Google Ads vs Facebook Ads A 2026 playbook to lower CPA and grow revenue

What if your fastest path to lower CPA was not choosing Google or Facebook, but using both in a tight two step system?

Here’s What You Need to Know

Google and Facebook are not rivals. They solve different jobs in the same growth loop. Google captures people with intent right now. Facebook builds interest, retargets warm visitors, and nudges them to convert.

Start simple. Capture intent with Google for one core offer. Retarget and scale with Meta where creative wins attention. Then let your numbers, not opinions, move budget week by week.

Why This Actually Matters

Digital ad spend keeps growing and so does competition. Yet performance is holding up when strategy is clear. WordStream reports a 2025 Google Search CTR of 6.66 percent, average CPC of 5.26 dollars, and average conversion rate of 7.52 percent across industries. On Facebook, 2025 averages include CPC of 0.70 dollars for traffic and 1.92 dollars for leads, with an 8.78 percent conversion rate for leads and a 27.66 dollar average cost per lead.

Here is the thing. Intent clicks usually cost more but close faster. Social clicks are cheaper and great for demand creation, creative testing, and retargeting. Use the market context to set expectations, then design your test so you know what good looks like before you spend.

How to Make This Work for You

Step 1 Map goals and pick a starting split

• If the job is immediate revenue or qualified leads, start 70 percent Google and 30 percent Meta.
• If the job is awareness and demand creation, start 70 percent Meta and 30 percent Google.
• Run for 2 to 4 weeks to collect enough signal. Decide budget moves from results, not guesses.

Step 2 Build intent capture on Google

• Stand up one focused Search or Performance Max campaign tied to a single offer and a tight landing page.
• Keywords. Use specific terms that show clear intent, then add negative keywords weekly to cut waste.
• Ads. Match the search exactly, promise the outcome, and use strong proof. Quality Score gains often drop CPC and lift rank.
• Note. Google reports that AI Max for Search can deliver 14 percent more conversions at similar CPA and up to 27 percent more when moving from tight keyword lists. Treat this as a test, not a promise.

Step 3 Create demand and close on Meta

• Launch one Advantage Plus sales or leads campaign with broad targeting and strong creative variety.
• Creative system. Ship at least two short videos, one carousel, and one image. Add captions since most views happen without sound.
• Retarget. Build audiences for product viewers, cart starters, and site time thresholds. Speak to each group differently.
• Meta reports Advantage Plus leads campaigns have shown 14 percent lower cost per lead and a 10 percent lower cost per qualified lead. Use this as a benchmark to judge your setup.

Step 4 Instrument measurement before you scale

• Install Google Tag and Meta Pixel, use UTMs on every ad, and track one primary conversion action that maps to revenue.
• Use GA4 to see cross channel paths. Many buyers see a social ad and convert after a search, so read the journey before you reassign budget.

Step 5 Use model guided rules to move budget

• If a channel beats target CPA by 20 percent for seven days with stable conversion volume, shift 10 to 20 percent budget toward it.
• If CPA is weak but CTR is in range, fix the landing page and offer before you cut spend.
• If CTR is weak and CPM is rising, refresh creative first. On Meta, rotate new ads every 2 to 3 weeks to avoid fatigue.

Fast playbooks by model

• Ecommerce. Google Shopping or Search for in market terms, Meta for dynamic product retargeting and short video. Push best sellers with social proof and price clarity.
• Local services. Google for near me and urgent intent, Meta for reviews and proof to lift trust. Keep forms short and phones visible.
• SaaS. Google for trials and demo terms, Meta for case studies and webinar signups. Retarget site visitors with specific feature value and a clear next step.

What to Watch For

• Cost per acquisition CPA. The price you pay for the result that moves revenue. Make this your north star.
• Conversion rate. Are landing pages doing their job. On Google the 2025 average is 7.52 percent across industries. If you are well below that, fix message match and proof.
• Click through rate. Healthy interest signal. Google Search averages 6.66 percent. Meta traffic CTRs often sit near 1 to 2 percent, so focus on thumb stopping creative.
• CPC and CPM. Use these as pressure gauges, not goals. Rising CPC with steady CPA means your funnel is working.
• Frequency on Meta. When frequency climbs above 3 to 4 per person without performance lift, refresh creative.
• Lag to conversion. Some offers convert in hours, others in days. Read GA4 path length before judging a channel too early.

Your Next Move

This week, pick one offer and set up a two step system. One Google campaign to capture intent and one Meta campaign to retarget and scale. Define a target CPA, instrument tracking, and commit to one budget shift decision after 14 days based on the rules above.

Want to Go Deeper?

AdBuddy can stack your results against live category benchmarks, suggest a model guided budget split based on your goals, and hand you playbooks that turn insight into your next test. Use it to stay focused on the lever that moves CPA now.