Every founder we meet asks the same question: should we put more into Meta or Google? The honest answer is that they solve different problems — but in 2026 the correct split has shifted.
The intent gap is narrowing
Google's Performance Max and Meta's Advantage+ campaigns are both AI-driven, both opaque, and both increasingly good at finding buyers regardless of stated intent. The old "Google captures demand, Meta creates it" line still holds — just less absolutely.
What we actually see in accounts
- E-commerce under $50 AOV: Meta 70 / Google 30. Creative wins.
- E-commerce over $200 AOV: Meta 55 / Google 45. Google's branded and category search compounds.
- High-ticket services (legal, medical, real estate): Google 65 / Meta 35. Intent is oxygen.
- Lead-gen SaaS: Google 60 / Meta 40, with LinkedIn taking 10–15% of the Meta share once the offer is validated.
Creative is the new targeting
On Meta especially, you now win with volume and quality of creative, not with audience tricks. Plan for 8–12 fresh creatives per month if you're spending over $10k.
Attribution in 2026
Post-iOS 17 and with third-party cookies gone, in-platform ROAS is optimistic on both sides. We run every account with server-side tracking plus a blended MER (marketing efficiency ratio) view — that's what the CFO should be looking at.
Our default starting split
For a new account with no history, we start 60% Meta / 40% Google, then reallocate weekly based on incremental MER. Within 60 days most accounts settle into the industry pattern above.
Want us to audit your current split? We'll run the numbers on your last 90 days for free.
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