Insights
Meta Ads or Google Ads: which one should your business start with in Egypt?
If people already search for what you sell, start with Google. If they do not know they need it yet, start with Meta. That one question decides most budgets, and the rest of this article explains why.
Google Ads captures demand that already exists
Someone typing "washing machine repair Nasr City" or "website design company Cairo" has a problem today. Google Search ads put you in front of that person at the exact moment they are ready to act. That is why service businesses such as maintenance, clinics, lawyers and B2B services usually see their cheapest leads on Google.
- Best for urgent needs and services people look up by name
- You pay per click, so tight keywords and a fast landing page matter
- Track calls and WhatsApp clicks as conversions, not just form fills
Meta Ads create demand
Nobody searches for a product they have never heard of. Facebook and Instagram let you show it to the right people based on interests, behaviour and lookalike audiences built from your customers. That is why fashion, beauty, food and new products tend to grow faster on Meta.
- Best for visual products, impulse purchases and new ideas
- Creative is everything: test at least five to ten ads
- Retarget people who watched your videos or visited your site
What about TikTok?
TikTok works like Meta but rewards native-looking video even more. If your customers are under 30 and your product is easy to show in 15 seconds, it deserves a test budget once your tracking is in place.
How to split a small budget
With a monthly budget under $500, pick one platform and do it properly rather than spreading it thin. A simple rule we use with clients in Egypt:
- Service business with search demand: 70 percent Google Search, 30 percent Meta retargeting.
- Product brand or e-commerce: 70 percent Meta or TikTok, 30 percent Google brand and Shopping.
- Brand new idea: 100 percent Meta for the first month to learn which message works, then add Google.
The part most people skip
Neither platform can optimise without clean tracking. Before launching, make sure the pixel or tag fires on every lead and sale, that you use UTM links, and that your landing page loads in under three seconds on mobile data. Fixing these three things often lowers the cost per lead more than any targeting trick.