Digital Marketing

Meta Ads vs Google Ads: Which Drives Better ROI?

Explore the differences between Meta Ads and Google Ads to determine which platform offers better ROI for your marketing goals.

By Mason Boroff

Feb 19, 2025

Meta Ads and Google Ads are two of the most popular platforms for digital advertising. But which one delivers better ROI? Here's a quick breakdown to help you decide:

Meta Ads: Best for visually engaging ads, building brand awareness, and reaching broad audiences. Lower cost per click (avg. $1.06) and higher conversion rates (9.21%).
Google Ads: Ideal for capturing high-intent users actively searching for products or services. Higher cost per click (avg. $2.69) but excels in direct conversions with a 3.75% conversion rate.

Quick Comparison

| Metric | Meta Ads | Google Ads |
| --- | --- | --- |
| <strong>Cost Per Click (CPC)</strong> | $1.06 | $2.69 (avg.) |
| <strong>Conversion Rate</strong> | 9.21% | 3.75% |
| <strong>Primary Goal</strong> | Brand Awareness | Direct Conversions |
| <strong>Targeting</strong> | Demographics/Interests | Keywords/Intent |
| <strong>Best For</strong> | E-commerce, Visual Products | B2B, High-Intent Buyers

Key Insight: Use Meta Ads for awareness and engagement, while Google Ads works best for immediate sales and lead generation. For maximum ROI, combine both platforms strategically.

How Users Interact with Each Platform

Search vs Social: User Behavior Patterns

The key difference between Google Ads and Meta Ads lies in how users behave and what they’re looking for. With Google Ads, users often have a clear purpose - they’re actively searching for specific products or services. This makes them more likely to convert but also drives up costs. On the other hand, Meta Ads reach users who are casually browsing, with no immediate buying intent.

These differences directly affect campaign results. For instance, Google Ads boast a 3.17% click-through rate, while Meta Ads sit at 0.90% . However, when it comes to overall conversion rates, Meta leads with 9.21% compared to Google’s 3.75% .

| User Behavior Metric | Google Ads | Meta Ads |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Primary User Intent | Active Search | Content Discovery |
| Average Session Duration | 3-5 minutes | 33 minutes |
| Click-Through Rate | 3.17% | 0.90% |
| Conversion Rate | 3.75% | 9.21

These numbers clearly show how each platform engages users differently.

Audience Targeting Options

Targeting options are another major factor that sets these platforms apart. Google Ads focuses on keyword-based targeting, which helps advertisers reach users based on specific search queries. This works well for grabbing the attention of people who are already looking for solutions.

Meta Ads, on the other hand, leverages vast user data to enable detailed demographic and interest-based targeting. Its standout feature is the ability to build lookalike audiences and retarget website visitors - making it ideal for raising brand awareness and nurturing potential customers at the top of the sales funnel.

The right targeting strategy depends on your goals and industry. For example, video ads on Meta platforms see 30% higher engagement than static images . Meanwhile, Google’s search ads tend to shine when your goal is immediate conversions.

"The 2024 data shows that Meta's detailed targeting resulted in a 6:1 return on ad spend for awareness campaigns, compared to Google's 4:1 for direct response campaigns" .

Mobile usage also plays a big role in ad performance. Meta platforms, especially Instagram, are heavily mobile-focused, with over 98% of users accessing via mobile . This focus translates into better results - Meta's mobile-optimized campaigns see 27% higher click-through rates than desktop campaigns. Google’s mobile search ads also perform better than their desktop counterparts, but the increase is smaller at 15% .

To get the best ROI, align your campaign strategy with the way users naturally interact on each platform.

ROI and Performance Data

2025 Performance Metrics by Industry

Data from 2025 highlights that Meta Ads average a 6:1 ROAS, while Google Ads average 4:1. However, performance varies significantly by industry.

E-commerce: Meta Ads lead with a ROAS of 7.5:1, compared to Google Ads’ 6:1.
B2B Services: Google Ads outperform here, achieving a ROAS of 5:1, while Meta Ads deliver 3.5:1.
Travel: Google Ads slightly edge out Meta Ads, with a ROAS of 5.2:1 versus 4.7:1.

ROAS by Industry

| Industry | Meta Ads ROAS | Google Ads ROAS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| E-commerce | 7.5:1 | 6:1 |
| B2B Services | 3.5:1 | 5:1 |
| Travel | 4.7:1 | 5.2:1

Cost and Efficiency Comparisons

Meta Ads generally offer lower Cost Per Click (CPC), averaging $1.06, while Google Ads’ CPC ranges widely from $2 to as high as $60, depending on keyword competition. These cost differences directly affect acquisition costs:

E-commerce: Meta Ads’ cost per acquisition averages $18.68, compared to $45.27 for Google Ads.
Education: Meta Ads generate leads at $7.85, while Google Ads’ costs range from $40 to $60.

During peak periods, Google Ads see CPC increases of 25-40%, whereas Meta Ads experience CPM rises of 15-30%.

E-commerce Platform Comparison

The e-commerce sector showcases distinct strengths for both platforms:

Meta Ads: Higher conversion efficiency at 3.4%, compared to Google Ads’ 2.69%. Ideal for building brand awareness and driving engagement.
Google Ads: Better suited for capturing high-intent shoppers through specific product searches, often leading to higher average order values.

For example, StyleNow, an online fashion retailer, saw the following results:

Meta Ads: Achieved a 5.2:1 ROAS with a $50,000 monthly budget, reaching 2.5 million users.
Google Ads: Delivered a 6.8:1 ROAS, generating 175,000 clicks at a 3.2% conversion rate with a $70,000 monthly budget .

Attribution Models

Meta Ads use a 28-day click, 1-day view attribution model, which often inflates ROAS by including broader view-through attribution. In contrast, Google Ads rely on a last-click attribution model, offering a more conservative and directly traceable measure of performance .

Pricing and Budget Planning

Ad Costs and Market Trends

In 2025, Meta Ads and Google Ads show different cost trends depending on the industry:

| Industry | Meta Ads CPC | Google Ads CPC |
| --- | --- | --- |
| E-commerce | $1.08 | $1.16 |
| Education | $1.72 | $2.40 |
| B2B | $2.52 | $3.33 |
| Finance & Insurance | $3.77 | $5.86

During the holiday season, CPCs can jump by 25–50%. Education-related costs increase by 15–30% during back-to-school periods, while finance keywords see a 20–40% spike around tax season .

Beyond ad spend, there are other recurring costs to consider:

Creative production: $500–$5000 per month
Landing page setup: $1000–$5000 upfront
Analytics tools: $100–$1000 per month
Ad fraud protection: 1–3% of your total ad spend

These factors should guide how you distribute your budget effectively.

How to Split Your Ad Budget

Knowing these cost patterns helps businesses of all sizes allocate their budgets wisely:

Small Businesses (<$1M)

For brand awareness: 70% Meta, 30% Google
For direct response: 40% Meta, 60% Google

Mid-size Companies ($1M–$50M)

Balanced strategy: 50% Meta, 50% Google
E-commerce focus: 40% Meta, 60% Google

Large Enterprises (>$50M)

Brand building: 60% Meta, 40% Google
B2B lead generation: 30% Meta, 70% Google

"In Q4 2024, e-commerce retailer Wayfair increased their Google Ads budget by 30% during the holiday season, resulting in a 22% increase in ROAS compared to the previous year. They simultaneously reduced their Meta Ads budget by 15%, focusing on retargeting campaigns, which led to a 12% improvement in cost per acquisition. This strategic budget reallocation resulted in an overall 18% increase in total online sales year-over-year." (Source: Wayfair Annual Report 2024)

For campaigns to perform well, Meta Ads suggest spending $5–$10 daily per ad set, while Google Ads recommend $10–$50. Small businesses can stretch their budgets further by using strategies like:

Dayparting to target the most productive time slots
Geo-targeting for local audiences
Remarketing to re-engage potential customers
Long-tail keywords to reduce competition on Google Ads

E-commerce businesses often allocate 55% of their budget to Google and 45% to Meta, while B2B campaigns lean more heavily on Google with a 70–30 split. Travel brands, on the other hand, invest about 60% in Meta Ads to take advantage of its visual storytelling features .

Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads: Which Is Better?

How to Improve Results on Each Platform

Once you've planned your budget, it's time to refine your approach for each platform. Tailoring your strategies to the unique features of each platform can help you get better results and maximize your ROI.

Google Ads Success Tips

Improving your Quality Score is a smart way to lower ad costs and improve ad placement. Ads with a Quality Score of 9-10 can cost up to 50% less per click compared to those scoring 5 .

Here are some ways to improve your ROI on Google Ads:

Create tightly themed ad groups: Group your ads around specific, relevant keywords, and don't forget to include negative keywords to minimize wasted spend. Long-tail keywords are especially effective, often driving up to 80% more conversions at a lower cost .
Align ad copy and landing pages: Make sure your ad copy matches the targeted keywords and that your landing pages are optimized. Reducing page load times from 7 to 4 seconds can increase conversion rates by 27% . Also, ensure landing pages are mobile-friendly and feature clear calls-to-action.
Use RLSA (Remarketing Lists for Search Ads): These campaigns allow you to target users who have already visited your site. For example, one e-commerce company saw a 203% increase in conversion rates and a 53% drop in cost-per-acquisition using RLSA .

Now let’s look at how to get the most out of Meta Ads.

Meta Ads Success Tips

Meta's platform offers powerful tools for targeting and automation. Use these strategies to enhance your Meta Ads performance:

Leverage Advantage+ shopping campaigns: Automate your product catalog ads for better efficiency. Here's how these campaigns have performed:

| Metric | Improvement |
| --- | --- |
| Cost per Purchase | -12% |
| Return on Ad Spend | +32

"Meta reports that advertisers using Advantage+ shopping campaigns saw a 12% lower cost-per-purchase and a 32% increase in return on ad spend compared to manually created campaigns."

Build and use custom audiences: Create custom audiences from your website visitors or customer lists, then expand with lookalike audiences. This strategy can reduce CPC by up to 64% .
Optimize ad creatives: Use Meta's Dynamic Creative Optimization to test different ad elements automatically. Video and carousel ads are especially effective for driving engagement.

Consistent A/B testing is crucial across both platforms. Businesses that regularly test their ads see up to 50% better performance than those that don't . Keep an eye on platform-specific metrics, aiming for a Quality Score of 7+ on Google Ads and a Relevance Score of 8+ on Meta Ads for the best results .

Conclusion

Main Differences Between Platforms

Meta Ads and Google Ads each bring unique advantages to the table when it comes to driving ROI. Google Ads excel at capturing high-intent searches, which makes them great for direct conversions, even though they tend to come with higher costs per click. On the other hand, Meta Ads offer cost-effective reach and highly specific targeting, making them a strong choice for building brand awareness and fostering early engagement.

| Metric | Meta Ads | Google Ads |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Conversion Rate | 9.21% | 3.39% |
| Cost per Lead | $7.85 | $40-$60

These figures highlight the key performance differences between the two platforms, helping you decide which one aligns best with your goals.

Which Platform Fits Your Goals

How do you choose the right platform for your business? It depends on what you're aiming to achieve. Here's a quick breakdown to help guide your decision:

Go with Meta Ads if you:

Want to build brand awareness.
Have visually appealing products to showcase.
Need to deliver educational content to your audience.
Are working with a tighter budget.

Choose Google Ads if you:

Require fast, direct conversions.
Are prepared to compete on specific, high-value keywords.
Want a strong return on investment (e.g., $8 for every $1 spent) .

"In 2024, Southern New Hampshire University achieved a 15% boost in conversion rates by blending Meta Ads' awareness-building capabilities with Google Ads' intent-driven targeting" .

In short, Meta Ads are ideal for reaching a broad audience with engaging visuals, while Google Ads are perfect for capturing users actively searching for what you offer. For the best results, consider combining both platforms to balance brand awareness with direct response efforts.