending before judging results. Starting too small spreads the budget so thin that nothing can be learned.

Using both together

A common pattern for local businesses is to run Meta to build awareness in your area, then let Google capture the searches that follow. Retargeting on both platforms reminds people who visited your website but didn't call. Email then keeps past customers coming back without paying for them twice.

Before you spend anything

1. Set up conversion tracking. Calls, form submissions and bookings should be recorded in Google Analytics 4 and in each ad platform, or you'll be guessing.
2. Send ads to a relevant landing page. An ad for furnace repair should land on a furnace repair page, not your homepage.
3. Check policy basics. Both platforms review your site: it needs a privacy policy, clear business details, and claims you can back up.
4. Know the special rules. Ads for jobs, housing and credit fall into special categories on both platforms, with limited targeting options.
5. Decide how you'll respond. Ads that bring calls nobody answers are worse than no ads.

Signs a campaign isn't working

Lots of clicks with no enquiries usually points to the landing page or the wrong keywords. Plenty of impressions with few clicks points to the ad itself. If enquiries arrive but don't turn into customers, look at targeting and at how quickly you follow up. Fix one thing at a time so you know what made the difference.

We manage both: see our Google Ads management and Meta ads management pages, or ask for a free quote.