Google Ads vs Meta Ads: Where Should a Dakar SME Put Its Ad Budget (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

Google Ads captures existing intent: the customer already types "emergency plumber Dakar" and you pay to show up. Meta Ads creates demand: nobody was searching for your dress, but a nice video in the feed triggers the purchase. Choosing the wrong channel for your sector means paying dearly for clicks that don't convert — the simple rule is intent vs discovery.

Cost and logic: the 2026 numbers in Dakar

The two platforms don't bill the same way. Google charges per click (CPC) on keywords; Meta charges mostly per impression (CPM) with interest-based targeting. Here are the ballpark figures observed in Dakar in 2026.

Google CPC varies enormously by keyword competition: "lawyer Dakar" costs far more than "bike repair." On Meta, the lever is not the keyword but creative quality: a well-edited native video can halve the cost per result.

Which channel for which sector

The right call depends on how your customers buy. An urgent service is searched for; a desirable product is discovered.

The 70/30 or 30/70 rule is only a starting point: you launch, measure real ROAS via GA4 and the Meta Pixel, then rebalance toward the channel that pays. Without conversion tracking, you fly blind.

Mini case study

Moussa launches an IT repair service in Dakar with 120,000 FCFA/month. He puts 80 % on Google ("computer repair Dakar"): 96,000 FCFA at an average 200 FCFA CPC = 480 clicks, 8 % contact rate = 38 leads, 40 % closed at 25,000 FCFA = 15 jobs = 375,000 FCFA. The remaining 24,000 FCFA on Meta retargets unconverted visitors. Overall ROAS ≈ 3.5x for the month, and above all a channel that captures people broken down right now — exactly what an urgent service should target.

FAQ

With a small budget, which one do I pick? Below 100,000 FCFA/month, concentrate on a single channel aligned with your sector rather than diluting. For an urgent service, Google; for a visual product, Meta. Spreading a small budget across both gathers enough data on neither.

How long before I see results? Google can generate calls within the first days because it captures intent. Meta often needs 1 to 3 weeks of algorithm learning before the cost per result stabilizes. Don't kill a Meta campaign after 4 days.

What is a good ROAS? A ROAS (return on ad spend) of 3 to 5x is a healthy target: 3,000 to 5,000 FCFA of revenue per 1,000 FCFA spent. Below 2x, review targeting, landing page or offer before raising budget.

Do I need a dedicated landing page? Yes, strongly. Sending paid traffic to a generic homepage tanks conversion. A landing page matched to the ad can double the conversion rate at the same budget.

Can I manage this myself? At first yes, but steering ROAS, audiences and bids takes time and experience. A poorly tuned setup often wastes more than the cost of professional support.

Let's talk about your project. We define your Google/Meta split, install GA4/Pixel tracking and steer ROAS. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.