Google Ads and Meta ads aren't competing for the same job. Google catches people who are already searching for what you sell. Meta (Facebook and Instagram) finds the people who are going to buy, whether they've started looking yet or not. If your budget allows it, the answer for most businesses is both, set up so each one does the job it's good at.
The more useful question is which one to start with, and how to set each one up so it actually works. That's what this guide covers.
In a nutshell
- Google Ads is demand capture. It shows your business to people at the moment they search for it, through Search ads (the text results at the top of Google) and Shopping ads (product listings with a photo and price).
- Meta is far more than awareness or retargeting. It's very good at finding people who are in the market right now, based on what they browse, watch and engage with. It covers every stage, from someone who's never heard of you to someone ready to buy today.
- Google clicks cost more. In our experience, a click from Google costs around five times what a visit from Meta does. You're paying for intent.
- Most people won't convert on their first visit. Running both channels keeps you in front of them until they're ready.
- On Meta, your creative does the targeting. One ad won't carry a campaign. You need a range of ads that speak to people at different stages of their decision.
What Google Ads is actually good at
Google's strength is timing. Someone typing what they need into a search bar has already decided they need it. Your job is to be the business they choose.
There are two parts of Google most businesses should care about:
- Search ads. The text ads at the top of the results. These work for any business where there's a clear, short phrase people type when they need you. Most service businesses fit here, from trades to professional services, and anything urgent where people search and pick someone the same day.
- Shopping ads. The product listings with an image, price and store name. If you sell physical products online, Shopping is usually where Google earns its keep. People are comparing products and prices right there in the results, and the click lands them on the exact product page. For most ecommerce businesses, Shopping is the first Google campaign we'd set up, before Search.
Here's the simple test. When your customers need what you sell, do they Google it? If yes, Google belongs in your plan.
What Google can't do is create demand that doesn't exist. If you sell something new, something people don't know to look for, or something they buy on impulse when they see it, there's no search to show up in. That's where Meta comes in.
Where Meta wins (and why it isn't just retargeting)
A lot of people still think of Facebook and Instagram ads as either a brand awareness play or a way to follow people around after they've visited your website. Both of those happen, but they massively undersell what Meta does now.
Meta is very good at working out who is in the market for something right now. Think about the last time you started looking for a new pair of runners, a holiday or a new car. Within a day or two, your feed was full of ads for exactly that, and often not from the sites you'd visited. That's Meta picking up the signals that you're in buying mode and putting the right businesses in front of you. It's harvesting demand that already exists, not just creating it.
On top of that, it still does the jobs Google can't:
- Introducing your business to people who've never heard of you
- Building trust with people who are comparing options
- Staying in front of people who visited your site and didn't buy yet
- Closing the sale with people who are ready
All from one platform, and usually from one campaign. That's a lot of ground for one channel to cover, which is why we'd rarely tell a business to ignore it.
The cost gap: why Google costs more
In our experience, a click from Google costs around five times what a landing page visit from Meta costs. In competitive industries the gap can be bigger.
That's not because Google is a worse deal. You're paying a premium for someone who has put their hand up and said "I need this". Those people convert at a higher rate, so a more expensive click can still be the cheaper customer.
So don't judge either channel on cost per click. Judge them on cost per lead or cost per sale, and on whether those leads turn into paying customers.
Why the two work best together
When someone visits your website and does what you want, like buying, booking or getting in touch, that's a conversion. As a rough guide:
- For enquiries and bookings, 5% to 20% of visitors converting is a solid range. Asking someone to get in touch is a small commitment.
- For online purchases, 2% to 5% is normal. Handing over a credit card is a bigger step.
Flip that around and most of the people you paid to bring to your site leave without converting. That isn't a failure. Most people need to see a business a few times before they act.
This is where running both channels pays off. Google brings in high-intent visitors. Meta keeps your business in front of them, and also finds a whole group of new buyers who were never going to search. Each channel makes the other one work harder, and your overall cost per customer comes down.
Why one ad on Meta won't last
It's tempting to make one good ad, put money behind it and leave it. Sometimes that works for a little while. Then it stops, and it usually stops quickly.
Two reasons:
- Meta now targets with your creative. Meta's current ad system (known as Andromeda) works out who to show each ad to largely from the ad itself: the image or video, the words and the angle. That means the old approach of building lots of separate campaigns for each audience doesn't work anymore. We now put all the ads into one campaign, covering every stage of the decision, and let Meta match the right ad to the right person. If you only give it one ad, you've only given it one way to find customers.
- People need to hear more than one thing. Someone who's never heard of you needs a different message to someone who's comparing you with two competitors. Between them, your ads need to:
- Grab attention with different hooks, angles and opening lines
- Answer the worries that stop people buying, like price, trust or timing
- Answer the questions your customers always ask
- Show what makes you different, so people think "you know what, I'm going with them"
As a starting point, we recommend 10 to 20 ads in a campaign, spread across those stages. Then keep adding fresh creative as the older ads wear out. You can read more about what's working in our guide to Meta ads creative in 2026.
How much creative you need depends on your price
The bigger the decision, the more convincing it takes.
If you sell something for $30, it's an easy yes. A few strong ads that show the product and the offer might be enough, because people don't need much persuading.
If you sell something for $3,000, people want proof. They want to see reviews, understand how it works, have their objections answered and feel confident before they commit. That means more ads covering more angles, and more touchpoints before the sale.
So before you start, ask how big a decision buying from you is. The higher the price, the wider the range of creative you'll need ready to go.
So where should you start?
If you can only do one well right now, start with the one that matches how your customers find you:
- You sell products online: start with Google Shopping, and add Meta as soon as you can. Meta is often the bigger growth channel for ecommerce.
- People search for your service when they need it: start with Google Search, with Meta alongside to reach people before they search and stay in front of them after.
- People don't know to look for what you sell: start with Meta. There's no search to show up in yet, so you need to go and find them.
Then add the second channel once the first one is set up properly and you can see what it's returning. Doing one channel properly beats doing two badly.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Ads or Facebook Ads better for small business?
Neither is better across the board. Google is best when people search for what you sell. Meta is best at finding people who are in the market, including those who haven't searched yet, and usually costs less per visit. Most small businesses get the best results running both, with each channel doing its own job.
Why is Google Ads more expensive than Facebook Ads?
You're paying to reach people who are actively searching, and lots of businesses compete for those same searches. In our experience, a Google click costs around five times a Meta visit. Those clicks often convert better, so compare channels on cost per lead or sale, not cost per click.
Should ecommerce businesses use Google Search or Google Shopping?
For most online stores, Shopping comes first. Shoppers see your product, price and store before they click, and they land straight on the product page. Search is still worth running for your brand name and high-intent product searches.
What is a good conversion rate?
For enquiries and bookings, 5% to 20% of visitors converting is a good range. For online purchases, 2% to 5% is normal. Purchases sit lower because buying is a bigger commitment than getting in touch.
How many ads should I run on Meta?
Start with 10 to 20 ads in one campaign, covering every stage from first introduction through to ready to buy. Higher-priced products and services need more angles and more touchpoints. Keep adding fresh creative as older ads wear out.
Is Meta just for retargeting?
No. Retargeting is one small part of what Meta does. It's very good at finding people who are in the market right now, introducing you to people who've never heard of you, and closing the sale, all within the same campaign.
Final thoughts: stop picking sides
Google Ads vs Meta ads isn't an either-or decision. Google captures the people who are already searching. Meta finds the people who are in the market, and the ones who will be soon, and keeps you in front of them until they're ready. Set each one up for the job it's good at, and they make each other work harder.
Not sure which one to start with, or how to split your budget between them? Book a Hedgehog strategy session and we'll help you work out where Google and Meta fit for your business.
This guide is written by Hedgehog, a digital marketing consultancy for small and medium businesses in Australia. We offer digital marketing training, strategy and consulting.
