If people only look for your trade when something breaks, start with Google ads. If your work looks good in a photo and homeowners will book it once they see it, Facebook ads usually bring in more leads for less, in my experience. Plenty of tradies end up running both, just not usually on day one.
The real difference: searching vs scrolling
Google and Facebook reach people at different moments. That's the whole thing.
- Google ads show up when someone types "blocked drain Southport" or "pressure cleaning near me". They already know they need someone. You're competing with every other tradie on that page.
- Facebook and Instagram ads show up while someone's scrolling. They weren't looking for you, but they see a before and after of a filthy driveway made new, and they think: mine looks like that.
Google captures demand that already exists. Meta creates demand by putting your work in front of homeowners in your suburbs before they ever search.
When Google ads make more sense
- Urgent jobs. Burst pipes, blocked drains, lockouts, power faults. Nobody scrolls Instagram waiting for their hot water system to die.
- Work nobody looks at. A new switchboard or a relined sewer pipe is hard to sell with a photo, but easy to sell to someone searching for it.
- You want people who've already decided. Search leads usually know what they want, which can mean less convincing on the phone.
The trade-offs: clicks on Google generally cost more, because you're bidding against every other tradie for the same search. And in a small trade or a small area, there are only so many searches each month. Once you're showing for all of them, spending more doesn't create more.
If you do run Google, send each click to a page about that exact service and area, not your home page. Someone who searched for roof restoration in Nerang wants to land on a page about roof restoration in Nerang, with a phone number they can tap straight away.
When Facebook ads make more sense
- Visual work. Pressure washing, painting, landscaping, detailing, renovations, fencing. If a before and after stops the scroll, Meta is your friend.
- Jobs people put off. Most homeowners know the house needs a wash or the fence needs replacing. They just haven't got around to it. A good ad is the nudge.
- You need volume. Meta can reach a lot of homeowners in your service area, so you're not capped by how many people happened to search that week.
Two real examples: Richie's Painting Service went from quiet to fully booked in the first month, with $50,000 of work lined up and Anthony booked three months ahead. IQ Pressure Washing turned $4,000 in ad spend into $33,000 in exterior cleaning jobs. Those customers weren't searching. They saw the work and wanted it.
The trade-offs: Facebook leads are earlier in the decision. Some are ready to book, some are just curious. You need strong creative (real photos from your jobs, not stock), a clear offer and fast follow-up, because a Facebook lead who doesn't hear from you soon has already forgotten they filled in the form.
Side by side
- Who you reach: Google reaches people searching right now. Facebook reaches homeowners in your area who fit your customer, before they search.
- Lead quality: Google leads are usually further along. Facebook leads are mixed, so your offer and follow-up do more of the filtering.
- Cost: Google clicks generally cost more. Facebook leads have been cheaper in most of the visual trades I've worked with.
- Volume: Google is capped by how many people search for your trade in your area. Facebook has a much bigger pool to reach.
- What each needs: Google needs good keywords, a fast landing page and tight budget control. Facebook needs strong before and after creative and instant follow-up.
Which should you start with?
My honest rule of thumb:
- If most of your work is urgent or invisible, start with Google.
- If your work looks impressive in photos and people book it when they're reminded, start with Facebook.
- If you're already busy from one, only add the other once you've got the capacity and the follow-up to handle it.
Whichever you pick, give it a proper test before you judge it: a few weeks, a sensible daily budget, and you counting booked jobs rather than clicks. Switching platforms every fortnight because the phone didn't ring on day three just means you never learn what works.
Most of the tradies I work with are in the second group, which is why I focus on Facebook ads for tradies. Look at the pressure washing results and you'll see why: Pristine Pressure Washing does a consistent $30,000 a month from $50 a day. If you're working out a budget, here's how much Facebook ads cost for tradies.
Whichever you run, these still matter
- Your website. Leads from both platforms check you out before they reply. A slow, dated site loses them. Here's what a tradie website needs to rank on Google.
- Your Google Business Profile and reviews. Even a Facebook lead will often Google your business name before booking. A run of recent reviews does a lot of quiet selling.
- Speed to lead. The first tradie to reply usually wins the job, whichever platform the lead came from.
- Tracking. Know your cost per booked job for each channel, not just cost per click or cost per lead.
Ads bring people to the door. Your reviews, your website and how fast you reply decide whether they walk in.
If you're not sure which way to go for your trade, book a call. I'll tell you if Facebook is a fit, and if Google makes more sense for you, I'll say so.
