Google Ads vs. Meta Ads: UK Founder's Framework

I see this question all the time from UK founders. "Should I be on Google or Facebook? Where's my money best spent?". Tbh, it's the wrong question. It’s like asking if a hammer is better than a screwdriver. They're different tools for different jobs. Choosing the right one depends entirely on what you're trying to build, and for whom. Get this choice wrong, and you're just burning cash. Get it right, and you build a predictable engine for growth.

Most agencies will give you a vague answer or just push you towards the platform they're most comfortable with. The real answer lies in a simple framework based on one thing: your customer's state of mind. Are they problem-aware and actively looking for a fix, or are they scrolling through their feed, completely unaware that a better solution (yours) even exists? This is the core of our channel selection framework, and understanding it is the first step to stop wasting money.

In this guide, I'm gonna break down this framework for UK businesses, show you the maths behind making a profitable decision, and walk through the common pitfalls I see every single day.

So, what's the actual difference? Intent vs. Demand

Let's get straight to it. The single biggest difference between Google Ads (specifically Search) and Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram) is the user's intent.

Google Search Ads = Capturing Intent.
Think about it. When you use Google, you have a specific need. "emergency plumber in Bristol", "best crm for small business uk", "buy handmade leather wallet". You are actively seeking a solution. You have a problem, and you're literally typing the solution you want into a search bar. For an advertiser, this is gold. You're putting your business in front of someone at the exact moment they're raising their hand to say "I want to buy". This is what we call 'capturing existing demand'. The demand is already there; your job is to capture it before your competitors do.

Meta Ads = Creating Demand.
Nobody goes on Instagram to find a new accounting software. They go to see photos from their mates' holiday, watch funny videos, and catch up on news. They are in a passive, entertainment-focused mindset. Your ad is an interruption. A welcome one, if you get it right. An annoying one, if you get it wrong. Your job here isn't to capture existing demand, but to create it. You have to stop their scroll with a compelling image or video and a message that makes them think, "Huh, I never thought about that before" or "Wow, I didn't know that existed, I need that". You're taking them from unaware to problem-aware, and then to solution-aware.

Here’s a simple way to think about it.

When to bet on Google Ads in the UK

Google Ads is your go-to if you're in a business where the need is clear and urgent. Think about it:

• Local Services: Plumbers, electricians, solicitors, cleaners, removal companies. When my boiler breaks, I'm not scrolling Instagram, I'm Googling "emergency plumber near me". These are some of the most profitable campaigns we run because the intent is so high. I remember one campaign for a home cleaning company which got a cost of £5/lead, while another for an HVAC company in a competitive area saw costs around $60/lead.
• High-Consideration B2B Services: Things like 'fractional CFO services', 'ISO 27001 certification', 'commercial property agent Manchester'. The decision-makers here know they have a problem and are actively researching vendors. Your goal is to be on their shortlist.
• Niche eCommerce: If you sell something specific like "orthopaedic dog beds" or "vegan leather camera straps", you can bet people are searching for it. You can intercept them right before they buy from a bigger competitor.
• SaaS with a Defined Category: If you are an "email marketing platform" or "project management tool", you need to show up when people search for those terms. One B2B software client we worked with achieved a $22 cost per lead on LinkedIn Ads. For another, focusing on search-driven software, we saw user acquisition costs as low as £0.96 on Google Ads because the intent was so precise.

The litmus test is simple: do people in the UK actually search for what you sell? Use a free tool like Google's Keyword Planner and see for yourself. Don't guess. Data trumps intuition every time. A huge part of any successful campaign is building a solid keyword strategy that focuses on buying intent, not just research.

When to go all-in on Meta Ads

Meta is your playground when you can't rely on search. This is often the case for:

• Innovative or New Products: If you've invented a completely new gadget, nobody is searching for it because they don't know it exists. You have to show it to them. Meta's visual nature is perfect for this.
• Visually-Driven Products: Fashion, art, cosmetics, food, home decor. A stunning video or carousel ad can stop a scroll and create an instant desire that wasn't there a second before. One campaign we worked on for a women's apparel brand drove a 691% return, and another for cleaning products achieved a 633% return.
• Impulse Buys & Low-Ticket Offers: Courses, digital products, subscription boxes. The barrier to purchase is low, and a compelling offer can convert a passive scroller into a customer in a few clicks. One of our clients selling courses generated $115k in revenue in just 1.5 months purely from Meta Ads.
• Complex B2B where you Target a Persona, not a Problem: Sometimes, you don't sell a solution to a searchable problem, but you do sell to a very specific person. For example, you want to reach 'Heads of Engineering at Fintech startups in London'. You can't target that on Google. But on LinkedIn (and to some extent, Meta), you absolutely can. Mastering B2B on Meta involves finding these pockets of users and hitting them with a message that resonates with their specific role and industry pains.

The key to winning on Meta isn't clever targeting hacks; it's a combination of a killer offer and thumb-stopping creative. Your offer can't be a boring "Contact Us". It has to be something valuable in its own right—a free trial, a genuinely useful guide, a webinar, a quiz, a free tool. You have to give value to earn attention.

Your creative needs to tell a story or demonstrate value in under 3 seconds. It's a completely different skill set from writing a Google text ad. It's more art than science, and it involves relentless testing.

The expert take: Why it's rarely "either/or"

Ok, so you've picked your starting point. But the real growth comes when you stop thinking of these platforms as seperate channels and start thinking of them as a system. The most sophisticated UK advertisers use both, in concert.

Imagine this common scenario for a B2B SaaS company:

1. Create Demand (Meta): You run a video ad campaign on Facebook and Instagram targeting 'Small Business Owners' in the UK. The ad isn't selling your software; it's promoting a free downloadable guide: "The 5 Costly Financial Mistakes Every UK Startup Makes". It's pure value.
2. Nurture Interest (Email & Retargeting): People who download the guide are now on your email list and in your website custom audience. You can now retarget them on Meta with case studies and testimonials.
3. Capture Intent (Google): A week later, one of those founders realises their finances are a mess. They google "accounting software for uk startups". Because you're running a Google Search campaign, your ad appears at the top. They recognise your brand from the guide they downloaded. You have instant credibility. They click, start a free trial, and become a customer.

This is a simplified example of a full-funnel advertising strategy. You use Meta's cheap reach to build an audience and educate the market, then use Google's high-intent traffic to close the deal. They work together, each playing to its strengths. This is how you scale.

Running the Numbers: Can You Actually Make Money?

This is where most businesses fail. They dive in without doing the basic maths. Before you spend a single pound, you need to understand your numbers. The most important number isn't your cost-per-click, it's your Customer Lifetime Value (LTV). How much is a customer worth to you over their entire relationship with your business? This tells you how much you can afford to spend to acquire one.

For any founder or CFO trying to get a handle on this, understanding how to measure and forecast ad spend ROI is non-negotiable.

Once you know your LTV, you can decide your target Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC). A healthy ratio is typically 3:1 (LTV:CAC). So, if your LTV is £10,000, you can afford to spend up to £3,333 to acquire a customer. Now we can work backwards to see if a platform is viable. If you want a more detailed breakdown of how to calculate this, we have a complete guide to calculating paid ads ROI.

Final Checks: Common Mistakes I See UK Founders Make

Even with the right strategy and a solid understanding of the numbers, it's easy to go wrong. Here are the most common mistakes I see.

• Blaming the platform, not the offer. This is number one. If you're getting clicks but no conversions, your first thought shouldn't be "Google Ads doesn't work". It should be "Is my landing page rubbish?" or "Is my offer compelling enough?". Nine times out of ten, the problem is with the destination, not the vehicle.
• Starting with "Brand Awareness" campaigns. This is a classic. You tell Meta you want "Reach" or "Brand Awareness" and it will dutifully find you the cheapest possible impressions. These are people who are proven to not click, engage or buy anything. You're paying to reach the worst segment of your audience. Unless you're a massive brand with money to burn, always, ALWAYS optimise for a conversion objective (leads, purchases, etc.) from day one.
• Ignoring measurement and attribution. "We think the leads are coming from Facebook". 'Thinking' isn't good enough. You need to have rock-solid tracking in place (GA4, Meta Pixel & CAPI, offline conversion tracking) to know exactly what's working and what isn't. Without accurate data, you're flying blind. This is a complex area, but our masterclass on measurement and attribution is a good starting point.
• Not being patient enough. Paid ads aren't a magic money machine, especially in the competitive UK market which includes specific hubs like London. You can find out more in our London business guide to ads. It takes time to test, learn, and optimise. You need to be prepared to invest for at least 3 months to gather enough data to make informed decisions. Anyone promising instant results is lying.

So what now?

The choice between Google and Meta isn't a coin flip. It's a strategic decision based on your specific business, your customer, and your goals. Use the Intent vs. Demand framework to choose your starting point. Do the maths to make sure it's economically viable. And above all, focus on creating a genuinely compelling offer that solves a real problem for your customer.

This is hard work. It requires a mix of analytical thinking, creative flair, and relentless testing. If you've read this far and feel a bit overwhelmed, that's normal. Getting paid advertising right is a full-time job. It's what we do all day, every day.

If you're a UK founder who is serious about growth and wants an expert opinion on your specific situation, we offer a free strategy consultation. We'll look at your business, your goals, and help you build a roadmap for profitable advertising. No hard sell, just honest advice based on years of experience. Hope this helps!