Every business owner faces the same question sooner or later: “Where should my advertising dollars really go?” Do you double down on Google Ads, where prospects are actively searching for solutions? Or do you put more into Facebook Ads, where you can capture attention before competitors even enter the picture?

It’s the classic showdown of intent vs. interest, search vs. social, immediacy vs. long-term growth. And while there’s no shortage of statistics floating around online, the reality is simple: no two industries experience these platforms in exactly the same way.

That’s why instead of relying on generic reports, we spoke directly with dozens of business leaders, agency owners, and marketers who spend thousands every month testing and refining PPC campaigns. These are the people in the trenches — tracking leads, managing budgets, and living with the consequences of every click.

What we uncovered is a goldmine of real-world insights about not just which platform performs better, but why.

In this blog, you’ll discover where businesses are really spending, which ads bring higher-quality leads, where the true ROI lies, and how each platform shapes long-term growth. If you’ve ever questioned whether your budget is in the right place, this analysis will give you the clarity you’ve been chasing.

Platform Comparison at a Glance

Before diving into the details, here’s what the data reveals across industries:

Comparison for all the metric when it comes to google vs facebook ads

The Core Distinction: Google captures demand that already exists. Facebook creates awareness and nurtures it into demand over time.

Businesses Spend More on Google Ads Than Facebook Ads

Let’s begin with the most practical question every marketer asks: “How much are businesses really spending  and where?” Or even more directly: “Is $50 a day enough to make Facebook Ads work, or does Google always win the budget battle?”

Across industries, one pattern stood out: businesses consistently dedicate more of their PPC budget to Google Ads than to Facebook. The split isn’t always the same, but on average, 60–70% goes to Google, while Facebook takes the smaller share.

Why? Because Google’s intent-driven traffic delivers faster, more predictable returns.

Take Kyle Sobko, CEO of SonderCare. His healthcare brand invests $8,500 per month in Google Ads vs. $3,200 on Facebook. In a market where families search directly for premium home hospital beds, Sobko explained, Google dominates because the buyers are already close to making a purchase.

In legal services, the balance is just as striking. Carol Zou from Malloy Law Offices revealed that their Google Ads budget is bigger than all their other marketing channels combined. By contrast, Facebook is where they test creative campaigns and run supporting experiments — not where the majority of new cases come from.

Even when the spend looks closer, Google still pulls ahead. Gianluca Ferruggia at DesignRush allocates $6,000 to Google Ads and $4,000 to Facebook. His reasoning? Google provides stronger, immediate ROI, while Facebook plays more of a supporting role in retargeting and storytelling.

Key Takeaway: Businesses treat Google as the workhorse for conversions and Facebook as the assistant for awareness and nurturing. Both are essential, but when it comes to measurable growth, the budget tilts heavily in Google’s favor.

If budget is one part of the equation, the next big question is obvious: “Which platform actually brings in more leads?” After all, spending more doesn’t matter if the pipeline doesn’t fill.

Across industries, the answer was clear: Google Ads consistently drives higher lead volumes because it captures people actively searching — prospects with intent, who are much more likely to fill out a form or request a quote.

But here’s the twist: Facebook plays a different, equally important role. While it generates fewer leads upfront, it dominates in retargeting, where businesses re-engage people who have already shown interest.

Take Allan Hou, Sales Director at TSL Australia. His logistics campaigns revealed a telling contrast: Google search leads were often urgent, coming from managers needing immediate solutions, but fewer in number. On the other hand,Facebook mobile campaigns brought in over 125 qualified inquiries per month. Hou explained that supply chain managers often engaged with these ads on the go — while commuting or between meetings — making them perfect for nurturing over time rather than immediate conversion.

In professional services, Jeffrey Hensel of North Coast Financial reported that while his team spends $2,000–$3,500 on Google and $1,200–$1,800 on Facebook, the bulk of inquiries still come from Google search. Yet Facebook proved valuable for retargeting — keeping the firm top-of-mind during long decision cycles in real estate financing.

Retail brands experience the same dynamic. Riley Westbrook of Valor Coffee saw around 100 leads from Google Ads per month compared to 50 from Facebook. He explained that Google leads are driven by intent — people actively looking for coffee suppliers — whereas Facebook’s leads mostly came from retargeting customers who had already engaged with their brand online.

Think of it like this: Google brings prospects in; Facebook brings them back. Together, they create a cycle where Google generates demand and Facebook nurtures it into long-term growth.

The Cost vs. Quality Trade-Off: Understanding CPL Differences

Once the leads are flowing, the next question every marketer asks is: “What’s it costing me to get each one  and are those leads actually worth the price?”

Here’s where the platforms diverge significantly. Across responses, businesses agreed that Facebook Ads usually deliver cheaper leads on paper. But the catch is this: those leads often need far more nurturing to turn into paying customers, while Google leads, though more expensive, convert faster and with less hand-holding.

Real-World CPL Comparisons

DesignRush (Gianluca Ferruggia)

  • Google: $28 CPL | Facebook: $22 CPL
  • Facebook leads enter much earlier in the buying journey and need more follow-up before they’re ready to buy. Google leads arrive with intent and are far closer to a decision.

Light Touch Laser Spa (Lital Lev-Ary)

  • Google: $75–$85 CPL | Facebook: $50–$65 CPL
  • Google leads convert at nearly triple the rate of Facebook leads, making the higher upfront cost far more efficient in the long run.

SonderCare (Kyle Sobko)

  • Google: $189 CPL | Facebook: $114 CPL
  • Google leads convert 34% more often and close in just six weeks compared to twelve weeks on Facebook. “Families searching for hospital beds on Google already know they need one,” Sobko explained, “while Facebook users often don’t realize the option exists until they see our ads.”

The Pattern: Facebook may give you quantity, but Google gives you efficiency. Businesses that care about long-term ROI often find that paying more upfront for Google leads ends up costing less overall.

Cost per lead is one thing — but what about quality? After all, a cheap lead isn’t worth much if it never converts. This is where Google’s advantage becomes crystal clear: its leads are consistently more sales-ready, moving through the funnel faster than Facebook’s.

In real estate finance, Jeffrey Hensel of North Coast Financial found that although both platforms generated inquiries, Google leads carried higher intent. His team noticed that while Facebook ads were useful for building awareness, Google search traffic produced prospects who were already comparing lenders and ready to take the next step.

E-commerce brands see a similar divide. Jason Fiore from Earth Rag explained that Facebook’s performance lives and dies by the creative. Videos showing eco-friendly processes and customer UGC outperform static images by over 150% in ROAS. But even with winning creatives, Facebook leads remain more top-of-funnel. On Google, however, customers are already actively shopping for sustainable bedding — which means conversion speed doesn’t depend on visuals, only on urgency of demand.

Healthcare reinforces this story. Kyle Sobko of SonderCare reported that Google leads convert to sales 34% more often than Facebook leads, and in half the time. His data showed that Google leads close in about six weeks, while Facebook leads take twelve. For a high-ticket product like premium hospital beds, that speed makes a major difference to revenue flow.

If your pipeline depends on steady, ready-to-buy prospects, Google is where the real customers are waiting.

At some point, every business owner faces the money question: “If I put $1,000 into ads, which platform is going to give me the bigger return?”

When it comes to direct, short-term ROI, the consensus is clear: Google Ads comes out ahead. Because search captures people at the exact moment of need, the path from click to customer is faster, cleaner, and easier to track than Facebook’s interest-based approach.

ROI Breakdown by Business

DesignRush: $2,700 per $1,000 on Google vs. $1,900 on Facebook
AB Electrical & Communications: $3,500 per $1,000 on Google vs. $1,800 on Facebook

Matt Bowman, CEO of Thrive Internet Marketing Agency, has overseen campaigns across countless industries and notes the same pattern: “Google Ads tends to produce stronger conversion-driven ROI, especially for bottom-of-funnel demand.” His reasoning is simple — searchers are already problem-aware and motivated to buy, which lowers acquisition costs and improves return on investment.

The Reality: If your priority is cash flow now, Google Ads should take the lead in your budget. But if you’re playing the long game, layering Facebook into the mix ensures your pipeline stays warm — while Google captures conversions when the time is right.

Facebook Ads Contribute More to Long-Term Customer Growth

Google might be the king of fast conversions, but when it comes to cultivating relationships and creating repeat customers, Facebook often plays the bigger role. Its strength lies in keeping brands visible over weeks and months, not just in the heat of an immediate search.

Steve Case of Insurance Hero has seen this firsthand. While Google drives the bulk of his acquisitions, he explained that nearly 80% of their retargeting spend goes to Facebook. Why? Because insurance decisions often take 6–8 weeks. During that time, prospects see Facebook carousel ads featuring testimonials, policy benefits, and trust signals. By the time they’re ready to commit, the brand is already familiar — and trusted.

In B2B, Allan Hou has a similar story. His logistics campaigns show that procurement managers rarely convert on the spot through Google searches. Instead, Facebook’s mobile ads, often encountered while traveling or between meetings, spark brand awareness. Over months, these touchpoints turn into qualified inquiries and long-term vendor relationships.

E-commerce shows the same nurturing pattern. Jason Fiore of Earth Rag discovered that user-generated content (UGC) ads on Facebook consistently outperform static creatives — not because they instantly close sales, but because they spark authentic conversations. In markets where the conversion journey is naturally longer, UGC-style ads build trust and keep the brand top-of-mind. Customers who first engage with Earth Rag’s eco-friendly storytelling on Facebook often return later, via retargeting or email, to finally complete their purchase.

For any business that values lifetime customer value over one-off sales, Facebook is the platform that ensures you’re remembered when it matters most.

Understanding Targeting Differences: Intent vs. Interest

Every marketer knows the frustration of wasted clicks. The real question is: who lets you zero in on the right audience more effectively — Google or Facebook?

On this point, the divide is sharp, and it fundamentally shapes how each platform performs:

Google: Intent-Based Precision

When someone types “emergency plumber near me” or “buy ergonomic office chair,” their intent is obvious. They’re actively searching, and Google Ads puts you in front of them at exactly that moment.

Gianluca Ferruggia of DesignRush explained it this way: “On intent-based targeting, absolutely, Google is more accurate. You’re targeting audiences who are actively searching for something.” That accuracy is why businesses often trust Google when conversions are needed quickly and predictably.

Facebook: Interest-Based Discovery

Facebook shines when the intent isn’t yet formed. Its power lies in interest-based targeting — reaching people based on behavior, demographics, or passions they may not even realize connect to your product.

For example, Jason Fiore found that Facebook’s ability to segment by lifestyle interests allowed them to test eco-friendly storytelling creatives. Even when customers weren’t actively searching for sustainable bedding, those ads planted the seed  and eventually pulled them into the funnel.

This contrast becomes even more apparent in industries with long buying cycles. Steve Case noted that Google is excellent at capturing demand when a customer is ready to purchase, but Facebook’s broader interest-based ads are better at keeping prospects engaged during the weeks or months of comparison shopping.

The Strategic Implication: If you want to capture conversions today, Google gives you the accuracy you need. If you want to expand your audience for tomorrow, Facebook ensures your brand reaches beyond the obvious searchers.

Why Facebook Dominates Retargeting

If Google wins the battle for intent, Facebook dominates when it comes to staying visible after the first click. Retargeting is where businesses agree Facebook shines brightest — not just reminding people they visited your site, but doing it in a way that feels human, visual, and persuasive.

Steve Case summed it up perfectly. While Google is better for initial acquisitions, nearly 80% of their retargeting budget goes to Facebook. Why? Because choosing an insurance plan is rarely a one-click decision. Prospects spend 6–8 weeks comparing providers. During that time, Facebook’s carousel ads showcase testimonials, policy benefits, and trust signals in a way that feels supportive rather than pushy. As Steve explained, their Facebook retargeting campaigns achieve conversion rates above 12%, far outperforming Google’s retargeting efforts, which come across as more aggressive and less educational.

This pattern extends into B2B. Allan Hou found that logistics decision-makers often don’t convert during the crisis-driven searches on Google. But with Facebook, he can retarget procurement managers with mobile-friendly ads while they’re traveling or between meetings. Over time, these touchpoints build familiarity and credibility, turning casual browsers into long-term contract clients.

E-commerce tells the same story. Jason Fiore of Earth Rag explained that retargeting with user-generated content performs dramatically better than static creatives. By showcasing real customers enjoying eco-friendly products, their Facebook retargeting ads rebuild trust and drive repeat visits until the sale closes.

If discovery starts the relationship, retargeting is where trust is won. And in that arena, Facebook has become the platform of choice for businesses that want to turn initial interest into long-term customers.

Ad Creatives Matter More on Facebook Than on Google

If retargeting is Facebook’s strength, the secret weapon that makes it work is Ad creative. On Facebook, visuals aren’t just decoration — they are the ad. Scroll-stopping videos, authentic user-generated content, or clever carousels can be the difference between a campaign that thrives and one that falls flat.

Jason Fiore of Earth Rag learned this lesson firsthand. In his eco-friendly e-commerce brand, Facebook performance lives and dies by the creative. He tested product videos showing sustainable manufacturing and customer UGC, and the results were undeniable — those ads delivered over 150% higher ROAS compared to static product images with the exact same targeting. On Facebook, the story you tell visually matters just as much as the offer itself.

On Google, the dynamic is different. People clicking search ads are already problem-aware. As Fiore explained, “Google shoppers wanted to buy sustainable bedding before they clicked our ads.” That means creative polish plays less of a role — product availability, pricing, and landing page experience carry more weight than whether the ad is visually stunning.

Carol Zou of Malloy Law Offices noted that while Facebook requires constant testing of visuals and messaging, Google campaigns run more predictably without major creative swings. The difference isn’t in effort, but in what moves the needle: Facebook rewards experimentation with ad formats, while Google rewards alignment with search intent.

If your brand thrives on visuals, lifestyle appeal, or emotional connection, Facebook will give you room to play. But if you’re solving a problem people are already searching for, Google will get you there without needing creative perfection.

PPC Works Best When Combined with SEO and Email Marketing

One theme that kept coming up in conversations with marketers was this: PPC shouldn’t live in isolation. It works best as the engine that fuels other channels — SEO, email, and even organic social — rather than as the sole driver of growth.

Khris Steven of KhrisDigital shared that most of his clients intentionally spend less on PPC than the industry average. While many agencies push for 60–70% of the marketing budget to go into ads, his clients allocate closer to 45%. Why? Because he treats PPC as the discovery channel, not the whole strategy. A $10,000 monthly budget, for example, might break down into $4,500 for PPC, $3,000 for SEO and content, $1,700 for email automation, and $800 for conversion optimization.

The results are hard to ignore. By using PPC campaigns to capture leads and feed them into email nurture sequences, content pipelines, and organic strategies, his clients see a 300% increase in lifetime customer value. PPC brings the traffic, but SEO and email build the trust that keeps customers around for the long haul.

Other experts agree. Matt Bowman emphasized that PPC and SEO together create compounding returns: Google Ads captures high-intent buyers now, while SEO builds sustainable traffic over time. Similarly, Facebook campaigns often collect email addresses for nurture sequences, turning a one-time click into a long-term relationship.

The bigger picture: Businesses that treat PPC as a solo act often burn through budgets without building lasting value. Those that combine it with SEO and email create an ecosystem where each channel amplifies the others — driving both short-term wins and long-term growth.

Choosing the Right PPC Mix for Maximum Growth

So where should your ad dollars really go in 2025 — Google or Facebook?

If there’s one thing these expert insights made clear, it’s that this isn’t a simple either/or decision. Google is the platform of intent. It wins when you need predictable ROI, higher-quality leads, and faster conversions. For businesses chasing immediate revenue, Google will always be the workhorse.

Facebook, on the other hand, is the platform of interest. It builds awareness, nurtures relationships, and keeps your brand alive in the customer’s mind long before (and long after) they’re ready to buy. For long-term growth, brand familiarity, and retargeting, Facebook proves invaluable.

But the smartest businesses don’t treat these platforms as competitors. They treat them as partners. The strategy that stood out again and again was this: use Google to capture demand and Facebook to create it. Google brings the ready-to-buy customer to your doorstep, while Facebook makes sure more people know who you are when they’re ready to act.

And as several experts pointed out, PPC itself shouldn’t operate in a vacuum. When layered with SEO and email marketing, it becomes the spark that fuels an entire growth ecosystem — driving not just quick wins, but sustainable, long-term success.

So if you’re planning your 2025 budget, the takeaway is simple:

  • Put more of your dollars into Googleif your priority is immediate revenue and measurable ROI.
  • Invest in Facebookif your goal is to grow your audience, strengthen brand recall, and maximize lifetime value.
  • Combine both and integrate PPC with SEO and email — if you want the best of both worlds.

The choice isn’t really Google or Facebook. It’s Google and Facebook, working together to turn clicks into customers, and customers into loyal fans.