Google Ads vs Meta Ads: Which Should Your Business Run First?
Every week a business owner asks us the same question: 'Google or Facebook?' The honest answer is that they do different jobs, and the right first choice depends on one thing — whether your customers already search for what you sell.
Here's the decision framework we use before spending a single dollar of a client's budget, refined across campaigns in India, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
The one-question framework
Ask: do people type your service into Google with buying intent? 'Emergency plumber Perth', 'dentist near me', 'moving company Toronto' — if yes, Google Search captures that demand today, and it should get your first dollar.
If your product is something people don't search for yet — a new brand, a course, a D2C product, real estate project launches — Meta creates demand by putting scroll-stopping creative in front of the right audience.
What each platform really costs
Search clicks cost more but convert higher: for local services expect AU$4–$15 per click in Australia and ₹20–₹120 in India, converting at 5–15% to enquiry. Meta clicks are cheaper but need more nurturing: click-to-WhatsApp campaigns routinely land qualified conversations at a third of search's cost-per-lead — with more unqualified noise to filter.
This is why the platforms aren't rivals; they're stages. Meta fills the top of the funnel cheaply, Google harvests the bottom precisely.
The 70/30 rule for a first budget
If demand exists: put 70% into Google Search on exact, high-intent keywords with tight match types, and 30% into Meta retargeting everyone who clicked but didn't convert. If demand doesn't exist yet: reverse it — 70% Meta prospecting with strong creative, 30% Google Brand + generic catch terms.
Revisit the split monthly against one number: cost per booked appointment (or sale), never cost per click.
The mistakes that burn budgets
Five patterns kill most self-managed accounts before they get a fair test:
- Broad match keywords with no negative list — Google spends your money 'exploring'.
- Sending paid clicks to the homepage instead of a matched landing page.
- No conversion tracking — optimising for clicks, not customers.
- Judging Meta after 3 days — the learning phase needs 30–50 conversions to stabilise.
- One ad creative, never refreshed — creative fatigue quietly doubles your costs every few weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Can I run Google Ads and Meta Ads at the same time?
Yes — mature accounts almost always run both. Meta creates and warms demand; Google captures it when people search. Start with the platform matching your demand situation, add the second once the first is profitable.
What's a realistic starting budget?
In India: ₹30,000–₹60,000/month total ad spend validates most local funnels. In Australia/Canada/NZ: $1,000–$3,000/month. Below these levels the platforms can't exit learning phase on conversion-based bidding.
How long before ads become profitable?
Search campaigns for existing demand can book appointments in week one. Meta prospecting typically needs 4–6 weeks of creative testing and optimisation. Systems — landing page, tracking, follow-up — shorten both dramatically.
Want this built for your business instead of reading about it?
Free 10-point audit of your website, ads & socials — replies within 2 hours.
Get a free ads account audit