Google Ads vs Meta (Facebook, Instagram) ads: which should a business in Latvia choose?

In short: how do you choose between Google Ads and Meta ads?

We manage both Google Ads and Meta ads for the same fixed fee, so we have no reason to push you toward one of them. What we say about how the platforms charge comes from the Google and Meta help pages we opened on 25 October 2026.

• Google search ads reach a person who is already searching; Meta reaches a person who is not searching yet. Almost everything else follows from this.
• In Google search ads you pay per click, and with manual bidding you set the maximum price you are willing to pay for it; Meta usually charges by the number of impressions, unless set otherwise.
• Google's monthly limit is your average daily budget × 30.4, but on a single day spend can reach twice the daily budget.
• Meta recommends starting with at least USD 5 and a campaign that runs longer than six days. This is a general recommendation in dollars, not a minimum for Latvia.
• We recommend an ad budget from about €300 a month. With a smaller budget, our €250 + VAT management fee does not pay off, and we tell you so before any work starts.

What is the main difference between Google Ads and Facebook ads?

The main difference is the moment a person sees your ad. On Google search, they type what they need, and your ad is an answer to it. On Facebook and Instagram, they scroll the feed and are not looking for anything, so the ad first has to make them stop. That is why Google works with demand that already exists, and Meta helps create it.

When should you use Google Ads?

Use Google Ads if people already search for your service in plain words: plumber, lawyer, car repair, window replacement, a specific product in a shop. In a search like this the person needs it now, and the ad appears at exactly that moment. You do not have to convince them that they need it.

The second case is a B2B service that people search for rarely, but where every search is valuable: even a few searches a month can mean an inquiry.

Why it works: in search ads with manual bidding you set a maximum cost per click, the highest amount you are willing to pay for one click (Google Ads Help, checked 25 October 2026). You pay for a person who came to your page, not for someone seeing the ad.

What to keep in mind: you need a page that answers exactly what was searched, and if there are few searches, the campaign collects data slowly.

When should you use Facebook and Instagram ads?

Use Meta ads if your product is better shown than described: clothing, furniture, food, beauty, an event, a new brand that nobody searches for by name yet. In the Facebook and Instagram feed, a person sees an image or video and learns about you before they would have started searching.

The second case is a promotion with a deadline, or a reminder to people who have already been on your website.

Why it works: Meta ads run in an auction, and you are usually charged by the number of impressions, unless set otherwise (Meta Business Help Center, checked 25 October 2026). You pay for being seen; whether the person clicks depends on the ad itself.

What to keep in mind: you create the demand yourself, so it does not guarantee quick inquiries, and without images or video it is hard to get noticed in the feed.

What does your situation decide for you?

Often the choice is made by your circumstances: some things rule out one channel before you choose anything.

• Nobody searches for your service in words. If the product is new and people do not search Google for it yet, a search ad has nowhere to appear. That leaves Meta.
• You have nothing to show. If you have no photos, no video and no visual product, it is hard for an ad to get noticed in the Meta feed. It makes more sense to start with Google, or to prepare the material first.
• You have no page to send people to. Both platforms need a place where a person can make an inquiry or buy. If you do not have one, you need a page first, not ads.
• Your budget is under about €300 a month. Then we recommend one channel, not two, because when a small amount is split, both campaigns collect data slowly.
• You cannot measure inquiries. If calls, forms and purchases are not counted, you cannot compare any channel. We set up measurement before launch.

How do Google Ads and Meta charge for ads?

Google Ads counts the budget per day: the monthly budget is the average daily budget × 30.4. On a single day an ad can spend up to twice the daily budget, but in a month you are not charged more than 30.4 × your average daily budget. Google's example: with a daily budget of USD 10, you are charged no more than USD 304 a month (Google Ads Help, checked 25 October 2026).

An example in euros using this formula: if you want to spend €300 a month on Google, the daily budget is about €9.87 (300 / 30.4).

Meta itself calls the budget a cost-control tool: actual spend can differ from what you set. The final bill can also be higher than the budget of a single ad because in some jurisdictions Meta adds location fees (Meta Business Help Center, checked 25 October 2026). Meta's page does not say whether this applies to Latvia.

What is the minimum budget for Google Ads and Facebook ads?

We recommend an ad budget from about €300 a month. This is our recommendation, not a platform requirement: below this amount, our €250 + VAT management fee is out of proportion to the budget itself.

The platforms themselves talk about much smaller amounts. Meta recommends starting with at least USD 5 and a campaign that runs longer than six days (Meta for Business, checked 25 October 2026). If you use a cost-per-result goal, the daily budget should be at least 5 times that goal. If the goal is USD 5, the daily budget is at least USD 25 (Meta Business Help Center, checked 25 October 2026). Meta itself says that minimum budgets vary by country and objective, so these numbers are not a minimum for Latvia.

In Google Ads you choose the daily budget yourself. If your budget is under €300 a month, we will tell you. Before paying for management, you can consider another route: client acquisition or visibility in Google and AI answers.

Should you run Google Ads and Meta ads at the same time?

Yes, if the budget is enough for both channels and you have both a page for people who search and visual material for the feed. A typical combination: Meta tells people about you before they search, and Google catches those who later search for your service or brand.

With a small budget, it is better to start with one channel and add the second once you see data in the first. If people already search for your service, the first is usually Google; if the product needs to be shown, the first is Meta. Our fee for one or both channels is the same: €250 a month + VAT.

What to keep in mind: the same budget is split in two, and each campaign collects data more slowly than one would.

How do you know if your ads are working?

Judge ads by inquiries, calls and purchases, not by the number of impressions or clicks. That is why we set up conversion tracking before launch: so you can see how many forms, calls or purchases came from each campaign.

The first weeks go to setting up campaigns and collecting data. We do not promise a specific number of customers in advance. In the monthly report you see what is happening with the budget and the results.

If you are also interested in advertising in ChatGPT answers, that is a separate channel: ChatGPT ads.

Sources

• Google Ads Help. Choose your bid and budget: daily budget × 30.4, up to 2 × per day, maximum cost per click (25 October 2026)
• Meta Business Help Center. How Meta charges for ads: auction, usually charged per impression, budget as a cost-control tool, location fees (25 October 2026)
• Meta Business Help Center. Best practices for minimum budgets: daily budget at least 5 × the cost-per-result goal; minimums vary by country (25 October 2026)
• Meta for Business. Facebook and Instagram ads pricing: start with at least USD 5, run for more than 6 days (25 October 2026)

Frequently asked questions