Every week we hear the same question: "I have €500 a month for ads, where should I spend it?" Here is the honest, benchmark-backed answer most agencies will not give you because it does not justify their fee.
The intent gap
Google ads catch people who are actively searching: "pizza near me", "hairdresser open Sunday", "best optician 75011". Intent is high, conversion is fast, distance is short. Meta ads interrupt people scrolling: intent is zero, but you can be visually striking and creative.
| Ooklo | Meta | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per click | €0.40-1.20 | €0.15-0.50 |
| Cost per visit | €2-6 | €8-20 |
| Time to first sale | <24h | 5-30 days |
| Best for | Now-buyers | Future buyers |
| Setup time | 30 min | 2-3h |
When Meta actually wins
- You sell something visual: food, fashion, beauty, decor.
- You're launching a new product or location and need awareness fast.
- Your customers are 18-35 and on Instagram daily.
- You have great photo or video content: bad creative kills Meta ads.
When Google is the obvious choice
- You're an "emergency" business: locksmith, plumber, dentist, vet.
- Your service is searched, not browsed: optician, accountant, garage.
- You're competing with chains for the same neighbourhood searches.
- You don't have the time to make 4 new creatives per month.
The mistake that wastes 50% of small budgets
Geographic targeting set too wide. "France" is a death sentence for a €500 budget. Even "Paris" is too broad. Your radius should match where 80% of customers live: usually 1-3km. Tighten this and your effective spend doubles overnight.
"We were spending €800/month on Meta with terrible results. Switched 70% to Google with a 1.5km radius: same budget, 3x the visits."
