Google Ads or Meta Ads: where should you start?

Google Ads and Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram) are often described as interchangeable. They are not. They reach people at very different moments.

Google Ads: people already looking

Search ads appear when someone types a specific need, such as "physiotherapist near me". The person is already looking, so this suits services where customers search when a problem appears: clinics, repairs, legal help, local services.

Meta Ads: people who have not searched yet

Meta ads appear while people scroll. They suit products and offers that are visual, impulse friendly or need awareness first: fashion, food, courses, events, and new brands that few people search for by name.

A simple way to choose

• If customers already search for what you sell, start with Google search ads.
• If people need to be shown that you exist, start with Meta.
• If your budget is small, pick one platform and do it properly rather than splitting it thinly.

Whatever you choose

Set up conversion tracking first, send visitors to a page built for the offer instead of the home page, and give the campaign a few weeks of data before making big changes. The platform matters less than tracking, the landing page and the offer.