By The Keller Creative Team
The short answer on google ads vs facebook ads is that they solve different problems, so for most businesses the real question is which one to start with, not which one to keep forever. Google Ads puts you in front of people who are already searching for what you sell. Facebook and Instagram ads put you in front of people who fit your ideal customer but aren't looking yet. If people actively search for your product or service, Google usually earns the first dollar. If they don't, or you're building awareness for something new, social often does.
Key takeaways
- Google Ads captures existing demand by showing your ad to people actively searching for what you offer, usually the faster path to leads and sales.
- Facebook and Instagram ads create demand by reaching people who match your customer profile before they start shopping, which builds awareness and fills the top of your funnel.
- Businesses that sell searched-for services (plumbers, dentists, lawyers, HVAC, auto repair) usually see the quickest return by starting with Google Ads.
- Businesses selling visual, impulse, or lifestyle products, or launching something brand new, often get more traction from Facebook and Instagram first.
- Most growing businesses run both, because search catches people ready to buy while social keeps you in front of everyone who isn't ready yet.
How Google Ads and Facebook Ads actually work
Both platforms charge you to reach people, but they do it at completely different moments, and that difference drives everything below.
Google Ads: catching demand that already exists
Google Ads work on intent. Somebody types "emergency plumber near me" or "commercial roofing Knoxville," and your ad shows up right when they need you. You're not convincing anyone they have a problem. They already know, and they're looking for someone to fix it.
You pay per click, meaning you're charged only when someone clicks. Cost per click (CPC) swings a lot by industry, from a dollar or two in low-competition trades up to $30, $50, or more for competitive legal and medical terms. Because you're reaching people near the bottom of the funnel (close to a decision), the visitor is often ready to call, book, or buy. This is one form of digital advertising, and it catches people at the finish line.
Facebook and Instagram: discovery and staying top of mind
Facebook and Instagram ads (both run through Meta's ad system) work on interruption and discovery. Nobody opens Instagram to find a roofer. They're scrolling their feed, and your ad slides in. So you have to earn attention with something worth stopping for, usually a strong photo or a short video.
The upside is targeting. You can reach people by location, age, interests, and behavior, often at a lower cost per click than search. The tradeoff is timing. You reach them before they've decided they need you, so the path from click to paying customer runs longer.
When Google Ads is the better first move
Start with Google Ads when people are already searching for what you sell.
That covers most local service businesses. Home services, healthcare, legal, auto repair, and B2B services all have steady search demand, and someone typing "water heater repair" today is a customer this week, not next quarter. We go deeper on that in Google Ads for Knoxville service businesses.
Good reasons to lead with search:
- People actively type queries for what you offer.
- You need leads or sales soon, ahead of long-term brand building.
- Your budget is tight and you want it spent on the people closest to buying.
- Your service is urgent, like emergencies, repairs, or anything time-sensitive.
Set realistic expectations. Google Ads can start producing calls within days, but the first month is mostly the campaign learning which keywords convert. A focused local campaign often runs in the range of $1,000 to a few thousand dollars a month in ad spend, plus management. If you want the math before you commit, we broke it down in how much Google Ads costs for a small business.
When Facebook and Instagram ads win
Lead with social when the demand isn't there yet, or when your product sells on sight.
Some things people rarely search for. A new restaurant, a boutique, a med spa, a weekend event, a limited product drop. Nobody Googles a business they don't know exists. Facebook and Instagram let you introduce yourself to the right local audience and build interest over time.
Strong fits for a social-first approach:
- Visual products where a photo or video does the selling (food, fashion, home, beauty).
- New businesses or locations that need awareness before anyone searches by name.
- Events, promotions, and launches with a deadline.
- Lower-priced or impulse purchases people decide on quickly.
- Retargeting, which means showing ads to people who already visited your site or engaged with you.
Retargeting is one of the best uses of social spend. It reaches warm audiences who already know you, and they convert better than cold ones. Creative matters more here than almost anywhere, because weak photos and stiff video get scrolled past. This is where our video and photo production and social media marketing teams spend real time.
Sample budget splits for a local business
Here's how we typically phase spending, using round numbers to show the logic rather than promise an outcome.
- Small budget, need leads now ($1,000 to $2,000 a month): put most of it into Google Ads. When someone's searching, you want to be there. A small remainder can go to retargeting on Facebook and Instagram to catch site visitors who didn't convert.
- Growing, want leads plus awareness ($3,000 to $6,000 a month): a split closer to 60-70% Google and 30-40% social works well. Search keeps the pipeline full while social builds recognition, so your name feels familiar by the time people do search.
- Visual or discovery-driven business: flip it. Lead with Facebook and Instagram for reach, and use a smaller Google budget to catch the searches your social ads create, because people often search your name after seeing an ad.
These are starting points, not rules. The right split comes from watching what actually converts and moving money there. That is the point of active management.
Why most growing businesses use both
The two platforms aren't rivals. They cover different parts of the same customer journey.
Think about how buying happens. Someone sees your Instagram ad for a kitchen remodel, doesn't act, but the name sticks. Three weeks later their faucet leaks, they Google "kitchen remodel Knoxville," see your search ad, recognize you, and call. Social planted the seed. Search closed the deal.
Running both also gives you sharper data. Search tells you which words and problems drive revenue; social tells you which images and audiences earn attention. Together they improve your whole plan, from website copy to the offers you promote. When we run both for a client, we watch them as one system with one set of numbers everybody can read. We wrote about that in how we report marketing results.
The mistake we see most often is spreading a small budget thin across both before either is dialed in. Better to get one working, prove it pays, then add the second with money the first is already earning.
Ready to grow with the right ad platform?
Not sure whether Google, social, or both fits your business and your budget? That's the kind of question we sort out every week for East Tennessee businesses. You can book a free strategy session with Keller Creative and we'll look at your goals, your market, and your numbers, then tell you where your first (or next) ad dollar should go.
About the author
The strategists, designers, and producers at Keller Creative, a full-service marketing, advertising, and production agency in Knoxville, Tennessee. We help East Tennessee businesses grow with work we can measure.
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