Start with Google Ads if people already search for what you sell. Start with Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram) if people do not yet know they need it. Either way, set up tracking first, so you can see which ad brings a customer and not just a click. Most businesses end up using both.
We hear this question from many owners: B2B services, software companies and online shops. The answer depends on a few things most agencies skip. We start with tracking, which is why our ads management service sets it up before any budget is spent.
What is the difference between Google Ads and Meta Ads?
Google Ads captures demand that already exists. Someone types “payroll software for small teams” into Google. They have a problem and want a solution now. Your ad appears. They click. This is intent-based advertising.
Meta Ads creates demand. Someone is scrolling through photos from a friend’s holiday. Your ad appears between posts. They were not looking for you, but the ad makes them think about a problem they had put off. This is interruption-based advertising.
Neither is better in general. For most businesses, one is the better place to start.
When should you start with Google Ads?
Start here if potential customers are already searching for what you do. That covers most B2B services, accountants, IT consultants, and software that solves a known problem.
You reach people at the moment they need you. Search clicks usually come from people with a clearer need than someone scrolling a social feed, so a click is more likely to turn into an enquiry. How much more depends on your market, so measure it on your own account.
What makes Google Ads work?
Specific keywords. Bid on high-intent phrases like “emergency plumber Croydon” or “invoice software for freelancers.” Avoid broad words like “software” or “plumber.” You will pay for clicks from people who are not your customers.
A dedicated landing page for each offer. Do not send ad traffic to your homepage. If the ad is about invoice software for freelancers, the page should be about that.
Call and form tracking. Many leads arrive as phone calls, not forms. Set up tracking for both, so you know which ads and keywords produced them. Without this you are flying blind.
Negative keywords. These are words that stop your ad showing. Add words like “free,” “DIY,” “salary,” “jobs” and “training” to filter out people who will never buy.
What does Google Ads cost?
Cost per click varies hugely by industry and place. Some terms are cheap and some are very expensive.
So the cost per click is not the number to watch. Watch the cost per enquiry, then the cost per customer. If an enquiry turns into a customer worth far more than the ad spend, the maths works. If your average customer is worth less than the cost of winning them, it does not.
When should you start with Meta Ads?
Start here when people do not know they need your service yet, or when it is not something they search for.
That covers new brands, online shops selling things people want but do not look for, and new products in a category nobody has named yet. Nobody Googles for a solution to a problem they have not noticed. But they might stop scrolling when an ad shows someone in a similar situation.
What makes Meta Ads work?
Creative that stops the scroll. Your ad competes with holiday photos and videos of cats. The first second must earn attention. Short video often beats a static image, but test it on your own account rather than trusting a rule. Show real products, real people and real results you can back up.
Smart audiences. Lookalike audiences are groups of people who resemble your existing customers. They often work well. Interest targeting is good for early tests. Retargeting means showing ads to people who already visited your site, and it tends to convert best.
An offer that is easy to say yes to. A free audit, a guide or a short call is easier to accept than “buy now.” People on social media need warming up first.
What does Meta Ads cost?
Clicks usually cost less than on Google, but fewer clicks turn into enquiries. The leads can also be less ready to buy, because they were not looking when they saw your ad. Your own numbers, not an industry average, will tell you what the leads are worth.
Should you use both?
Often yes. Google Ads catches people who are already searching. Meta Ads reaches people who do not know you yet.
A sensible way to think about the split:
Most of the budget goes where people already want to buy. For many businesses that is Google search. It brings the enquiries you can close this month.
A smaller share builds future demand. Use Meta for retargeting your website visitors, promoting your best content and reaching new people. This fills next month’s pipeline. If you are unsure how to structure it, read our Meta Ads budget guide.
A small share is for tests. Try new keywords, new audiences and new formats. Next quarter’s winners come from this quarter’s tests.
The exact split depends on your margins, your sales cycle and what your tracking shows. Let the data move it over time.
What mistakes waste ad budgets?
1. Sending traffic to your homepage
Your homepage speaks to everyone. Your ads speak to one person with one problem. Send them to a page that matches what the ad promised.
2. Not tracking conversions properly
If you cannot tell which ads brought real customers, and not just clicks or form fills, you cannot improve your spend. Set up conversion tracking for calls, form submissions and booked appointments. Tag Manager helps here. It is one container that holds all your tracking tags, so each tool is added, changed and tested in one place.
3. Giving up too soon
Both platforms need time and enough budget to learn which people respond. If you switch off a campaign after a few days because “nothing happened,” you paid for the learning and threw it away.
When should you hire an agency?
If ads are a small part of your growth and you have time to learn, you can run them yourself. If ads are a main source of customers, an experienced person will usually find waste you cannot see. The gap between a well-run account and a badly run one can be large.
At Ablyon we run paid search and paid social as one system for growing businesses. We will not quote you a return on ad spend here. A number without your margins, your offer and your sales cycle behind it is marketing, not evidence.
Send the brief and, in our reply, we will tell you what we think each channel is worth for your business, including when the answer is “not much.”
