Every week an owner asks us some version of "should I be on Google or Facebook?" It is the wrong question, and the wrong question is expensive. The right question is: does my customer already know they need me?
Everything about channel choice falls out of that one answer.
Google captures demand. Social creates it.
Someone typing "emergency roof repair near me" at 11pm has a problem, a budget, and a deadline. Google Ads puts you in front of that person at the exact moment of intent. You are not convincing anyone they need a roofer. You are competing to be the roofer they call.
Social ads work the opposite direction. Nobody scrolls Instagram looking for a bathroom remodeler. But show a homeowner a 30 second before-and-after of a bathroom like theirs, with real pricing and a real local crew, and you can create the demand that Google later captures. Social finds the people who didn't know they were customers yet.
What each channel costs in 2026
Current benchmarks for Google Ads: the average cost per click across industries is $5.42 with an average cost per lead of $66.69. Home and home improvement services run hotter, averaging $8.33 per click and $90.92 per lead. Dental averages $8.00 per click and $72.97 per lead.
Search costs rise every year for local trades because inventory is fixed: there are only so many people searching "bathroom remodel [your city]" each month, and every competitor bids on all of them.
Social flips the economics. Reach is abundant, so costs depend on creative quality rather than bidding wars. This is where the gap gets dramatic:
| Campaign | Channel | Cost per lead / opportunity | Category benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Sheikh (dental) | Social | $20.84 | $72.97 |
| Champs Construction (remodeling) | Social | $42.17 | $90.92 |
That gap is not magic. It is production. Social ads reward businesses that can generate real creative consistently, which is why we film, edit, and post in-house. One filming day produces 4 to 10 reels built to perform. Without that engine, social spend underperforms and the "Facebook doesn't work" myth writes itself.
When Google wins
- Urgency services. Burst pipe, dead AC, storm damage. Intent is instant and social can't manufacture an emergency.
- High existing search volume. If hundreds of people search your service locally every month, capture them before spending to create new demand.
- License-and-trust trades. Google Local Services Ads charge per lead and carry the Google Guaranteed badge.
When social wins
- Considered, visual purchases. Remodels, smiles, landscaping, anything where seeing the result sells the result.
- Crowded, expensive search auctions. When clicks cost $8 to $15, creating demand can be cheaper than renting it.
- Businesses with proof. Reviews, transformations, and real crews on camera outperform stock-photo competitors massively.
- Smaller starting budgets. $500 to $1,000 per month goes further on reach than it does in a bidding war.
The real answer: sequence them
The businesses that scale don't pick a side. They sequence:
- Capture existing demand first if meaningful search volume exists. It is the fastest path to revenue.
- Add social to scale past the search ceiling. Once you own your search terms, growth has to come from people who weren't searching yet.
- Retarget across both. The searcher who didn't call sees your proof on Instagram. The scroller who watched your reel gets captured when they search your name.
- One tracking system over everything. Pixels, GA4, UTMs, CRM. Without unified tracking you cannot compare channels honestly, and budget flows to whoever presented last.
Frequently asked questions
Should a local service business run Google Ads or Facebook ads first?
If people already search for your service with urgency, like plumbing repairs or emergency roofing, capture that demand on Google first. If your service is considered, visual, or benefits from before-and-after proof, like remodeling or cosmetic dentistry, social ads usually produce cheaper leads. Most businesses end up needing both, sequenced correctly.
What budget do I need to start advertising?
We recommend at least $500 to $1,000 per month in ad spend for measurable results. Below that, data accumulates too slowly to optimize against.
How long should I test a channel before deciding it doesn't work?
Give a channel 60 days with proper tracking before ruling on it. Most 'Facebook didn't work for us' stories are really 30 days of untracked spend with no follow-up system behind it.
What about Google Local Services Ads?
LSAs are worth testing for licensed trades because you pay per lead, not per click, and the Google Guaranteed badge builds trust. They work best as a complement to search and social, not a replacement.
Not sure which channel your budget belongs in?
Book a free 30 minute strategy call. We'll look at your local search volume, your creative assets, and your numbers, and tell you exactly where your first dollar should go. Even if you never work with us.
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Founder of Audience Drivers, a lead generation and paid media agency for local service businesses. Every number in this article comes from campaigns we ran and tracked ourselves.
Benchmarks from WordStream's 2026 Google Ads benchmark report. Client campaign figures from Audience Drivers accounts with verified tracking.