✦ PPC
Google Ads vs Facebook Ads for Local Businesses
Google Ads captures existing demand — people searching for what you do right now. Facebook Ads creates demand — showing your business to people who match your customer profile before they've started searching. Service businesses with short decision cycles do better with Google. Service businesses with longer purchase cycles or higher visual appeal often benefit from Facebook and Instagram.
The intent distinction: someone searching 'emergency plumber Edmonton' is ready to act. Google Ads captures that moment with high purchase intent. Someone scrolling Facebook who sees an ad for a bathroom renovation company is in a different state — they're not actively searching, but if the ad is visually compelling and reaches someone who's been thinking about renovating, it can initiate a decision process that leads to a search later.
Where Google Ads consistently outperforms Facebook for local service businesses: emergency and urgent services (HVAC repair, plumbing, appliance repair), quote-driven services where buyers search for competitive bids (roofing, windows, siding), and any service where buyers start with a Google search. The intent signal of an active search is more valuable than an impression served to someone who may be interested.
Where Facebook and Instagram can outperform Google for local businesses: services with long consideration periods and high visual impact (renovation, interior design, landscaping design, custom home building), services targeting a specific demographic that's better defined by social data than by search intent, and businesses trying to build brand recognition before buyers start searching. These categories can use social advertising to plant the brand before Google search begins.
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