Short answer
Meta interrupts people who weren't searching and excels at creating demand and finding new customers. Google captures people who are already searching and harvests existing demand. Most e-commerce brands should run both, not pick one.
Compare what matters for your decision.
Creating vs. harvesting demand
Meta is an interruption channel: it shows people something they weren't searching for, which makes it strong at building awareness, creating demand and finding brand-new customers through prospecting.
Read this sectionCreating vs. harvesting demand
Meta is an interruption channel: it shows people something they weren't searching for, which makes it strong at building awareness, creating demand and finding brand-new customers through prospecting. Google (Search and Shopping) is an intent channel: it captures people actively searching and harvests demand that already exists.
That's why they so often amplify each other: Meta creates the demand that later surfaces as Google searches. Cut one away and measure on last-click, and you'll systematically undervalue the channel that set the customer journey in motion.
When to weight which
If demand for your product category already exists (people search for it), Google is an obvious place to start — you're harvesting ready-to-buy customers. If the product is new, visual or impulse-driven, Meta is often stronger at creating the demand in the first place.
For most growing e-commerce brands the answer is both. And the call should be made on MER and incrementality, not on each platform's own attributed ROAS, which systematically overvalues the lower funnel.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to choose between Meta and Google?
Rarely. They solve different jobs — Meta creates demand, Google harvests it — and they amplify each other. Most growing brands run both and judge them together on MER and incrementality.
Where should I start if the budget is small?
If there's already search demand for your products, Google often returns fastest because it harvests ready-to-buy customers. If the product is new or impulse-driven, Meta is usually stronger at creating the demand.
From insight to action
See how it applies in practice.
Advertising across markets
The Colorful Standard case connects account structure, product feeds and local demand. Explore the work and the considerations behind it.
Read the caseGoogle Ads
Discuss your Google Ads
We discuss your goals and measurement to identify the focus of an account review.
Choose a time30 minutes · No obligation
About the author
Nicklas Segatz Mortensen
Growth hacker and fractional CMO with 10+ years' experience and hundreds of millions in managed ad spend behind him. Background from larger Danish and international scale-ups, and from the agency world.
Meet the team