Google Ads vs Facebook Ads for trades: which gets better leads?

For most UK trades, Google Ads beats Facebook Ads for immediate lead generation. The reason is intent. Google captures people actively looking for help. Facebook interrupts people who might need help later.

Google Ads for trades: high intent, higher cost

Someone searching for emergency plumber Manchester, EICR certificate near me or roof leak repair is ready to act. Google Ads puts you in front of that demand. CPCs are usually higher, but call and quote intent is stronger.

Plan budgets with the Google Ads budget calculator, then track actual cost per booked job with the lead cost calculator.

Facebook Ads for trades: lower intent, useful reach

Someone scrolling Facebook is not usually looking for an emergency tradesperson. Facebook can still work for visual, planned and seasonal jobs, but the landing page and follow-up sequence need to work harder.

When Facebook Ads make sense for trades

• Visual / before-after work (kitchen fitters, landscapers) where photos sell the work.
• Building a remarketing audience to re-engage site visitors.
• Seasonal / promotional campaigns where you can be cute with creative.

Suggested budget split for most trades

Start with Google Ads for high-intent services and use Facebook mainly for retargeting or visual offers. Once the Google campaign is profitable, scale that before adding broad Facebook prospecting.

Landing pages and tracking

Do not send paid traffic to a slow homepage with no tracking. Use service-specific landing pages, call tracking, form tracking and clear offer copy. Our ROI tracking guide explains the minimum setup.

How SEO fits with paid ads

Paid ads can produce leads quickly, but organic search compounds. If your Google Ads terms convert well, use them to prioritise SEO service pages and local pages. That is how paid data turns into cheaper leads over time.