The honest answer depends on one question: does demand for what you sell already exist as a search, or do you have to create it?
Demand capture vs demand creation
Google Search captures existing intent. Someone types 'studio hire Perth' or 'emergency plumber Joondalup' and you appear. The volume is capped by how many people search, but the intent is as high as it gets.
Meta creates demand. Nobody wakes up searching for a travel pillow they have never heard of, but a good three-second hook can make them want one. Volume is effectively unlimited; the constraint is creative.
Choose Google first if
- Your service solves an urgent, searched-for problem (trades, legal, medical, repairs, hire).
- You have a local service area and can name the searches people use.
- You need enquiries this month and have limited creative capacity.
Choose Meta first if
- You sell a consumer product where the buyer does not know the category exists.
- You have a visual product, a strong offer, or a founder comfortable on camera.
- You need volume and cheap reach to test messaging quickly.
What running both together looks like
Once either channel is stable, the combination usually outperforms both in isolation. Meta creates awareness and Google catches the branded and category searches that follow. If you are only measuring last-click, Meta will look worse than it is — which is why we track both channels against total enquiries and revenue rather than judging each in a silo.