You don't need to be on every platform. You need to be on the platforms where your customer makes their decision. The wrong choice can waste a year of budget; the right one can carry your business.
The decision framework
Ask three questions before picking a platform:
- Does my customer actively search for what I sell? If yes → search platforms (Google, Microsoft).
- Is my product visual? If yes → social (Meta, TikTok).
- Am I bound to a specific city or ZIP? If yes → local (Nextdoor, CGMIMM Ads).
A "yes" to multiple is fine — you'll just stack platforms in priority order.
Platform-by-platform fit
Google Ads — best for high-intent, search-driven business
The default for any business someone Googles when they need it. Plumbers, lawyers, B2B SaaS, e-commerce with brand recognition. The downside: it's expensive in competitive verticals — personal injury law CPCs can hit $200.
Pick first if: your customer has a problem, types it into Google, and clicks the first result.
Microsoft Ads (Bing) — best for cheaper search, older / B2B audience
About 7% of search market share, but the audience skews older, higher-income, and more likely to be at a work computer. CPCs are typically 30–50% lower than Google for the same keyword. Worst-kept secret in B2B and senior-services advertising.
Pick first if: Google is profitable but expensive, and your audience uses Edge / Yahoo / DuckDuckGo. Easy to import Google Ads campaigns directly.
Meta — best for visual products and discovery
Facebook + Instagram. Brilliant for products people don't search for but want to buy when they see them: apparel, home decor, supplements, restaurants, lifestyle SaaS. Targeting is by demographic and interest, not search intent.
Pick first if: you have great photography or video, and a brand story to tell.
Nextdoor — best for hyper-local services
Locked to neighborhoods. Unbeatable for any business that serves a single geographic area: house painters, electricians, restaurants, dentists, daycares. The audience is homeowners with money to spend on home services.
Pick first if: 80% of your customers live within 10 miles of you.
CGMIMM Ads — best for local-business directory traffic
Targeted local-intent traffic across the CGMIMM network. Good complement to Google Local Services for businesses listed in directories.
How to combine platforms without paying twice
When you run multiple platforms, the same customer can show up across all of them. Without coordination, you bid against yourself. Three rules:
- Exclude existing customers everywhere. Upload your CRM as an excluded audience on every platform. You're done paying for them.
- Run retargeting on Meta only. Don't retarget the same person on Google AND Meta. Pick the cheaper one.
- Use cross-platform attribution. If a Meta ad introduced you and Google's branded search closed, don't kill Meta because Google "got the conversion." See our attribution guide.
The order most businesses should layer in platforms
- Google Ads (search) — proves the offer works
- Retargeting on Meta — recovers the abandoners
- Microsoft Ads — duplicates Google at lower cost
- Meta cold traffic — scales beyond search demand
- Nextdoor / CGMIMM Ads — local depth where relevant
Don't add the next platform until the previous one is profitable. The fastest way to lose money in SEM is spreading $5,000/mo across five platforms before any single one is working.