Many local businesses run Meta ads and Google ads the same way, then wonder why one channel works and the other burns money. The platforms reach people at completely different moments, so the campaigns should be built differently from the first setting.
The core difference: intent versus attention
Google ads are intent-based. Someone types "emergency plumber Wichita" and you pay to appear for a need that already exists. Meta ads on Facebook and Instagram are attention-based. You are interrupting someone scrolling, so the ad has to create interest that was not there a second ago.
How a Google Ads campaign is set up
A local Google Search campaign starts with keywords. You group tightly related searches into ad groups, write ads that repeat the searcher's words back to them, and send each group to a landing page that matches. Location targeting is set to the areas you serve, and negative keywords keep out searches you do not want, like "jobs" or "free". Bidding is usually tied to conversions such as calls and form submissions once you have enough data.
How a Meta ads campaign is set up
Meta campaigns start with an objective, such as leads, traffic, or engagement, and an audience instead of keywords. For most local businesses, a broad audience within your service radius works better than stacking narrow interests, because Meta's algorithm finds buyers from the people who respond to your creative. The creative itself does most of the targeting, so the image or video and the first line of copy matter more than any audience setting.
Creative works differently on each platform
On Google, the headline answers a question the customer already asked. On Meta, the first one to three seconds have to stop the scroll. That usually means real photos or short vertical video of your work, your team, or a before-and-after, with a clear hook. Plan to test several creatives at once and expect most of them to lose. Finding the winner is the job.
Budgets and expectations
Google spend is limited by how many people search, so small markets cap out quickly and costs per click can be high for competitive services. Meta can reach far more people for less per impression, but each lead often needs more nurturing because they were not actively shopping. Judge Google on cost per lead, and judge Meta on cost per lead plus how many of those leads become customers.
Tracking needs to match
For Google, track calls from ads, calls from your website, and form submissions as conversions. For Meta, install the Meta pixel and the Conversions API so the platform knows which ads produce real leads, not just clicks. Without good conversion tracking, both platforms optimize toward the wrong outcome.
Which one should you start with?
If people already search for what you sell, start with Google Search, because you are capturing demand that exists. If your service is something people buy on impulse or do not know they need yet, such as a new restaurant, a spa service, or a seasonal offer, Meta can create that demand. Many local businesses do best with Google capturing searches and Meta keeping the business familiar so those searches happen more often.