Facebook Ads vs Google Ads: Which Is Right for Your Business?

"Should I run Facebook ads or Google ads?" is one of the most common questions business owners ask — and the honest answer is: it depends what you're trying to do.

The two platforms do fundamentally different jobs. Understand that, and the choice gets simple.

The core difference

Google Ads captures demand that already exists. Someone types "emergency plumber Bondi" — they have a problem right now and they're ready to buy. Your ad meets them at the exact moment of intent.

Facebook (and Instagram) Ads create demand. People aren't searching for you; they're scrolling. You interrupt them with something compelling and generate interest that wasn't there a second ago.

Neither is "better." They're different tools for different moments in the buying journey.

What each costs

Google clicks cost more (higher intent, more competition) but convert at a higher rate because the person was already looking. Facebook clicks are cheaper and reach far more people, but a smaller share buy on the first visit because you caught them mid-scroll.

The right way to compare isn't cost per click — it's cost per booked job and the return you get. A "cheap" click that never converts is expensive.

When Google wins

• You sell something people actively search for ("aircon repair," "conveyancing")
• The need is urgent (emergencies, breakdowns)
• You want the fastest path from click to customer

For most trades and service businesses, this is where to start — see getting more leads for a service business.

When Facebook wins

• Your product needs explaining or showing (before-and-afters, transformations)
• You're building awareness in a local area
• You have a strong offer that can hook a cold audience

The real answer: usually both

Most businesses that scale end up using both, because they work together. Google captures the people ready to buy today. Facebook builds awareness and demand so that more people search for you tomorrow — and retargets the ones who visited but didn't act.

Start with the one that matches your buyer's intent, get it profitable, then layer in the other. Don't spread a small budget thinly across both and expect either to work.

The takeaway

Pick based on intent, judge on return not clicks, and treat paid ads as one channel in a wider system — never the whole strategy.

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Quinn Consolidated builds predictable acquisition across paid, organic and referral for founders doing $1M+. If your ads aren't paying for themselves, let's talk.