Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads (pick one)

There are two direct booking advertising channels that dominate the rest:

• Google Ads

• Meta (Facebook) Ads

I've been running ads on both these platforms for years. There are two key ways these platforms are different from each other:

• Design

• Targeting

Today, I'm going to share how they work so you can choose what to use.

Let's get to it.

Note: The Google ad type I'm talking about today are search ads. These are the most commonly used in the short term rental space.

Design:

Google Ads let's you spice up your website on search engines. You can customize:

• Headlines

• Descriptions

• Website URL

• Image preview

Search ads have a one size fits all design leaving little room for creative advantage.

Meta Ads are very design heavy. They act like movie trailers for the full experience of a stay.

You make that movie trailer however you want.

The main design elements of a Meta ad are:

• Headlines

• Descriptions

• Creative (video or photo)

For better or worse, Meta Ads are far more customizable. I recommend sprint testing the design elements so you have some structure.

Targeting:

Google Search Ads are catering ads. You pay to place an ad in a spot where people are already searching for you.

You're essentially betting on the future search behavior of guests.

Google Ads targeting is done using keywords. I use Google Keyword Planner to find the terms guests use to search for stays like mine.

Once I've found 20-25 keywords, I upload them to my ads.

This tells Google I want my ad to appear when someone uses those terms.

Even though it's a bet, it's an easy bet in the short term rental space. People typically use only a few keywords to find rentals.

Meta Ads are interruptor ads. You pay to interrupt people online whether they're thinking about you at that moment or not.

Meta ads lets us target people based on their past behavior. For example we can target people:

• Who frequently travel

• Like Airbnb

• Live near New York City

The targeting is way more detailed.

• Google lets us target people based on their current behavior

• Meta Ads lets us target people based on their past behavior

P.S. Google does have detailed targeting features like Meta. But, getting the keyword research is most important.

Goals: 

The goals for both Meta and Google ads are the same.

Bookings.

Here are some stats I have from running campaigns on both:

• I get more clicks from Meta

• More people see my ads on Meta

• Google Ads is great for large rental companies

• Google Ads are great if you're in a popular area

Meta Ads give viewers an option to follow you on the social platforms which can lead to later bookings. Google Ads doesn't offer any micro goal opportunities.

Can They Work Together?

Meta Ads do really well at sparking the desire to book.

From there, a guest might follow you, see a couple posts and then one night look you up on Google.

Google Ads make it really easy for those guests to find you.

It's a "rising tide lifts all boats" situation.

If you can nail the:

• Design

• Targeting

I've seen them work together and multiply returns.

So, should you use Google or Meta ads? I say try both if you can.

That's all for today. I'll see you in the next article.

Before you go

I spend about 10 hours writing this newsletter each week. The rest of my time is spent running Lodge Social.

Our marketing team will help you get more guests to like, share and book.

Work with me and my team here.

Links you might like:

1. The 9 biggest wellness travel trends of 2026 (Conde Nast)

2. How to create Instagram Ads that work (The Lodge Social)

3. The most underrated travel spots for 2025 in the United States (Wander)

4. 10 strategies to boost direct bookings (CraftedStays)