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Google Ads vs Meta Ads: Where Should You Invest?

google-ads-vs-meta-ads

If you’re managing digital ad budgets, one of the most common questions is: should we invest in Google Ads or Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Ads?

The short answer? It depends — on your business model, funnel stage, creative assets, and market (NZ, AU or global).

In this blog, we compare the platforms side-by-side to help you decide where your money will work harder based on your goals.

  • Google Ads captures intent (search-driven)
  • Meta Ads generates demand (interruption-driven)
  • Google is stronger for direct-response and high-intent purchases
  • Meta excels at visual storytelling and brand introduction

1. High-Intent or Time-Sensitive Offers
Think legal, trades, B2B, SaaS, e-commerce with urgent need.

2. Complex Buyer Journeys
Use Search + YouTube + PMax to cover multiple touchpoints.

3. Strong Existing Demand
Capture what users are already searching for.

1. Visually Led Brands
E.g., fashion, fitness, DTC, food, homewares.

2. Lower-Funnel Retargeting
Recover interest with dynamic product ads.

3. Mid-Funnel Education
Meta is ideal for explaining value props over time via video or carousels.

An online fashion label based in Melbourne used Google Ads to capture branded and product-level search, while Meta Ads drove top-of-funnel video engagement.

By coordinating both platforms, they reduced blended CAC by 31% and increased conversion volume 2.5x in three months.

  • Start with the platform that matches your funnel bottleneck
  • Use Meta for awareness, Google for demand capture
  • Coordinate creative and audience segmentation
  • Monitor blended ROAS across all channels, not just last-click

You don’t need to choose Google or Meta — you need to choose what supports your growth phase.

Many of the top-performing brands globally — including in NZ and AU — are using both channels strategically, with aligned messaging and clear attribution tracking.

At Metrics Media, we help businesses globally — with offices in NZ and AU — plan cross-channel strategies that maximise ROAS.