Right, let’s settle the one question I get asked more than any other. Google Ads or Meta Ads. Which one should a small business actually start with.
So here’s the answer, no mucking about. If you sell something people already search for, start on Google. It’s intent based, the person typed in exactly what they want and your ad shows up. Meta is interest based, a different game with a different payoff. Most businesses end up running both. But the order matters, and so does not quitting before the data shows up.
What Is the Difference Between Google Ads and Meta Ads?
The whole thing comes down to one word. Intent.
Google Ads catches demand that already exists. Someone needs a plumber at 10pm, they type “emergency plumber” into Google, your ad shows up, they call. They were already looking. You just made sure they found you instead of the bloke down the road.
Meta Ads work the other way. Nobody on Facebook or Instagram is searching for you. They’re scrolling. Looking at their mate’s holiday photos and a video of a dog on a skateboard. Your ad slides into that feed based on interests, age, location, behaviour. You’re interrupting, not answering. That’s not a bad thing. It’s just a completely different job.
| Google Ads | Meta Ads | |
|---|---|---|
| How it targets | Search intent (keywords) | Interests, behaviour, demographics |
| The mindset | Actively looking to buy | Scrolling, curious at best |
| Best for | Demand you can capture now | Demand you create and warm up |
| Lead quality | Usually higher intent | Cheaper, often colder |
| Where it shines | Trades, urgent services, high-intent search | Visual products, awareness, retargeting |
Should You Start With Google Ads or Meta Ads?
If you run a service business or sell a product people commonly search for, start on Google. Simple as that.
The reason is intent. When someone types “kitchen renovation Penrith” into Google, they’re telling you exactly what they want. You don’t have to guess. You don’t have to build awareness. You just have to show up with a relevant ad and a landing page that doesn’t fall over. The intent is already there, sitting in the search bar, waiting for you.
Meta is where I’d test next, alongside Google rather than instead of it. The targeting is genuinely good for the right product. If you’ve got something visual, something that benefits from a video or a before-and-after, Meta can do work that Google can’t. But you’re paying to create the interest, not catch it.
Why Are My Meta Leads Rubbish?
This one catches so many businesses out, so let me say it plainly.
People jump on Meta because they hear it gets cheap leads. And it can. You run a lead form, the cost per lead looks brilliant, you’re chuffed. Then you start calling those leads and half of them don’t pick up, and the ones who do go “oh yeah, I was just having a look.”
That’s the interest based platform doing exactly what it’s built to do. Those people were curious. They tapped a form because it was easy, auto-filled, two taps and done. They were never standing there with a credit card out. A cheap lead that never converts isn’t cheap. It’s the most expensive thing in your account, because you paid for it twice, once in spend and once in the hour you wasted chasing it.
Sometimes you do get people over the line from Meta. The trick is to stop measuring cost per lead and start measuring cost per booked job. That’s the number that pays your mortgage.
So Which One Wins?
The smart move is to test both. Within a budget you’re comfortable with. Then let the results tell you where the money goes. If you’d rather not run the test yourself, a Google Ads specialist can set it up properly from the start.
I’ve had plenty of accounts where Google smashes it and Meta does nothing. I’ve also had situations where Facebook quietly outperformed Google and surprised everyone in the room. You don’t know until you put real spend behind both and read what actually happens. Anyone who tells you with total certainty which one wins for your business, before spending a cent, is guessing. Or selling you something.
Google also isn’t just search anymore. Performance Max now pushes your ads across YouTube, Display, Discover and Shopping off a single campaign, which blurs the old line between the two platforms a fair bit. Even so, the core difference still holds. Google leans on intent, Meta leans on interest.
The Biggest Mistake: Giving Up Too Early
Here’s the one that costs more than any platform choice. Quitting before the data shows up.
Small businesses spend a couple hundred bucks, see nothing come through in a few days, panic, and switch it all off. I get why. It’s your money and it feels like it’s vanishing. But here’s the problem. These platforms need to learn. You need to learn. And neither of you can learn off a couple hundred dollars and a long weekend.
If you spend too little, you never gather enough data to know what truly works and what truly doesn’t. You’re not testing, you’re flinching. Things rarely happen overnight, and if they do, you got a fluke, and good on you. But until that fluke arrives, the job is to keep feeding the test enough to get a real answer.
This is the bit no course teaches properly, because “be patient and fund the test” doesn’t sell as well as “one weird trick.” But it’s the truth. The businesses that win at paid ads aren’t the ones who picked the perfect platform on day one. They’re the ones who stayed in long enough to read the data.
The Honest Verdict
If you’ve got products or services people search for, start on Google. The intent is already there and it’s the fastest path to a sale.
Add Meta when you’ve got the budget to test it properly, especially if your product is visual or you want to retarget the people Google already sent you. Run them side by side, judge them on cost per booked job rather than cost per lead, and give each one enough spend and enough time to actually mean something.
And don’t count either of them out before the data does. I’ve watched both platforms win. It’s not by fluke, it’s by testing properly and not bailing at the first quiet week.
That’s the whole game. The platform matters less than the patience and the reading of the numbers.
FAQ
Is Google Ads or Meta Ads better for a small business in Australia?
It depends on intent. If people already search for what you sell, start with Google Ads because you’re catching demand that exists. Meta Ads suit visual products, awareness and retargeting. Most small businesses end up running both and judging each on cost per booked job, not cost per lead.
Why are my Facebook leads not converting?
Because Meta is interest based, not intent based. People tap a lead form out of curiosity, not because they’re ready to buy. The leads look cheap but many go cold. Use proper landing pages with qualifying questions, and call back fast, ideally within minutes while they still remember enquiring.
How much should I spend before I know if Google Ads is working?
Enough to gather real data, not a couple hundred dollars over a weekend. The platform needs to learn and so do you. Most accounts need a few weeks of consistent spend before the numbers mean anything. Cutting it off early is the single most common reason small businesses think paid ads “don’t work.”
Can I run Google Ads and Meta Ads at the same time?
Yes, and most businesses should once budget allows. Run them side by side, give each enough spend to produce real data, then let the results decide where the money concentrates. Google often wins on intent-driven leads while Meta handles awareness and retargeting.
Is Meta cheaper than Google Ads?
Meta usually shows a lower cost per lead, but that’s misleading. When half those leads don’t answer or weren’t serious, your real cost per booked job can end up higher than Google. Compare the platforms on jobs won, not leads collected.
Which platform is better for tradies?
Google Ads, in most cases. When someone searches “emergency electrician” or “blocked drain near me” they want to book now, and that high intent suits trades perfectly. Meta can support a trade business for awareness and retargeting, but the urgent, ready-to-book searches live on Google.