Google Ads vs Meta Ads in 2025: Which Platform Drives Better ROI for Home Services?

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Luke Fielden
Google Ads
Meta Ads
Strategy

Every business owner asks: "Should I be running Google Ads or Facebook/Instagram Ads?"

The answer is usually both - but for different purposes. Here's what $2B in ad spend has taught us.

The Fundamental Difference

Google Ads = Demand Capture People are actively searching for your solution. They have a problem right now and are looking for someone to solve it.

Meta Ads = Demand Creation People aren't actively looking, but they match your ideal customer profile. You're introducing them to a problem they might not know they have, or a solution they didn't know existed.

When Google Ads Wins

High-Intent Services

If someone searches "emergency plumber near me" at 2 AM, they don't need to be convinced they have a problem. They need it fixed NOW.

Best for:

  • Emergency services (plumbing, HVAC, electrical)
  • High-consideration purchases (whole house water systems, solar panels)
  • Services people actively research (tree removal, roofing, windows)

Real numbers from our clients:

  • Tree removal company: 40-45% conversion rate on Google Local Services Ads
  • Water filtration: $661 cost per acquisition
  • HVAC: 28% conversion rate on emergency repair keywords

Why it works:

  • Zero education needed
  • Immediate intent to purchase
  • Higher close rates
  • Shorter sales cycle

When Meta Ads Wins

Brand Building & Education

Meta is incredible for reaching people who match your ideal customer profile but aren't actively searching yet.

Best for:

  • Longer sales cycles
  • Products requiring education
  • Building brand awareness in a local area
  • Retargeting website visitors

Real numbers:

  • 62% lower cost per click than Google
  • Better for complex products needing explanation
  • Excellent for building lookalike audiences
  • Superior retargeting capabilities

Why it works:

  • Detailed demographic targeting
  • Visual storytelling with images/video
  • Lower initial cost per click
  • Great for nurturing cold audiences

The Winning Strategy: Use Both

Here's the framework we use for our home service clients:

Phase 1: Start with Google (Month 1-3)

  1. Launch Google Search ads for high-intent keywords
  2. Set up Google Local Services Ads
  3. Focus on conversion tracking and CRM integration
  4. Build a library of ads that work

Goal: Generate immediate revenue and learn what messaging converts.

Phase 2: Add Meta Retargeting (Month 2-4)

  1. Install Meta Pixel on website
  2. Create retargeting campaigns for website visitors
  3. Build lookalike audiences from customers
  4. Test different creative approaches

Goal: Capture people who visited your site but didn't convert.

Phase 3: Scale Both (Month 4+)

  1. Increase Google budget on high-performing campaigns
  2. Expand Meta to cold audiences with proven creative
  3. Test new ad formats and messaging
  4. Build automated email/SMS follow-up sequences

Goal: Predictable, scalable customer acquisition.

Budget Allocation

For most home service businesses, we recommend:

  • 60-70% Google Ads - Capture existing demand
  • 30-40% Meta Ads - Create new demand and retarget

Adjust based on your market:

  • Competitive markets: More Google (capture intent before competitors)
  • New products/services: More Meta (need education)
  • Emergency services: Heavy Google (urgent intent)
  • Luxury/custom: Even split (longer consideration)

The Metrics That Matter

Google Ads

  • Cost per lead
  • Lead-to-customer conversion rate
  • Cost per acquisition
  • Search impression share (are you missing opportunities?)
  • Quality Score (affects your ad costs)

Meta Ads

  • Cost per website visitor
  • Retargeting conversion rate
  • Cost per lead
  • Creative engagement rate
  • Lookalike audience performance

Common Mistakes

Google Ads:

  • Bidding on broad match keywords (waste money)
  • Not using negative keywords (showing for irrelevant searches)
  • Sending traffic to homepage instead of dedicated landing pages
  • Not tracking phone calls (huge in home services)

Meta Ads:

  • Running awareness campaigns without retargeting
  • Using stock photos instead of real customer photos
  • Not testing enough creative variations
  • Ignoring comments and engagement

Our Recommendation

Don't choose between Google and Meta. Use each platform for what it does best:

Google: Capture people actively looking for your service Meta: Stay top-of-mind with your ideal customers and retarget interested prospects

Want to see how this strategy would work for your business? We'll audit your current ad accounts (or set up from scratch) and show you exactly where to allocate budget for maximum ROI.