This is one of the most common questions we get from Irish small business owners starting out with paid ads: "should I run Meta or Google?" The honest answer is that they solve different problems — and if your budget is tight, picking the right one first matters a lot more than trying to run both badly.
The core difference
Google Ads is intent-based. Someone types "emergency plumber Dublin 4" or "wedding photographer Cork" into Google because they already want that thing right now. Your ad shows up right when they're actively looking — you're answering a question someone's already asking.
Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram) is interruption-based. Nobody opens Instagram looking for a new website or a pair of boots — they're scrolling for something else entirely, and your ad has to earn attention and create the want in the moment. It's a different skill: creative and targeting do most of the heavy lifting, not keywords.
When Google Ads usually wins
- Local, high-intent services — tradespeople, dentists, solicitors, mechanics, anyone people search for when they already have a specific problem.
- "Near me" and emergency-type searches — where speed of response often matters as much as the ad itself.
- Established demand — if people are already searching for what you sell, Google puts you in front of them at the exact right moment.
When Meta Ads usually wins
- Visual, browsable products — retail, fashion, food, home goods — anything that sells itself well in an image or a short video.
- Impulse or discovery purchases — where the customer didn't know they wanted it until they saw it.
- New brand awareness — if nobody's searching for you yet because you're new, Meta can introduce you to the right audience first.
What about TikTok?
TikTok Ads sit closer to Meta — interruption-based, creative-led — but skew toward a younger audience and reward content that feels native to the platform rather than a polished traditional ad. It's worth testing once you've got a proven offer and creative that already works, rather than as your very first paid channel.
The budget reality check
The single biggest mistake we see is a business with a modest monthly budget trying to run Meta, TikTok and Google all at once from day one. Spread too thin, none of the platforms get enough spend or data to actually learn what's working, and you end up with weak results everywhere instead of strong results somewhere.
If you're just starting with paid ads, pick one platform based on how your customers actually buy — searched-for and urgent, go Google; visual and discovery-led, go Meta — get it performing well, and then expand once you've got a proven return to reinvest.
Not sure which platform fits your business? We'll tell you straight, based on how your customers actually search and buy — see our ads management pricing or get in touch directly.
danny@jomoo.ieThe bottom line
Google Ads catches people who already want what you sell. Meta Ads creates that want in people who weren't looking yet. Neither is "better" in general — the right one depends entirely on how your specific customers find and decide to buy from you. Start with one, get it working, then expand.
