This question comes up in almost every advertising conversation we have, and the honest answer is that they do different jobs. Choosing between them is less about which platform is better and more about how your customers currently behave.
The short answer
Google captures existing demand. Meta creates it. If people are already typing what you sell into Google, start with Google. If your product is something people want but would not think to search for, start with Facebook and Instagram.
The core difference
Google Search ads appear when someone types a query. That person has already decided they need something and is looking for who provides it. The intent is high, which is why the clicks cost more and why the people who click are closer to buying.
Meta ads appear in a feed while someone is scrolling. Nobody opened Instagram looking for your service. You are interrupting, which means the creative has to do the work of generating interest that was not there a moment earlier. The clicks cost less and the audience is much larger, but they are further from a decision.
Side by side
| Google Ads | Facebook and Instagram Ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Intent | High. They are searching for it now. | Low to medium. They were not looking for you. |
| Cost per click | Higher | Lower |
| Targeting | By what people search | By interests, behaviour, location and lookalike audiences |
| Creative demands | Mostly text. Quick to produce. | Photo and video. Creative quality drives everything. |
| Best for | Urgent needs, specific services, established categories | Visual products, discovery, local awareness, retargeting |
| Weakness | Limited volume in small markets | Requires constant new creative as ads fatigue |
When Google Ads makes more sense
- Urgent or problem driven services. Emergency plumbing, locksmiths, furnace repair, legal help. Nobody browses for these, they search the moment they need one.
- Established categories with clear search volume. If people in Calgary are typing your service into Google every day, you can meet them there.
- Higher value services where a single client justifies a more expensive click.
The advantage in a city like Calgary is that search volume for local services is meaningful but not enormous, which means costs stay reasonable compared to major markets.
When Meta Ads makes more sense
- Visual businesses. Restaurants, salons, gyms, retail, anything where seeing it creates the desire.
- New or unfamiliar offerings that people would not know to search for.
- Local awareness. Getting known in specific neighbourhoods.
- Retargeting. Reaching people who visited your site and did not enquire. This is frequently the best performing campaign a business runs.
Realistic budgets
For a Calgary small business, a sensible starting point is 20 to 35 dollars a day on Meta or 10 to 15 dollars a day on Google Search. Below roughly 15 dollars a day on Meta the platform does not gather enough data to optimise properly, and the campaign tends to stall.
Add management costs on top. Most providers charge either a flat monthly fee or a percentage of spend. Ours starts at 700 dollars a month plus the ad spend itself, and the spend always goes directly to the platform.
Give it time
Both platforms need a learning period. Expect two to four weeks before the results mean anything, and resist the urge to change things every few days. Constant tinkering resets the learning and is one of the most common reasons campaigns underperform.
What you should be watching is cost per enquiry rather than clicks or impressions. A campaign with fewer, more expensive clicks that produces actual conversations is the better campaign.
Running both
Once one channel is stable, adding the second usually helps, because they support each other. Meta creates awareness, then those same people search for you later and find your Google ad. If the budget only supports one for now, pick the one that matches how your customers already behave, and revisit in a few months.
It is also worth remembering that ads stop the moment you stop paying. Local SEO takes longer to build but keeps working, so many businesses run ads for immediate visibility while the organic side matures.
If you would rather not learn two ad platforms
Our paid advertising service covers both. We build the creative, set the targeting, manage the budget and report clearly on where the money went. From 700 dollars a month plus ad spend, with no contract.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use Facebook ads or Google ads?
Use Google ads when people are already searching for what you sell, such as emergency plumbing or a specific service. Use Facebook and Instagram ads when people would want your product but are not actively searching for it, such as a restaurant, salon or retail brand.
What is a realistic starting budget?
Around 20 to 35 dollars a day is a reasonable starting point on Meta for a local business. Google Search can work from 10 to 15 dollars a day because the volume is lower but the intent is much higher.
How long before ads work?
Expect two to four weeks before the data is meaningful. Judging a campaign after a few days usually leads to switching things off before they have had a chance to settle.
Can I run both at once?
Yes, and many businesses eventually do. If the budget is tight, start with the one that matches how customers currently find you, then add the second once the first is stable.
Want this handled for you?
Limitless Media Group is a Calgary content and marketing studio. We film real content at your business and run the marketing around it, month to month with no contracts, and you own every file we produce. Tell us about your business and we will send back a plan and clear pricing, usually the same day.
