Facebook Ads vs Google Ads for Landscaping Companies

Demand creation vs demand capture

Last updated: April 2026.

Before you spend anything, understand this distinction. It changes everything about how you budget and how you follow up leads.

Google Ads captures existing demand. Someone types "landscaper near me." They have already decided. Your job is to be visible when they are ready. These leads close fast - often within a week of the first call.

Facebook Ads creates new demand. A homeowner sees a drone shot of a garden you transformed - overgrown lawn to a three-tier patio with lighting and raised planters. They were not thinking about their garden. Now they are. These leads take longer to close but there are far more of them, because you are reaching people before your competitors even know they exist.

The landscape industry is one of the most visual trades there is - and that gives Facebook a natural advantage. Drone footage of real projects consistently outperforms stock photography for landscaping ads. The CPL difference between companies using their own project photos and those using generic stock can be significant - real content gets more engagement, which Meta's algorithm rewards with lower distribution costs.

What each platform costs

Facebook Ads (Meta)

Landscaping companies in the UK typically pay £20 to £55 per lead on Facebook and Instagram. The variation depends on your location, your targeting, and the quality of your creative. Companies with strong before-and-after garden photography and drone footage tend to sit at the lower end. Companies running generic stock imagery pay more.

A monthly budget of £750 to £1,500 is enough to generate a consistent flow of leads. You can start with as little as £500 per month to test the waters.

Google Ads

Landscaping keywords are competitive on Google, though not as fierce as some other home improvement categories. Cost per click ranges from £4 to £15, and not every click becomes a lead. With a typical conversion rate of 5 to 12 percent, you need 7 to 20 clicks per lead. That puts the cost per lead at £40 to £90.

You need a minimum budget of around £1,000 per month to be competitive on Google for landscaping keywords. Anything less and you will not get enough clicks to learn what works.

Use the ad budget calculator to see what a realistic monthly spend looks like for your area.

Lead quality differences

Cheaper leads are not always better leads - this is where the conversation gets interesting.

Google leads convert at higher rates. Typically 15 to 25 percent of Google leads will go on to book a project. These people were actively searching, so they are further along in their decision. They have often already thought about what they want, set a rough budget, and are comparing companies.

Facebook leads convert at 8 to 15 percent. They cost less per lead, but a smaller percentage will buy. However, because you generate more of them for the same budget, the maths often works out in Facebook's favour when you look at total cost per sale.

Here is an example. Suppose you spend £1,500 per month:

• Google: £1,500 / £65 average CPL = 23 leads. At 20% conversion = roughly 5 projects.
• Facebook: £1,500 / £35 average CPL = 43 leads. At 11% conversion = roughly 5 projects.

Similar number of sales - but Facebook gives you 43 people in your pipeline instead of 23. Those extra 20 people who did not buy today might come back in spring. Landscaping has strong seasonal patterns, and staying in touch with a larger pipeline pays off when the weather turns.

The visual advantage on Meta

Landscaping is arguably the most visual of all home improvement trades. A tired, overgrown garden transformed into a stunning outdoor living space is the kind of content that stops people mid-scroll. This is where Facebook and Instagram have a massive advantage over Google.

On Google, you are limited to text ads. On Meta, you can show:

• Before-and-after transformations that make people stop scrolling - these are gold for landscapers
• Drone footage showing the full scope of a completed garden design
• Carousel ads showing multiple angles of the same project
• Reels with time-lapse installations - patio laying, planting, water features coming to life
• Seasonal content showing the same garden across different times of year

A beautiful garden transformation does something that a Google text ad simply cannot - it makes someone imagine that garden behind their own house. That emotional connection is what drives enquiries. And because outdoor spaces photograph so well in natural light, landscaping companies often have the strongest visual content of any trade.

Side-by-side comparison

When to use Facebook Ads

Facebook is the right starting point if:

• You are new to online advertising and want to test with a smaller budget
• You have strong photography or video of completed gardens and landscaping projects
• You want to build your brand in a specific area
• You are heading into spring or summer and want to fill the diary
• You want to reach homeowners who have not started searching yet but would love a better garden
• You do design-led work that looks impressive in photos - patios, planting schemes, water features, outdoor kitchens

Facebook is particularly effective for landscaping companies because the work is so visual. A single before-and-after image of a garden transformation can generate dozens of enquiries from people who see it and think "I want that for my garden."

When to use Google Ads

Google is the right choice when:

• You want to catch people who are actively searching for a landscaping company
• You have a bigger budget (£1,000+ per month) and want high-intent leads
• You have a strong website with good conversion rates
• You are in an area with high search volume for landscaping keywords
• You want leads who are ready to book a site visit now

When to use both together

The most successful landscaping companies use both platforms as part of a complete marketing system.

Facebook handles the top of the funnel. It reaches homeowners in your area, shows them your work, and plants the seed. Some will enquire immediately. Others will remember your name and come back when they are ready - often in spring.

Google handles the bottom of the funnel. When that homeowner who saw your Facebook ad over winter finally decides to get quotes in March, they search "landscaping companies near me" on Google. Your ad appears at the top. They recognise your name. They click. They become a customer.

This is particularly powerful for landscaping because of seasonality. Most homeowners start thinking about their garden in late winter but do not act until spring. If you are running Facebook ads from January, you are building familiarity with hundreds of homeowners. When they search Google in April, you are already a known name. That familiarity is what tips the decision in your favour.

Recommended budget split

• Starting out: 100% Facebook. Get consistent leads flowing first.
• Growing: 70% Facebook, 30% Google. Add Google to capture high-intent searches.
• Established: 60% Facebook, 40% Google. Your brand awareness makes Google more efficient.

Remarketing: the secret weapon

Remarketing means showing ads to people who have already visited your website or engaged with your content. Both platforms offer it, but Facebook does it better for landscaping companies.

On Facebook, you can show a carousel of your best garden transformations to someone who visited your website but did not enquire. That visual reminder - appearing in their feed alongside posts from friends and family - feels natural rather than intrusive. It keeps you top of mind during the months between "I'd love a nicer garden" and "right, let's get quotes."

Google's remarketing works through the display network - banner ads on other websites. These can feel more intrusive and typically get lower engagement. However, they are still worth running if you are already on Google, as the cost is minimal.

The real power comes from combining both. Someone visits your website from a Google search, does not enquire, and then sees your Facebook remarketing ad the next day showing a beautiful garden you have just completed. That multi-platform presence builds trust and accelerates the decision.

The verdict

Facebook Ads and Google Ads are not competitors - they are complementary. They serve different purposes at different stages of the buying journey.

But if you are a landscaping company choosing just one platform to start with, Facebook is the better choice for most businesses. Here is why:

• Lower cost per lead (£20-55 vs £40-90)
• Lower barrier to entry (£500/month vs £1,000/month)
• Visual format that showcases garden transformations naturally
• Faster results (days, not weeks)
• Brand building that makes future Google campaigns more effective
• Seasonal pipeline building - run ads in winter, book projects for spring

Landscaping is perhaps the single best trade for Facebook advertising. The work photographs beautifully. Before-and-after transformations are inherently compelling. And because gardens are something every homeowner can relate to, the audience is enormous.

With average project values of £8,000 to £25,000, even at the higher end of Facebook's lead costs (£55), you only need a small percentage of leads to convert to see a significant return. A single project from a £55 lead is a return that pays for months of advertising.

Start with Facebook. Get it working. Then add Google to capture the high-intent searches your brand awareness creates. That is the formula that works for landscaping companies across the UK.