“Should we be on Google or Meta?” is one of the first questions almost every new client asks us, and the honest answer is that they’re built to solve different problems.
Google Ads captures existing demand. Someone searching “emergency plumber near me” or “best CRM for small teams” already knows they have a need – Google Ads puts you in front of them at the exact moment they’re looking. This makes it especially strong for high-intent, bottom-of-funnel purchases and local services.
Meta Ads creates demand. Nobody is searching for your new product before they’ve heard of it. Meta’s strength is interrupting a scroll with a compelling offer or story, which makes it especially effective for brand awareness, DTC products, and businesses where the buying decision is more impulse or interest-driven.
Our usual starting point: if your product solves an urgent, well-defined problem people already search for, weight budget toward Google Ads first. If you’re introducing something newer or more visual that people don’t yet know to search for, Meta Ads usually earns budget priority.
Most brands that scale past a certain point eventually need both – Google to capture people once they start searching, and Meta to make sure more people start searching in the first place.