Google Ads vs Meta ads
Google Search captures demand that already exists; Meta creates demand among people who were not looking. Search converts at higher rates and reports higher ROAS because the intent is explicit, and it is limited by how many people search. Meta reaches far more people at lower CPMs and depends on creative to generate the interest search takes for granted. Most advertisers with a product people search for run both, sized so that Meta feeds the demand Search harvests, and measure the pair with a geo test rather than by comparing platform ROAS.
| Google Ads | Meta ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Intent | Explicit, query-driven | Inferred, feed-driven |
| Limit on scale | Search volume | Budget and creative |
| Main lever | Keywords, bids, landing pages | Creative volume and quality |
| Typical CPC | $4.30 to $5.50 search | $0.70 to $1.90 |
| Reported ROAS | High (harvests demand) | Lower (creates demand) |
| Learning need | Conversions per campaign per month | About 50 events per ad set per week |
Terms in this comparison
Cite this page:
Agency Echelon. "Google Ads vs Meta ads." Agency Echelon Reference, reviewed September 2026. https://agencyechelon.com/reference/compare/google-ads-vs-meta-ads/