Should a startup run Meta or Google ads first? Start with Google if people already search for what you sell; start with Meta if they don’t know they need it yet, or if your product sells on looks. Most growing companies end up running both, each doing a different job.
Google catches demand
Search ads reach people typing the problem into Google right now. That intent makes them strong for B2B services, software with a known category and anything people compare before buying. The limit is volume: you can only buy the searches that exist.
Meta creates demand
Meta’s ads reach people who weren’t looking, based on who they are and what they engage with. That suits consumer products, visual brands and new categories, and it scales further than search. The catch is creative: Meta lives or dies on fresh ads, so plan to make new ones every month.
- 01Known category, clear search terms: start with Google.
- 02Visual product or new category: start with Meta.
- 03Limited budget: pick one, fix tracking, and get it working before adding the second.
- 04Once one channel works: add the other to catch people at a different moment.
With Woof Concept, a premium pet brand, new channels reached 5x return on ad spend in the first year by testing creative every week and moving budget behind what worked, with nearly 4,000 new orders.
If you want help choosing and running it, that’s our paid ads work. Tracking comes first, through tracking and conversion.
Growth lead at Rvysion. Has managed $50M+ in Meta and Google ad spend across ecommerce, fintech and SaaS.