Meta Ads vs Google Ads: Where Should Ecommerce Businesses Invest In 2026?
Nov 28, 2025
Digital marketing is evolving rapidly. For ecommerce brands, Meta and Google Ads still remain some of the top digital channels for driving sales and building brand loyalty.
Each platform has its advantages and disadvantages and each will reach a different audience at different parts of the customer journey.
Why Meta and Google Ads Dominate in 2025
- Meta Ads: In 2025, Meta’s platforms are home to 3.98 billion monthly active users across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp. Facebook alone attracts 3.07 billion monthly active users, making it the world’s largest social platform.
- Google Ads: Google dominates global search, with its core search processing over 8.5 billion searches per day and Google Ads reaches nearly 90% of all internet users worldwide across Search, Shopping, YouTube and Display.
Combining both platforms creates a full-funnel strategy, capturing new customers and re-engaging warm audiences. However, with budget and resource sometimes a constraint, which is the more effective option for your business right now?
Return on Investment (ROI)
Meta Ads
Often cheaper on a cost-per-click (CPC) basis. However, CPC isn’t everything, so consider what users do after they click. Do they need multiple touchpoints before they buy? Do they convert once they land on your website?
Example: A fashion boutique sees £0.50-£0.80 CPCs on Meta for new arrivals. Most first-click visitors browse and leave, but convert after seeing a second ad (e.g. a limited-time offer carousel) or an email follow-up from a sign-up pop-up, so this would need to be taken into account.
It is important to factor in creative costs. Meta’s platforms are visually led and typically colder audiences often demand higher-quality (and therefore more expensive) creative to perform effectively.
Google Ads
Clicks on Google Ads typically come from users further along the customer journey. While CPCs are usually higher, these visitors may need fewer impressions and less budget to convert.
Example: A homeware brand pays a higher CPC for “buy grey teddy bear fleece throw”, but sees a much higher conversion rate from ads because users are actively comparing prices and shipping times.
Customer Journey
It is essential to have an understanding on who you’re targeting and why, for example, are you building brand awareness or capturing high-intent buyers?
Meta Ads
Generally, users aren’t actively looking to buy. Meta is an excellent platform for creating brand awareness with a cold audience who aren’t aware of your brand.
Example: A bedding brand introduces “cooling bamboo sheets” through Reels. Viewers save the content and visit the site later; dynamic catalogue ads then show the exact sheet set they viewed to nudge them to purchase.
Google Ads
Users are already searching for something specific. The search term that is typed into Google will indicate at what stage of the customer journey the user is at and how likely they are to purchase.
Example: “Best running shoes” signals research mode, while “Nike red running shoes” signals buy-ready intent.
Audience Targeting
Meta Ads
The targeting options available are far more comprehensive. You can target by interests, location, behaviour and demographics. There is an option to target those who like your business page, those who visit your website and contacts from your mailing list.
Example: A furniture retailer targets “new homeowners” and “engaged shoppers” interests, builds lookalikes from its top 5% LTV customers, and runs a VIP sale to an email list custom audience and Instagram engagers.
Google Ads
You can use audience targeting options including interests, demographics, locations but the targeting options are not as extensive.
Both platforms allow you to use remarketing and retargeting so you can follow up with potential leads.
Placements/Ad Format
Meta Ads
Placement options include within Facebook and Instagram feeds, on the Facebook sidebar, in Messenger and in Instagram stories/reels.
Google Ads
The ads can be placed on the search engine itself or one of Google’s partner sites. Ads will show up above organic search results, on YouTube videos, in Gmail and across other sites.
Conclusion: Where Should Ecommerce Invest In 2026?
Choose Meta if you need to create demand, your product is highly visual and you have a steady creative pipeline. It’s ideal for market entry, launches and building audiences you can later convert.
Choose Google if your products have existing search demand, you have a wide SKU catalogue with clean product feeds and you’re focused on efficient, high-intent traffic that converts faster.
Best results come from combining both. A practical approach for many ecommerce brands is to prospect with Meta, while capturing intent with Google, then retarget across both using your product feed.
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