Meta Ads vs Google Ads: Which platform is best for your business?

Google Ads and Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram) are the two giants in digital advertising. But which platform is best for your business? The answer depends on your goals, audience, and budget. Let's dive into the details.

Understanding the platforms

Google Ads: Capture demand

Google Ads works primarily on search intent - you capture people actively searching for what you offer. It's "pull marketing" at its highest level, where you meet customers with purchase intent at the precise moment they search.

Meta Ads: Create demand

Meta Ads is about creating demand through targeted "push marketing". You reach people in their social feeds and introduce them to products or services they might not have known they needed.

Comparing strengths and weaknesses

Which platform fits your business?

Choose Google Ads if:

• You sell products/services people actively search for
• You have a clear ROI requirement and need fast results
• Your audience uses search engines for research
• You have a competitive budget
• You offer B2B services or niche products

Choose Meta Ads if:

• You focus on brand awareness and discovery
• You have visually appealing products
• Your audience is active on social media
• You have a limited budget to start with
• You sell lifestyle or impulse purchase products

Audience and demographics

Google Ads reaches all age groups and demographics, as almost everyone uses Google for search. Particularly effective for:

• Professional audiences (B2B)
• Older demographics (50+)
• People in the purchase phase of customer journey

Meta Ads has stronger reach among younger demographics and is particularly good for:

• Millennials and Gen Z
• Visual-oriented brands
• Impulse purchases and discovery

Budget and costs

Average CPC (Cost Per Click):

• Google Ads: 15-50 DKK per click (varies greatly by industry)
• Meta Ads: 3-15 DKK per click

Although Meta Ads is generally cheaper per click, Google Ads can have higher conversion rates due to search intent, which can make them more cost-effective per conversion.

Attribution and tracking

Google Ads typically has more precise attribution, as it directly connects search to action. Meta Ads has been affected by iOS 14.5+ updates, making attribution more challenging, but the platform has invested massively in Conversions API and modeling to compensate.

Integration and ecosystem

Google Ads integrates seamlessly with Google Analytics, YouTube, Gmail, and Shopping, providing a cohesive ecosystem. Meta Ads offers integration across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, plus access to Audience Network.

The ideal strategy: Both, not either/or

For most businesses, the optimal approach is to use both platforms complementarily:

• Meta Ads for brand awareness, retargeting, and top-of-funnel
• Google Ads to capture bottom-of-funnel intent and direct conversions
• Cross-platform retargeting for maximum reach
• Unified reporting for holistic performance tracking

Get started: Step-by-step

1. Start with research:

• Analyze where your audience is
• Research competitors' approach
• Define your primary KPIs

2. Test both platforms:

• Allocate 60/40 budget split based on your primary objective
• Run 30-day tests on both platforms
• Analyze performance and optimize