Use Google Ads when people are already searching for what you sell, like a plumber or a dentist. Use Facebook and Instagram ads when you need to create demand for something people are not searching for yet, or to stay front of mind. Most local businesses get the best results running both, with Google capturing intent and Meta building it.
These two channels do different jobs, and choosing between them is really about whether your customers are already looking for you.
Google Ads: catching intent
Google Ads shows your business to people at the moment they search. Someone typing blocked drain Gold Coast has a problem right now and is ready to pay to fix it. You are not convincing anyone, you are simply showing up first.
That makes Google the strongest channel for services people search for when they need them. Trades, clinics, legal, anything urgent or considered. The intent is already there, and the ads catch it.
Facebook and Instagram: building demand
Meta ads work differently. Nobody opens Instagram looking to buy. They are scrolling, which means your ad has to earn attention before it can sell anything.
That sounds like a weakness, but it is where Meta wins. It puts you in front of the right local people before they need you, builds recognition, and brings back the ones who looked but were not ready. For a new product, a launch, or anything people would not think to search for, it is the better starting point.
Why most businesses use both
The two channels feed each other. Meta builds awareness, so more people search for you by name, which is the cheapest click you will ever buy on Google. Google catches the people who are ready, and Meta retargets the ones who visited but did not act.
Run alone, each leaves money on the table. Run together, they cover the full path from first hearing about you to booking. That is why we manage them as one service rather than treating them as a choice.
If you have to pick one to start
If people already search for what you do, start with Google. The intent is there and the path to a booked job is shortest.
If you are introducing something new, or your service is more of a want than an urgent need, start with Meta to build the demand first. Either way, the landing page you send the clicks to will decide how much of that traffic turns into real enquiries.
