Every home service business owner eventually asks the same question: Google or Facebook? The honest answer is that they solve different problems, and most businesses eventually need both — but if you're starting with a limited budget, the right first move depends on what kind of job you're trying to fill.

Google Ads: capturing demand that already exists

Google Ads and Local Service Ads put you in front of someone who already has a problem and is actively searching for a solution right now — a burst pipe, a dead AC unit, an electrical panel that's tripping. This is high-intent traffic, which means it's also the most expensive per click, but it converts fast because the customer is already motivated.

Meta Ads: creating demand for jobs people haven't started searching for yet

Facebook and Instagram work differently — nobody's scrolling Instagram searching for a deck builder, but a well-targeted ad showing a finished project can plant the idea. Meta ads are the better fit for considered, higher-ticket purchases like kitchen remodels, patios, or full HVAC system replacements, where the sales cycle is longer and photos of finished work do the convincing.

Matching the platform to the job type

  • Emergency or urgent repairs (burst pipes, no heat, no AC): Google Ads and Local Service Ads first
  • High-ticket, considered projects (remodels, patios, full system replacements): Meta ads first
  • Recurring or seasonal services (maintenance plans, gutter cleaning): a mix, weighted toward retargeting past customers
  • New service area or new business with no reviews yet: Google Local Service Ads, since reviews and licensing carry extra weight there

The number that actually matters

Impressions and clicks feel good but don't pay bills. The only number that should decide where you spend next month's budget is cost per booked job, tracked all the way from the ad click through your CRM to a paid invoice. Without that tracking in place, you're guessing — which is why we build ad campaigns and CRM tracking together rather than as separate projects.

Starting small and scaling what works

You don't need a large budget to find out which platform works for your business — you need clean tracking on a modest budget for 60-90 days, and the discipline to shift spend toward whichever channel is actually producing booked jobs, not just cheap clicks.