Facebook vs Instagram vs Google Ads, and Four More Platforms
Seven ad platforms, compared on what you pay for, how ready the buyer is, what a click or lead costs in published 2025 data, and which businesses each one fits best.
Search catches demand, social creates it
Google Search and Local Services Ads reach people who are already looking for what you sell. Leads cost more but are ready to buy. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube reach people who were not searching yet. Leads and views cost less but need a stronger offer and faster follow-up. LinkedIn reaches people by job title and company, at the highest cost per click, which only pays off when a customer is worth a lot.
Most local businesses do best starting with one search channel and one social channel, then adding more once the first two produce customers.
Seven platforms compared
| Platform | Best for | Buyer intent | You pay for | Published cost (2025) | Practical starting budget | Tracking setup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Search | Services people search for: repairs, legal, medical, B2B | High: they are looking now | Clicks | CPC $5.42, CPL $66.69 (all-industry average) | $1,500+ a month | Google tag, enhanced conversions, call tracking |
| Google Local Services Ads | Eligible home and professional services | High: they are looking now | Leads (calls, messages) | CPL $53 blended, home services | Set by weekly budget; often $500 to $2,000 a month | Built in; connect to your CRM |
| Local offers, lead forms, events, retargeting | Low to medium: they were scrolling | Impressions or results | CPC $0.60 (traffic), CPL $27.39 (lead ads), all-industry averages | $1,000+ a month | Meta Pixel plus Conversions API | |
| Visual products and services: food, beauty, fitness, fashion, homes | Low to medium | Impressions or results | CPC $0.54-$0.69, CPM $1.22-$2.80 (typical ranges) | Shares the Meta budget | Meta Pixel plus Conversions API | |
| TikTok | Products and services that demo well on video; younger buyers | Low: discovery | Impressions or results | CPM $4.08; cost per purchase $17.07 (ecommerce medians) | $1,500+ a month plus steady new video | TikTok Pixel plus Events API |
| B2B: reach by job title, company and industry | Medium: professional context | Clicks, impressions or leads | CPC $9.39, CPL $202 (B2B medians) | $3,000+ a month | LinkedIn Insight Tag plus Conversions API | |
| YouTube | Awareness in a city, retargeting, products that need explaining | Low to medium | Views or impressions | Cost per view $0.05-$0.10; CPM $5-$10 (typical ranges) | $1,000+ a month; less for retargeting only | Google tag; branded search as a signal |
Published cost sources: Google Search and Facebook from Google Ads Benchmarks 2026: Competitive Data & Insights for Every Industry (2026); Local Services Ads from SearchLight Digital (2026); Instagram from Strike Social (2025); TikTok from Triple Whale (2026); LinkedIn from Metadata.io (2026); YouTube from Store Growers (Dennis Moons) (2026). Starting budgets are our own view for one local business, not published figures.
Facebook vs Instagram: one ad system, two audiences
Broad local reach across age groups, strong for lead forms, events, local offers and retargeting. Groups and Marketplace placements reach people in buying moods.
- Lead forms that fill from the profile
- Strong for audiences 35 and up
- Feed, Reels, Marketplace and Messenger placements
Visual and younger on average, strong for anything that looks good: food, beauty, fitness, fashion, home projects and events. Reels and Stories reward vertical video.
- Same Meta campaign and pixel as Facebook
- Best with vertical video and before and after content
- Profile visits and DMs as conversion paths
In practice you rarely choose between them: one Meta campaign can run on both, and Meta shifts budget to the placement that performs. What you choose is creative that works in both.
Google Search vs Local Services Ads
Google Search ads
You bid per click on the searches you choose and send people to your own page or call button.
- Full control of keywords, ads, areas and hours
- Works for any business
- Pay per click, whether or not they call
Local Services Ads
Google shows a verified profile above search ads for eligible service categories and charges per lead, mostly calls and messages.
- Pay per lead, with a dispute process for invalid leads
- Google Screened or Google Guaranteed badge after checks
- Less control: ranking leans on reviews, response time and budget
For eligible home and professional services we usually run both and compare them on cost per booked job.
Where we would start, by industry
Our starting recommendation for a single-location business. We confirm it with your own data in the audit.
| Industry | Start with | Add next | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home services (plumbing, HVAC, roofing, electrical) | Google Search and Local Services Ads | Facebook retargeting and seasonal offers | Most jobs start with an urgent search. |
| Fitness studios and gyms | Facebook and Instagram lead ads with an intro offer | Google Search for near-me searches | People decide on a feeling and a deal; the first class is the sale. |
| Restaurants and food | Instagram and Facebook local reach | Google Search and Maps for your name and cuisine | Food sells on looks, and most diners pick within a few miles. |
| Real estate | Facebook and Instagram (housing rules apply) | Google Search for buyer and seller searches; YouTube for listings | Meta treats housing ads as a special category with limited targeting, so creative does the work. |
| Legal | Google Search and Local Services Ads | YouTube and Meta for awareness in some practice areas | High-value cases come from urgent searches. |
| Dental | Google Search | Facebook and Instagram offers for new patients | Emergency and implant searches carry intent; offers fill the schedule. |
| Med spa and aesthetics | Instagram and Facebook | Google Search for treatment names | Visual results and consult offers drive bookings. |
| Auto repair and dealers | Google Search | Facebook for service specials and inventory | Repairs are urgent searches; inventory sells visually. |
| Retail and ecommerce | Google Shopping or Performance Max and Meta | TikTok for products that demo well | Product feeds and short video sell physical goods. |
| B2B and professional services | Google Search and LinkedIn | YouTube and LinkedIn retargeting | Job-title targeting reaches the decision maker. |
| Nonprofits | Google Ad Grants if eligible, then Meta | YouTube for stories | Eligible nonprofits can get free search ads from Google; Meta drives donations and events. |
| Print, signs and promotional products | Google Search for product and near-me searches | Facebook and Instagram retargeting with project photos | Buyers search by product, then compare finished work. |
Four questions that pick your first platform
- Do people search for what you sell? If yes, start with Google Search, and Local Services Ads if your category is eligible.
- Does it look good on a phone? Food, fitness, beauty, homes and products sell on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
- Is one customer worth thousands? Then higher-cost channels like LinkedIn and competitive search terms can still pay.
- Can you answer leads in 5 minutes? Social leads cool off fast. If not, start with search, where people call when they are ready.
Still unsure? Our cost per lead by industry table shows how Google and Facebook compare in your industry.
Ask which platform fits your business
Tell us your goal, your market and your current spend. We usually reply within an hour and send a written plan within 48 hours.
Prefer to talk? Call 1 (800) 858-1639 or email info@madmonkey.media.
Questions about choosing an ad platform
Is Facebook or Google Ads better for a small business?
It depends on whether customers search for what you sell. If they do, Google Search usually brings ready buyers. If you sell something people do not search for, or that sells on looks, Facebook and Instagram usually win. Many local businesses run one of each.
Are Instagram ads cheaper than Facebook ads?
Not reliably. Both run from the same Meta campaign and auction, and costs depend on audience, placement and creative. We let Meta place ads across both and judge the result on cost per customer.
What are Google Local Services Ads?
Ads for eligible service businesses that appear at the top of Google with a verified badge. You pay per lead, not per click, and can dispute invalid leads. They suit plumbers, electricians, HVAC, lawyers and other eligible categories.
Should a local business advertise on TikTok?
If your product or service demos well in a short video and your customers are on TikTok, it can be a low-cost way to reach new people. It needs fresh vertical video often, so we usually add it after search and Meta are working.
When is LinkedIn advertising worth it?
When you sell to businesses and one customer is worth thousands of dollars. LinkedIn clicks cost much more than other platforms, but you can target by job title, company and industry.
Do YouTube ads work for local businesses?
Yes, especially for retargeting people who visited your site and for reaching a city with a short video. Judge YouTube on site visits, leads and branded search, not only views.
Plan your ads with real numbers
Free guides from our paid advertising team, built on published 2025 and 2026 industry data.
Our advertising process
The 8 stages we run on every account, from audit and tracking to reporting.
Read the guide →Ad budgets and pricing
What $500, $1,500, $3,000 and $5,000+ a month buys, and how our fee works.
Read the guide →Cost per lead by industry 2026
Sortable Google and Facebook benchmarks for 20+ industries, with sources.
Read the guide →