Google Vs Meta Ads: London Founder's ROI Framework

Every week, I speak to a London business owner asking the same question: "Should I be on Google Ads or Meta Ads?". It's framed as a choice, a fork in the road. But this is fundamentally the wrong question, and it's a mistake that costs London businesses a fortune in wasted ad spend. The truth is, it's not a competition between platforms. It’s about understanding the completely different mindsets of the people using them.

One platform finds people who are hunting for a solution to a problem they already have. The other lets you interrupt people who don't even know they have a problem yet, and convince them you're the solution. Get this distinction right, and you can build a predictable client acquisition machine. Get it wrong, and you're just pouring money into the Thames.

Stop Asking "Google or Meta?" and Start Asking "Am I Capturing Demand or Creating It?"

Think about it like this. Google is a library. People go there with a specific query. They are on a mission. They type "24 hour emergency electrician in Islington" or "best corporate law firm City of London" because they have an immediate, often painful, need. They are actively demonstrating their intent to buy or find a solution. We call this demand capture. The demand already exists; your job is simply to be the best, most visible answer when they search.

Meta (Facebook and Instagram) is a bustling high street or a busy pub. People are there to socialise, to be entertained, to see what their mates are up to. They are not looking for your accounting software. Your ad is an interruption. A well-dressed person tapping them on the shoulder to show them something interesting. Your job here is to create desire out of thin air. To stop their scroll with an image or a video so compelling that it makes them realise they have a need they didn't know about a second ago. This is demand creation.

Understanding this is the first step. Before you spend a single pound, you have to honestly analyse your business. Are you selling something people already know they need, or are you selling something new, innovative, or aspirational? Your answer will point you directly to your starting platform. Getting this right is especially important given the sheer competition in the capital, which is why we've put together a guide on whether to choose Google Ads or Meta Ads from a UK founder's perspective.

When Should a London Business Bet Everything on Google Ads?

You should prioritise Google Ads when your customers know they have a problem and are actively searching for the solution. This is particularly true for local service businesses. Nobody wakes up and thinks, "I'll browse Instagram today in case I find a great roofer." But they will frantically search "leaking roof repair cost London" when a damp patch appears on their ceiling.

Here are some classic examples of London businesses that should almost always start with Google Ads:

• -> Trade and Home Services: Electricians, plumbers, builders, locksmiths, cleaners. Your customers have an urgent need. Your entire goal is to show up when they search for "[service] + [London borough/postcode]".
• -> Professional Services: Accountants, solicitors, surveyors, IT support. Businesses and individuals search for these services when they hit a specific trigger point—a tax deadline, a legal dispute, a system failure.
• -> High-Intent B2B: If you sell a known type of software or service that companies search for (e.g., "CRM for small businesses," "office space in Canary Wharf"), Google is where your buyers are shopping.

I remember one campaign we’re running for an HVAC company in a competitive part of the country, and they see costs of around $60 per lead. That sounds high, but one converted job pays for months of advertising. It’s about the final return, not just the initial cost. For these businesses, the game is about precision. You're not trying to be clever with creative; you're trying to be ruthlessly efficient with keywords, location targeting, and a landing page that converts searchers into callers, fast. If you're struggling to make your budget work, our expert guide to London Google Ads can help you plug the leaks.

Still not sure if Google is for you? Let's simplify it.

And When is Meta the Smarter Bet for Reaching Londoners?

Meta is your playground when you can't rely on someone searching for you. This is where you create the demand. It’s perfect for products and services that are visually appealing, new, or based on impulse and desire rather than necessity. We've seen incredible results for clients in this space, like a 1000% ROAS for an eCommerce subscription box and a 691% return for a women's apparel brand. Those results don't come from waiting for people to search; they come from proactive, compelling advertising.

Meta is likely your best bet if you're a London business in these categories:

• -> eCommerce: Fashion, beauty, homeware, gifts, gadgets. You're selling a lifestyle, a look, a feeling. A stunning video or carousel ad can stop a commuter on the tube in their tracks and lead to a sale before they reach their stop.
• -> Courses & Info-Products: No one wakes up searching for the specific online course you just created. You need to use ads to target people with related interests (e.g., people interested in photography for your new Lightroom course) and persuade them of the value.
• -> Innovative B2B SaaS: If you've built a genuinely new type of software that solves a problem people don't know they can fix, you can't wait for them to search for it. You need to get in front of them, maybe targeting workers at tech companies around Old Street's "Silicon Roundabout", and show them a better way of working.
• -> Restaurants, Bars, and Events: You're selling an experience. You can target people within a few miles of your location who have an interest in "fine dining" or "cocktail bars" and show them an enticing offer to get them through the door tonight.

The key mistake people make on Meta is running "Brand Awareness" or "Reach" campaigns. You are literally paying Facebook to find the people in your audience who are *least* likely to ever click or buy anything because their attention is cheap. It's madness. For almost all small to medium businesses, you must optimise for conversions—leads, purchases, bookings. You're not a megabrand with millions to spend on vague awareness; every pound needs to work towards a tangible outcome. You must build a proper campaign structure, split test your audiences and creatives, and focus relentlessly on what drives actual sales. If your social ads are a money pit, our real guide to Meta Ads will set you straight.

What About B2B? Is the Google vs. Meta Debate Different for Selling to London Firms?

Yes, selling to other businesses, especially in a dense, competitive market like London, requires a more nuanced approach. The stakes are higher, sales cycles are longer, adn decision-making involves multiple people. Here, the "either/or" question is even less relevant. Often, the answer is a strategic combination of platforms.

Here’s how to break it down:

1. LinkedIn for Sniper-Like Precision: If you need to reach the Head of Compliance at a FinTech firm in Canary Wharf, or the Marketing Director at a FTSE 250 company, LinkedIn is your best tool. The targeting is unparalleled for job titles, company size, and industry. The leads are expensive, but they are often highly qualified. One campaign we worked on for a software client saw CPLs around $22 for B2B decision-makers, which is a bargain if your deal size is in the tens of thousands. The trick is to have an offer that isn't "book a demo." Offer a valuable report, a free audit, or a case study. Give them value before you ask for their time.
2. Google for Active B2B Shoppers: Just like with B2C, if a business has a problem they know about, they'll search for it. Keywords like "commercial office cleaning London," "ISO 27001 certification consultants," or "Salesforce implementation partner" are pure gold. This is high-intent, bottom-of-the-funnel traffic. You must be there.
3. Meta for Broader Roles and Scaling: Can you sell complex B2B services on Instagram? Sometimes. It's harder, but not impossible. In one instance, we generated over 4,600 registrations for a B2B software using Meta. You can't target a "CFO," but you can target people with interests in "Financial Times," "QuickBooks," or other financial software, and layer that with behavioural data. It’s brilliant for reaching small business owners or for retargeting people who visited your site from LinkedIn or Google, keeping your brand top-of-mind.

The real secret to B2B advertising in London isn’t the platform; it's the offer. Nobody wants your demo. They want a solution. Give them a piece of the solution for free—an automated audit, a calculator, a short video course. Earn their trust. The most successful B2B campaigns use multiple platforms in concert, which is why we advocate for a full-funnel framework that integrates all three channels for maximum impact.

How Much Should I Actually Be Spending? The Maths Most London Businesses Get Wrong.

This is where most businesses fly blind. They pick an arbitrary budget—£500 a month, £1,000 a month—without any logic behind it. To advertise effectively in a pricey market like London, you need to know the single most important metric in your business: your Customer Lifetime Value (LTV). How much is one customer actually worth to you over their entire relationship with your business?

Once you know your LTV, you can work backwards to figure out how much you can afford to spend to acquire a customer (your Customer Acquisition Cost, or CAC). A healthy business model often aims for an LTV:CAC ratio of at least 3:1. Let's do the maths.

When you know you can afford to spend £3,125 to acquire a customer worth £9,375, suddenly a £50 cost-per-lead from Google or a £250 qualified meeting from LinkedIn doesn't seem so scary. It's an investment, not a cost. This is the mindset that separates businesses that scale from those that stagnate. If you feel like your budget is holding you back, it's probably because you haven't done this maths. Our ultimate guide on ad budgeting goes into even more detail on this.

So, It's Not a Fight? How Do Google and Meta Actually Work Together?

Exactly. The smartest London businesses don't see them as rivals, but as a team. They use them together in a full-funnel strategy to guide a customer from complete stranger to loyal advocate. This is how you dominate a market, not just compete in it.

Here's a simplified example of how it works for a B2B SaaS company in London:

This is a simplified model, but the principle is powerful. You use the broad reach of social platforms to introduce yourself and the precision of search to close the deal. This integrated approach, which we cover in our founder's framework for London ROI, is how you build a resilient and scalable marketing system.

So What Should *You* Do Next? A Straightforward Plan.

Theory is nice, but you need an actionable plan. The right choice is entirely dependent on your business model. It's not about what's trendy; it's about what aligns with how your specific customers buy.

I've detailed my main recommendations for you below:

Why You Might Need an Expert Eye on This

Understanding these principles is the first step. But executing them in London's hyper-competitive digital landscape is another challenge entirely. The difference between a campaign that returns £8 for every £1 spent and one that just burns cash often comes down to the small details: the exact keyword match types, the audience layering on Meta, the A/B testing of ad copy, and the conversion rate optimisation of your landing page.

Getting this wrong means you're not just wasting your ad budget; you're losing ground to your competitors who are getting it right. Your time is best spent running your business, not becoming a full-time digital advertising expert. This is where getting professional help can be the best investment you make.

If you're a London-based business and you're still unsure about your strategy or feel your current ads aren't performing as they should, we offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation. We'll look at your business, your goals, and help you build a clear, actionable plan to get the return on investment you deserve.

Hope that helps!