Meta Ads vs Google Ads: Which One Worked Better for My Client?
If you’re an online business owner or marketer, you’ve probably asked yourself: Should I spend more on Meta Ads or Google Ads? The truth is, there’s no universal answer. Each platform has strengths, weaknesses, and unique capabilities that impact results depending on your product, audience, and goals.
In this article, I’ll break down a real-world case study from one of my client campaigns, share a side-by-side comparison of the two platforms, and reveal which channel ultimately delivered the best results.
The Client Challenge
My client is a mid-sized e-commerce brand selling premium home decor products. They approached me with a clear goal:
- Increase sales by 30% within three months
- Maintain a target Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) below $20
- Test both Meta Ads (Facebook + Instagram) and Google Ads to identify the best ROI channel
To create an even playing field, we allocated $5,000 to each platform and ran campaigns simultaneously over 45 days.
Campaign Strategy
Before we dive into the results, let’s look at how we set things up on both platforms:
Meta Ads Approach
Objective: Conversions – Optimize for Purchase events
Targeting:
- Interest-based audiences (Home decor enthusiasts, interior design, DIY)
- Lookalike audiences based on past purchasers
- Retargeting website visitors and engaged Instagram followers
Creatives:
- Carousel Ads showcasing bestsellers
- Short-form videos (Reels) highlighting product benefits
- UGC (User-Generated Content) testimonials
Placements:
- Facebook Feed and Stories
- Instagram Feed and Reels
Optimization:
- Campaign Budget Optimization (CBO)
- Dynamic Creative Testing
Google Ads Approach
Objective: Sales – Maximize conversions
Campaign Types:
- Search Ads targeting high-intent keywords (e.g., “buy wall art online,” “premium home decor”)
- Shopping Ads featuring top products
- Display remarketing to site visitors
Keywords:
- Exact match and phrase match with a focus on purchase intent
- Negative keywords to filter irrelevant searches
Bidding:
- Target CPA bidding strategy
Creatives:
- Product photos with promotional text overlays
- Compelling ad copy highlighting free shipping and discounts
Results
- CTR: Google Search outperformed Meta significantly in CTR, confirming that high-intent users searching for products are more likely to click.
- Conversion Rate: Google also had a higher conversion rate, reflecting strong purchase intent.
- CPA: Both platforms stayed under the $20 target, but Google delivered slightly cheaper conversions.
- ROAS: Google achieved a 4.1x ROAS, while Meta delivered 3.4x.
Why Google Ads Outperformed in This Case
Although Meta Ads had lower CPCs and higher impressions, Google Ads outperformed on conversion rate and ROAS. Here’s why:
- Intent Signals: Users on Google Search are actively looking to buy home decor products. They’re further down the purchase funnel compared to someone scrolling Instagram.
- Product Shopping Ads: Visual product placements in Google Shopping captured attention and drove high-quality clicks.
- Brand Recognition: The client had some existing brand awareness, which increased trust when users searched for them.
Where Meta Ads Shined
While Google brought the higher ROI, Meta Ads still played an essential role:
- Awareness & Discovery: Meta reached more users who hadn’t heard of the brand before.
- Retargeting: Meta’s dynamic product ads effectively re-engaged warm audiences.
- Creative Storytelling: Video and carousel formats built emotional connections and inspired interest.
This synergy is important—many conversions on Google were assisted by prior exposure to Meta Ads.
Which Should You Choose?
It depends on your goals:
- If you need to capture active purchase intent quickly, Google Search and Shopping are your best bets.
- If you want to build awareness, educate, and nurture audiences, Meta Ads are powerful.
- If you have the budget, combine both—use Meta Ads to fill the funnel and Google Ads to close the sale.