Intent vs Interest.
Google Ads captures people who are actively searching for your service ('Demand Capture'). Facebook Ads find people who might be interested based on their demographics and behavior ('Demand Generation').
You only pay when someone ASKS for you. If I search 'Emergency Dentist', I need one NOW. Google Ads puts you there.
You interrupt someone's day. If I see a cool gadget ad while scrolling, I might buy it. I wasn't looking for it.
Text ads on Google can run for months or years without 'fatigue'. As long as the keyword is relevant, the ad works.
Facebook/Instagram ads die fast. Users get bored of seeing the same image after 3 days. You need a constant stream of new designs.
Common scenarios where one clearly wins.
Running ads for 'Car Towing Service' on Instagram. No one whose car broke down is scrolling Reels.
Put 100% of emergency budget into Google Search Ads.
You pay for clicks on 'free', 'jobs', 'course'. E.g., 'SEO Agency Jobs' instead of 'Hire SEO Agency'.
Add 'free', 'course', 'salary', 'jobs', 'definition' to your negative keyword list immediately.
Using stock photos of men in suits shaking hands. Users ignore this 'ad blindness'.
Use UGC (User Generated Content), unpolished real videos, or high-contrast designs.
Trying to sell a ₹50,000 course on a cold Facebook ad. Trust is too low.
Use ads to get a lead (Webinar/PDF). Nurture them via email. Sell later.
Sending mobile traffic to a slow website form.
Use 'Click-to-WhatsApp' ads. They convert 50% better in India than website forms.
In India, the 'Click-to-WhatsApp' objective on Facebook/Instagram is the highest converting ad type for small businesses. Google also offers 'Message Extensions'.
India consumes more Reel/Shorts content than almost any other nation. If your FB/Insta ads aren't vertical videos, you are losing money.
Real Estate: ₹300-800. Education: ₹150-500. Fashion: ₹200-600 (CPA). General B2B: ₹500-1500.
Many Indians block unknown numbers. If you collect leads, call them IMMEDIATELY (within 5 mins) or message on WhatsApp first. Cold calling 3 days later fails.
“We stopped chasing cheap leads on Facebook and started chasing actual buyers on Google. Quality over quantity saved our sales team.”
If you sell something people NEED (services, utilities, urgent help), Google Ads wins 100%. If you sell something people WANT (lifestyle, fashion, gadgets, courses), Facebook/Instagram Ads win. For growth, you eventually need both.
Yes, on Facebook. On Google, ₹10k might only get you 100-200 clicks in a competitive niche, which isn't enough data.
Google Ads (Search) and LinkedIn Ads. Facebook is great for B2B retargeting but harder for cold acquisition.
Surprisingly yes, if you use 'Lead Magnets' (e.g., Free PDF Guide) instead of direct 'Buy Now' ads.