This question comes up in nearly every first strategy call, usually framed as if one platform is objectively superior. It isn't. Google Ads and Meta Ads solve different problems, and the right allocation depends almost entirely on how your customer becomes aware they need what you sell.
Google Ads: capturing existing demand
Google Ads works best when people already know they have a problem and are actively searching for a solution — 'emergency plumber near me,' 'best CRM for real estate teams.' You're capturing demand that already exists. This tends to favor higher-intent, often higher-cost clicks, and rewards businesses with a clear, immediate offer.
Meta Ads: creating demand
Meta Ads works differently — you're interrupting someone's feed to introduce a problem or product they weren't actively searching for. This favors visually compelling categories (aesthetics, physical products, lifestyle services) and requires creative that earns attention in the first two seconds, since nobody opened Instagram looking for you specifically.
A simple test
Ask: does my customer know they need this, and would they type it into Google? If yes, Google Ads should get first dollar. If the honest answer is 'they'd probably need to see it to want it,' Meta deserves the first test budget instead. Most mature accounts eventually run both — Google for bottom-funnel capture, Meta for top-of-funnel awareness feeding into retargeting — but sequencing matters when budget is limited.
The businesses that waste the most ad budget are usually the ones that picked a platform based on what a competitor was doing, rather than how their own customer actually moves from unaware to ready to buy.