Google Ads vs Meta Ads: where to invest your budget

You've got an advertising budget and the same old dilemma: do I put it into Google or into Instagram and Facebook? The short answer is they don't compete, they do different things. The useful answer is understanding what each one does so you don't burn money where you shouldn't.

We sum it up in one sentence: Google captures demand that already exists; Meta creates demand that doesn't yet. From there, everything falls into place.

Intent versus interruption

The key difference is in the customer's moment. On Google, the person is already searching for something: emergency plumber in Granada, buy trail running shoes, immigration lawyer. You show up exactly when they need you. That's intent, and it's why it converts so well.

On Meta nobody is searching for your product. They're looking at photos of their friends and, suddenly, your ad appears. You interrupt them. That's not a bad thing: it's how you make something known that people don't yet know they want. But the path to the sale is longer.

Google serves whoever already raised their hand. Meta raises the hand of someone who doesn't yet know they need you.

When Google Ads makes sense

Google shines when there's an active search for what you sell. If your customer types out their problem, that's where you need to be. It's especially powerful for:

• Urgent or need-based services: repairs, health, advisory, locksmiths.
• Products or services people search for by name.
• Local businesses that want calls and visits now.
• High-ticket sectors where a single conversion pays for the campaign.

The downside: the most in-demand keywords in big cities like Madrid or Sevilla can carry a high cost per click. That's why your targeting and the quality of your landing page are decisive.

When Meta Ads makes sense

Meta (Instagram and Facebook) is unbeatable for the visual, the aspirational and the impulse buy. It works wonderfully when a good image or a good video sparks desire:

• Fashion, decor, beauty, food, travel: anything that goes in through the eyes.
• Launches and a new brand that needs to get itself known.
• Promotions and offers with a clear visual hook.
• Remarketing: winning back whoever visited your website and didn't buy.

Its great strength is targeting by interests and behaviour, and a lower cost per impression. Its challenge is that you need good creatives and to refresh them often, because people get bored fast.

How to split the budget

There's no universal formula, but there are sensible criteria. If you sell something people actively search for, prioritise Google. If you sell something driven by desire and imagery, prioritise Meta. And almost always the ideal is to combine the two.

• Start with a budget that holds for at least 4-6 weeks: learning takes time and data.
• To test seriously, €300-500 a month per channel is a reasonable floor in most sectors.
• Don't spread thin: better one channel done well than two done by halves.
• Reinvest where you see returns and cut what doesn't work without sentimentality.

The metrics that really matter

The most common mistake is looking at likes, reach or impressions. That doesn't pay the bills. What matters is what turns into business. Before launching anything, define what a conversion is for you: a sale, a lead, a call, a booking.

• CPA (cost per acquisition): how much it costs you to win a customer.
• ROAS (return on ad spend): how many euros you generate for every euro invested.
• Landing page conversion rate: if the website doesn't convert, no campaign will save you.
• Long-term customer value: sometimes paying more to acquire pays off if the customer comes back.

Online advertising isn't throwing money at a platform and waiting. It's strategy, measurement and constant adjustment. At Prisma we manage campaigns on Google, Meta and TikTok for businesses across Andalusia and Madrid, with one focus: that every euro comes back multiplied. If you want to stop guessing, let's talk.