Google Ads vs Facebook Ads: Which Should a Small Business Start With?

“Should I run Google Ads or Facebook Ads?” is one of the first questions small business owners ask. The honest answer is that they do different jobs. Once you see the difference, the choice for your business usually becomes clear.

The one big difference: searching vs scrolling

Google Ads reaches people who are already searching. Someone types “visa consultant near me” or “buy running shoes”, and your ad appears right there. They already want something like what you sell.

Facebook and Instagram ads reach people who are scrolling. They weren’t looking for you. Your ad has to catch their eye, make them curious and give them a reason to act.

So Google Ads captures demand that already exists, while Facebook and Instagram ads create new demand.

When Google Ads is usually the better start

• People already search for what you sell. Services like repairs, legal help, travel, software and courses are often searched for by name.
• You offer a local service. People search with “near me” or a city name when they are ready to call.
• Your product solves an urgent problem. When something is broken, people search, they don’t scroll.
• You sell something people compare carefully. Buyers search for reviews, prices and alternatives before they decide.

When Facebook and Instagram ads are usually the better start

• Your product is visual. Fashion, beauty, home decor and food sell well with good photos and short videos.
• Your product is new or people don’t know to search for it. You first need to show them it exists.
• You sell an impulse buy at a friendly price. A good offer in the feed can lead straight to an order.
• Your customers already shop through Facebook and Instagram. In markets like Bangladesh, many people discover and buy products through Facebook pages, Messenger and Instagram.

Using both together

Many businesses get the best results by using both. Facebook and Instagram make people aware of your brand, and Google catches them later when they search for your name or your product. Both platforms can also show ads again to people who visited your website but didn’t buy yet, which is called retargeting.

If your budget is small, start with the one that fits your business best, learn what works, then add the second.

Set up tracking before you spend anything

The biggest waste in advertising is spending without knowing what came back. Before your first ad goes live:

• For Google Ads: set up conversion tracking in Google Ads or Google Analytics 4 for the actions that matter, such as purchases, form sends and calls.
• For Facebook and Instagram: install the Meta Pixel, and add the Conversions API if you can, so sales are counted even when browsers block some tracking.
• Test it. Place a test order or send a test form and check that it shows up.

Without this, both platforms optimise blindly, and you can’t tell a good ad from a bad one.

How much should you spend?

There isn’t one right number. The cost of a click depends on your industry, your country and your competitors. A useful way to think about it: start with a test budget large enough to get real data within a few weeks, not so large that a mistake hurts. Then put more money only into the ads and audiences that bring sales.

Mistakes that waste ad budget

• Pressing “Boost” on Facebook posts and calling it a campaign. Boosting rarely has the right goal or audience.
• Broad keywords on Google with no negative keywords, so you pay for searches that will never buy.
• No tracking, so nobody knows which ads work.
• Sending all ads to the home page instead of a page that matches the ad.
• Judging too early. A few days is not enough to know what works.
• Ignoring ad policies. Health, finance and affiliate offers have strict rules. Breaking them can get ads rejected or the account restricted.

A simple way to decide

Ask yourself one question: do people already search for what I sell?

• If yes, start with Google Ads.
• If no, or your product sells best with pictures, start with Facebook and Instagram ads.
• If you aren’t sure, test both with small budgets, with tracking in place, and let the results decide.

Get help setting it up

I hold the Google Ads Display Certification, and I plan, set up and manage both Google and Meta campaigns, with the tracking and landing pages built by the same person.

Before you spend on ads, run the free Website Check on the page you want to send traffic to. A slow page wastes paid clicks. Then book a free 30-minute call and we’ll pick the right place to start.