Online advertising is the paid placement of ads online: in search engines, on social networks, on websites and in videos. For a service or B2B company the first decision is where to start. Google Ads reach people at the moment they are already searching for your service. Meta ads on Facebook and Instagram reach people before they start searching. If people already search for you, start with Google; if you first have to introduce your service, start with Meta.
This article explains the difference between the two channels, how the ads are billed and how to work out a budget from your goal. How to calculate cost per inquiry is explained in the glossary entry What is CPL?
How many companies in Slovenia advertise online?
According to Eurostat, in 2024 26,6 % of enterprises in Slovenia with at least 10 employees (excluding the financial sector, agriculture and mining) paid to advertise on the internet. The EU average was 32,6 %. A year earlier the Slovenian share was 20,9 %. So roughly three in four Slovenian companies of that size do not yet use paid ads online.
What is the difference between Google and Meta ads?
| Google Ads | Meta ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Where they appear | Google Search, YouTube, websites, Google Shopping | Facebook, Instagram |
| Who they reach | People already searching for the service | People not yet searching, but in the target group |
| What decides the placement | The bid plus the quality of the ad and landing page | Not only the bid: also estimated response and ad quality |
| What you need | Search terms your buyers actually use | Creative (video or image) that stops the scroll |
| Strongest when | Demand already exists | Demand has to be created |
On both, the bid alone does not decide. In the auction Google weighs the quality of the ad and the landing page, so a better ad can win a higher position at a lower price. Meta says its auction does not simply pick the highest bid; estimated action rates and ad quality together measure how relevant the ad is.
When should you start with Google Ads?
When people search for your service with words that clearly signal purchase intent: "heat pump installation", "PVC windows price", "accountant for a limited company". A search campaign then brings people who are ready to talk. How we set up the account structure and conversion tracking is described on the Google Ads page.
With cost-per-click bidding you pay for each click on the ad. Your maximum bid is the most you will typically pay for a click; the actual price is often lower.
When should you start with Meta ads?
When people do not search for your service because they do not know it yet or cannot name it, and when you can show it in an image or video. A Meta ad first has to stop the scroll, so the creative matters more than the settings. How we run Meta campaigns and tracking with the Pixel and Conversions API is described on the Meta ads page.
How much budget do I need for online advertising?
Work the budget out from your goal, not from a feeling:
- How many inquiries do you need per month? For example 30.
- How much can you afford to pay for one inquiry? For example 25 €. How to calculate that ceiling from deal value and close rate is explained in Maximum acceptable CPL.
- Multiply: 30 × 25 € = 750 € a month.
In Google Ads you set the budget as an average daily amount. On a single day Google can spend up to twice that, but in a billing month it charges no more than 30,4 times the daily budget. For 750 € a month the daily budget is therefore about 24,70 € (750 / 30,4).
This calculation holds until CPL is measured on your own account. After the first month, replace the estimated CPL with the actual one and adjust the budget.
How do I know whether online advertising works?
By three numbers, in this order: cost per inquiry (CPL), inquiry quality and revenue. Clicks and impressions are an intermediate figure. You only see revenue once inquiries are in a CRM and you know which became a quote and a deal. Why CPL alone is not enough is explained in Why CPL is not enough.
What did this look like at Naitors?
Naitors sells PVC windows and doors. We first rebuilt the website, then launched Google Search and later added a Meta lead-gen campaign. In one month (April/May 2026) Google Search brought 56 inquiries at a CPL of 14,57 € and a CPC of 0,88 €, and Meta brought 11 inquiries. By October 2026 Naitors was receiving around 100 inquiries a month from Google and Meta combined. The full case is on the Naitors page.
Where should you start?
If people already search for you, start with Google Ads. If you first have to create demand, start with Meta ads. We connect both channels, the landing page and the CRM into a lead generation system.
For online stores, first calculate your break-even ROAS in the ROAS calculator, and for a quick review of your Meta ads use the free Meta Ads Audit tool.
Sources
- Eurostat, Social media use by type, internet advertising and size class of enterprise (isoc_cismt), indicator "Pay to advertise on the internet", enterprises with 10 or more employees, Slovenia and EU-27, 2023–2024: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/isoc_cismt/default/table (accessed October 2026)
- Google Ads Help, Choose the right campaign type: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2567043 (accessed October 2026)
- Google Ads Help, Cost-per-click (CPC) bidding: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/116495 (accessed October 2026)
- Google Ads Help, The ad auction: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/1704431 (accessed October 2026)
- Google Ads Help, Choose your bid and budget: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2375454 (accessed October 2026)
- Meta for Business, Facebook Ad Auctions Explained: https://www.facebook.com/business/ads/ad-auction (accessed October 2026)