Choosing between Meta and Google ads often isn’t “either/or” — it’s about matching intent vs. discovery. Google Ads dominates intent-driven search (people actively searching to buy or learn), while Meta Ads excel at interest-based discovery and social-driven demand creation.
Use Google Ads when user intent is clear: search campaigns capture high purchase intent (e.g., “buy running shoes size 10”). Search and shopping ads typically deliver higher conversion rates for bottom-of-funnel queries because users are actively seeking a solution. Use remarketing and performance max campaigns on Google to capture converting audiences across search and display.
Use Meta Ads for awareness, creative testing, and interest targeting. Meta’s strengths are visual storytelling (Reels, Stories) and granular audience signals (behaviors, interests). If your objective is brand lift, product discovery, or creative-scale tests, Meta often delivers better early-stage KPIs (reach, video views, engagement) — then you can retarget warm users on Google.
Practical setup: blend both. Start with Meta for reach/engagement to build audiences; layer Google search and shopping to capture high-intent buyers. Measure with consistent attribution windows and LTV metrics so you don’t double-count conversions. WPP and industry forecasts still expect digital ad dollars to grow with search and programmatic holding large shares of spend, so budget wisely and test often.
We didn’t invent the term “fools with tools.” Still, it’s a perfect definition for the practice of buying a stack of sophisticated cybersecurity technology that’s impossible to manage without an MSP or the budget of a Fortune 500 IT department.