Facebook Ads vs Google Ads for a small business: which first?

Crazy Egg's comparison, published in January 2026, describes Google as capturing users actively searching for solutions, which it calls high intent, and Facebook as reaching people browsing social media, with low to medium intent. It says Facebook is better for discovery and awareness.

For a small business, that gives a simple rule:

• If people search for what you sell, start with Google.
• If your product is visual, new or an impulse buy, try Facebook.

Our guide on whether Google Ads are worth it shows how to test the numbers first.

With Google you bid on the words people type, so you show up when someone asks for what you sell. Local targeting is strong, which suits businesses serving one area.

With Facebook you choose who sees the ad, using demographics, interests and behavior. Crazy Egg lists Lookalike Audiences as a standout feature, and notes they need a source audience of 1,000 or more people.

Neither is better in general. It depends on whether your best customers are easier to describe by what they search or by who they are.

Crazy Egg says Google has higher cost per click, especially in competitive industries such as legal, finance and technology, while Facebook is generally cheaper but its clicks are less likely to convert.

One 2026 guide gives $1 to $5 for most industries on Google, though it does not name a source. We have not quoted Facebook click prices, because the benchmark we found uses data from late 2016 and early 2017 and is too old to trust.

So the honest answer is to test. Run a small budget on one channel and measure cost per enquiry, not cost per click.

Google is described as limited in creative, with text and static visuals dominating. Facebook is high in creative, with image, video, carousel and lead ad formats.

That matters for a small business without a design team. Facebook needs a steady supply of fresh visuals. Our short-form video guide and brand identity guide help you build them.

Facebook's native Lead Ads keep people on the platform, which can reduce friction. Google sends people to your own page, so the page has to do the work.

Whichever you use, reply fast. Leads from forms go cold quickly, and a slow reply wastes the spend. Make sure you track which ad produced each enquiry.

Crazy Egg suggests using Facebook early to build awareness and Google later to reach buyers further along their journey. That works once you have budget and tracking for both.

A sensible order for most small businesses:

1. Start with the channel that matches how customers find you.
2. Reach a cost per enquiry you can live with.
3. Add the second channel for a different audience or stage.
4. Keep each campaign separate so you can judge it.

Our paid ads service builds this step by step.

Crazy Egg says Google suits high-intent buyers and high-ticket items, with Maps ads helping brick-and-mortar stores. Facebook suits niche audiences, awareness and visually driven brands.

These are starting points, not rules. Your own data beats a general guide.