The short answer: if homeowners are already searching for what you do — boiler repair, blocked drain, emergency electrician — start with Google. If your work is more considered — a new bathroom, a full rewire, a kitchen extension — start with Meta. Most established trades eventually run both, because they solve different problems. But you almost never need both on day one.
How the two platforms actually differ
Google is a search engine. You buy attention from people who have already decided they need something and are typing it into a box. Meta is a discovery feed. You buy attention from people who weren't looking for you — you interrupt them with something worth stopping for.
That difference shows up everywhere: in intent, cost, creative, tracking and how quickly you see results. If you only remember one thing, remember this — you're paying for a different kind of attention on each platform, and neither is universally "better".
| Google Ads | Meta Ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Intent | High — active search | Low — discovery |
| Best for | Emergencies, urgent jobs, brand searches | Planned work, visual proof, retargeting |
| Typical CPL (UK) | Higher (£25–£80+) | Lower (£8–£40) |
| Close rate | Usually higher | Usually lower per lead — but far more leads |
| Creative that wins | Clear ad copy + fast landing page | Scroll-stopping video / before-after |
| Time to signal | Days | 2–4 weeks |
| Funnel stage | Bottom (ready to buy) | Top & middle (creating demand) |
What they cost — and why that number lies
On the surface Google looks more expensive. In the UK a cost per click for a trade keyword often sits between £3 and £15, while Meta typically runs around £1.10. But cost per click is a vanity number — the only cost that matters is cost per booked job.
Google leads usually close at a higher rate because the person was already looking. Meta leads are cheaper but often colder — you'll book a smaller percentage of them. Once you do the maths on booked jobs, the two platforms often end up much closer than the click cost suggests. For the full breakdown of how a Meta budget actually behaves, see What to Expect from £500/month Adspend.
When Google is the right first move
Pick Google first if the majority of the work you want is reactive. If a homeowner only calls you when something's broken, you want to be the ad at the top of the search result the moment they type "boiler not working" or "emergency electrician near me". You are literally paying to be there at the point of decision.
- 1. Emergency and repair trades — plumbing, electrics, locksmiths, drainage.
- 2. Trades with strong "near me" search demand in your area.
- 3. You already have a website that answers the phone and loads fast on mobile.
- 4. You can commit at least £600–£1,000/month — Google punishes tiny budgets on competitive keywords.
When Meta is the right first move
Pick Meta first if your work is planned. Nobody googles "new kitchen" at 11pm the way they google "boiler repair" — the decision starts with a homeowner seeing something that makes them think "we should get ours done". That's Meta's job, and it does it better than any other channel for a fraction of the cost.
- 1. Renovation trades — bathrooms, kitchens, extensions, landscaping, roofing.
- 2. You have real photos or short phone videos of finished work.
- 3. You can respond to leads within minutes, not days.
- 4. You want to build a warm audience of local homeowners to retarget over time.
If you haven't run Meta before, start with Get to Know Meta Ads — it covers the auction, tracking and creative you'll need in place before you spend a penny.
When to run both
Most trades running £2,000+/month on paid media end up on both platforms — but for a reason, not because it looks impressive. Google catches the ready-to-buy demand you already have; Meta creates the demand you don't. Together they cover the whole funnel.
The right order is almost always prove one, then add the other. Split budget on both from day one and you'll be under-funding each — and neither will hit the volume of conversions it needs to optimise properly.
The mistakes that decide it for you (badly)
- 1. Splitting a small budget across both — starves each platform of the data it needs.
- 2. Judging Meta in week one — it needs 2–4 weeks; Google shows signal in days.
- 3. Running Google without call tracking — you'll never know which keyword actually booked the job.
- 4. Running Meta without server-side tracking — 20–40% of your conversions won't be attributed.
- 5. Boosting posts and calling it "Meta ads" — it isn't. It's the worst version of the platform.
- 6. Ignoring the landing page — the best ad on either platform can't rescue a slow, confusing page.
How to decide in 60 seconds
| Your situation | Start with |
|---|---|
| Reactive / emergency work, phone rings when things break | |
| Planned work — bathrooms, kitchens, extensions, roofs | Meta |
| Budget under £600/month | Meta (Google is unforgiving at small budgets) |
| Budget £2,000+/month and already booked out from one channel | Add the other |
| Zero creative — no photos, no video | Google first, build creative for Meta later |
| Strong local brand people search for by name | Google (protect the brand term first) |
Frequently asked questions
Which platform gives cheaper leads?
Meta, almost always — often by 2–3×. But Google leads usually close at a higher rate because the person was actively searching. Compare cost per booked job, not cost per lead.
Can I run both on £500/month?
You can, but you shouldn't. Split that budget and neither platform gathers enough data to optimise. Pick one, prove it, then add the other when you can fund it properly. See the £500/month Meta playbook for the disciplined single-platform setup.
How long before I know if it's working?
Google gives you a usable signal within days — you'll see clicks and calls almost immediately. Meta needs 2–4 weeks to exit the learning phase and show reliable numbers. Judging either channel in week one is how most budgets get killed.
What about Google LSA (Local Services Ads)?
If it's available for your trade in your area, run it. LSAs are pay-per-lead (not per click), Google-verified, and often the cheapest booked jobs a trade can buy. Treat them as a bonus lane alongside standard Google Search — not a replacement for it.
Isn't Google Ads too expensive for trades now?
It's expensive per click, not necessarily per job. A £30 click that becomes a £6,000 bathroom is still the best-value marketing you'll ever buy. The trades that struggle on Google are usually the ones with a weak landing page, no call tracking, or a phone that doesn't get answered.
The takeaway
Meta and Google aren't rivals — they're different tools. Google buys you attention at the moment of decision; Meta buys you attention that creates the decision. Pick the one that matches how homeowners actually find your kind of work, fund it properly, and only add the second when the first is provably working. That single discipline saves more trade businesses more money than any clever campaign trick ever will.
At Onyx we run both — but only when they'll pay back. If you tell us the work you want more of, we'll tell you straight which platform to start on and what a realistic result looks like. No pitch, no pressure.