Meta Ads or Google Ads first? A guide for Australian businesses
When to start with Google search, when to start with Facebook and Instagram, and how Sydney trades, clinics, firms and shops should split a first ad budget.
"Should we do Facebook or Google?" is the most common question we get from Sydney business owners. The answer depends on one thing: are your customers searching for you right now, or do they need to be shown something first?
This guide explains how each channel works, which one suits your industry, how to split a first budget, and how to test both without wasting money.
Google captures demand
Someone with a burst pipe, a toothache, a conveyancing deadline or a birthday gift to buy is typing it into Google. Search ads meet that person at the exact moment. High intent, higher cost per click, fast results. If people search for what you sell, start here.
Google tends to win when:
- The need is urgent or the customer already knows what they want
- There is clear search volume for your service in your area
- Your offer is hard to show in a photo, such as legal, accounting or repair work
- You need enquiries this month, not brand awareness this year
Meta creates demand
Nobody searches "cosmetic injectables near me" until they have thought about it for a while. Facebook and Instagram reach people before the search, with reels and creative that make them want what you offer. Lower cost per click, slower to convert, and the best channel for brands with a visual story. Retargeting on Meta also catches everyone who visited your website from Google and did not book.
Meta tends to win when:
- Your result is visual: a finished kitchen, a treatment, a product
- Customers take weeks to decide and need to see you several times
- You have an offer worth stopping the scroll for, such as a consultation or a launch
- Search volume for your service is low but your audience is easy to describe
Creative does most of the work on Meta. The targeting options are broad now, so the ad itself has to find the right people. That is why we treat content and storytelling as part of paid media, not a separate job.
Side by side
| Google Ads | Meta Ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Intent | High, the customer is searching | Lower, the customer is scrolling |
| Cost per click | Higher | Lower |
| Speed to first lead | Days | Weeks, while creative is tested |
| What makes it work | Keywords, landing pages, call tracking | Video, images, offers, retargeting |
| Best for | Urgent and high value services | Visual brands and considered purchases |
Our starting split by industry
| Industry | Start with | Then add |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency trades | Google search, 80 percent | Meta retargeting and reviews |
| Renovation and building | Split 50/50 | YouTube for project walkthroughs |
| Beauty and aesthetics clinics | Meta and Instagram, 70 percent | Google for treatment searches |
| Law and accounting firms | Google search and LinkedIn | Meta for brand awareness |
| Retail and online stores | Google Shopping and Meta together | Email to everyone who bought |
Clinics have an extra consideration on Meta: AHPRA advertising guidelines restrict testimonials, before and after images and anything that plays down risk, so creative has to be planned carefully. Our guide to Instagram reels for beauty clinics covers what works within the rules. Law firms face similar limits, covered in law firm marketing in Australia.
What both channels need
- A landing page for each campaign, not your homepage
- Creative that tells your story, not a stock photo and a discount
- Tracking that connects the ad to the booked job in your CRM
- Someone, or something, that answers the lead within a minute
That last point matters more than the channel choice. Meta leads in particular go cold fast, because the person was not actively looking. An automated follow up sequence that texts within a minute and keeps in touch for a week will often do more for your cost per booking than any targeting change.
Budget reality
Below about $1,500 a month total, pick one channel and do it well. Above that, split and let the numbers decide. Read our guide to Google Ads costs in Sydney for the ranges.
How to test both without wasting money
- Weeks 1 to 4: launch your primary channel with tracking in place, including phone calls and form fills recorded in your CRM.
- Weeks 5 to 8: add a small retargeting or test budget on the second channel, around 20 percent of spend.
- Weeks 9 to 12: compare cost per booked job, not cost per click or cost per lead, and move budget towards whatever is winning.
Judge channels on bookings and revenue. A Meta lead that costs half as much but never books is not a bargain.
What about LinkedIn and YouTube?
LinkedIn is expensive per click but precise for reaching business owners, directors and in house counsel, which makes it useful for accounting firms and commercial law. YouTube works well for renovation walkthroughs and clinic explainers, and as retargeting for people who have already visited your site. Both are usually second or third channels, not the first.
Mistakes we see most often
- Boosting posts instead of running campaigns. The boost button skips most of the targeting, placement and conversion options that make Meta work.
- Running Google ads on your brand name only. It looks cheap and efficient, but most of those people would have found you anyway.
- Judging Meta in the first fortnight. Creative needs time and several variations before the algorithm finds the right people.
- Copying a competitor's split. Their margins, capacity and reviews are different from yours.
- No pixel or conversion tracking. Without it, neither platform can learn, and you cannot compare them fairly.
The rule
Searching customers: Google first. Scrolling customers: Meta first. Everyone: fix follow up before you scale either.
Frequently asked questions
Is Meta cheaper than Google Ads?
Per click, usually yes. Per booked customer, not always. Meta leads often need more follow up because they were not searching for you, so compare cost per booking before deciding.
Can I run both with a small budget?
Under about $1,500 a month, it is better to do one channel properly. Splitting a small budget gives each platform too little data to learn from.
Do Facebook ads work for tradies?
For urgent jobs, Google usually wins. For renovations, landscaping and anything visual, Meta works well, especially with video of real finished projects and retargeting of website visitors.
Which is better for an online store?
Usually both together: Google Shopping for people searching for a product, Meta for discovery and retargeting, and email to turn first orders into repeat customers.
How do I know which channel is working?
Track every lead back to its source in your CRM, including phone calls, then compare cost per booked job and revenue by channel each month. Platform dashboards alone will each claim the credit.
Not sure which you are? See how we run paid advertising, or book a free leak audit and we will tell you.