Start with the buying situation
A homeowner with a broken air conditioner may search for help immediately. Someone considering a patio renovation might need to see an idea before asking for an estimate. Both are local customers, but they arrive with different levels of urgency.
For a business serving Stuart, Palm City, or Port St. Lucie, that distinction matters more than which platform a friend says is cheaper. Choose a specific service you want to sell, a realistic service area, and the action you want someone to take. Then decide how to reach that person.
When Google Search ads make sense
Google Search ads can appear alongside searches related to your keywords. That creates an opportunity to reach someone who has already started looking for help. Google explains where Search ads can appear.
Search is worth considering when buyers already know the service they need: roof repair, bookkeeping, pool maintenance, or a local appointment. A specific search deserves a specific destination. Someone searching for pool leak detection should arrive on a page about that service, with the area you cover and a clear way to request help.
Before launch, check the searches your campaign is eligible to match. Think through terms that signal the wrong intent, such as jobs, training, or do-it-yourself instructions, and exclude them where appropriate. Review actual search terms as the campaign runs. A click is useful only if the person behind it could become a customer.
When Facebook and Instagram make sense
Social advertising gives you room to show the work, introduce the person behind the business, or explain an offer. It is a useful option to test when the service benefits from a visual demonstration or a little education.
Imagine a local landscaper showing the same outdoor space before and after a project, with permission to use the photos. The ad can explain what changed and invite homeowners to discuss a similar project. That is more concrete than a logo beside “quality landscaping.” You can test that approach and see whether it brings relevant inquiries.
Give the format some thought, too. For a short video in Reels, frame it vertically, keep the message readable, and place essential text away from interface controls. Meta’s Reels guidance covers these creative considerations. Use the first moments to make the service understandable, then give the viewer one next step.
Make the location match the business
A larger audience is not automatically a better audience. Write down the places you can serve profitably, including travel time and any limits on the work you accept. Put that information in the campaign and on the landing page.
For Google Ads, review advanced location settings rather than assuming a selected city means everyone clicking lives there. Google distinguishes people likely to be in an area from people showing interest in it, and location targeting is not perfectly accurate. Read Google’s location options.
A business handling urgent local repairs may make a different choice from a venue that welcomes customers planning a trip. Check the location of actual inquiries and adjust when the campaign is reaching people you cannot help.
Compare customers, not just cheap leads
Cost per inquiry is a starting point. Keep a simple record of what happened after each inquiry: whether you reached the person, whether the request fit, whether an appointment or estimate happened, and whether the work was sold.
Record unanswered calls, spam, existing customers, and new sales inquiries separately. Otherwise a campaign can appear productive while creating little new business. Compare channels over a consistent period and allow for your normal sales cycle before drawing conclusions.
Include the cost of creative, management, and landing-page work when judging the economics. A low advertising cost per lead does not describe the full cost of acquiring a customer. Nor does an ad platform’s attributed sale automatically tell you the profit on that job.
Build a test you can learn from
Start with one clear offer and a budget you can sustain while reviewing the results. If resources are limited, splitting them across several services, locations, and platforms can make it hard to learn what is working.
- Choose the service and area you want to promote.
- Build a page that answers the questions a buyer will ask.
- Test the form and phone route before paying for traffic.
- Assign someone to respond and record the outcome.
- Set a review date and decide what evidence would justify continuing.
A website problem or missed follow-up can undermine either channel. Fix those issues before assuming you need a different platform. Our Google Ads and Facebook Ads services start with the business, the offer, and what happens after the click.