Should you learn Meta ads or Google ads first? A plan for beginners
For most beginners, start with Meta, then Google, and learn tracking alongside both. Here's why, and a 30-day plan to get going.
The short answer
For most beginners, learn Meta ads first. More small local businesses already run them, you can practise on a small budget, and the first paying client is easier to find. Add Google ads after your first month, and learn tracking alongside both, because tracking is what makes you worth more on either platform.
Your first 30 days
- Learn campaign structure
- Install a test pixel
- Run one small campaign
- Read results honestly
- Write a case note
In this post
Every batch of students asks me the same thing in the first week. Should I learn Meta ads or Google ads first? Usually they've watched a few videos on both, opened both dashboards, and now they feel behind on two things instead of one.
My answer for most people starting a freelancing or agency career is simple: learn Meta first, then Google, and learn tracking alongside both. Here's why, and how I'd spend the first 30 days.
Should I learn Meta ads or Google ads first?
For most beginners, learn Meta ads first. More small local businesses already run them, you can practise with a small budget, and you'll find your first paying work faster.
Most small stores, clothing brands, restaurants and coaching businesses have tried boosting posts on Facebook or Instagram. Many of them are doing it badly. That's a gap a beginner can fill. Google ads are just as valuable, but the first client is usually harder to find, and a mistake on a Search campaign can spend money quickly on the wrong searches.
There is one exception. If you already understand websites, SEO or analytics, or you want to work with service businesses that get leads from search, starting with Google can make more sense.
Meta, then Google
Tracking runs alongside both from day one. It's the part most beginners skip.
How are the two jobs different day to day?
Meta ads work is mostly about creative and offers. Google ads work is mostly about search intent, keywords and settings. The dashboards look similar, but the thinking is different.
| Part of the job | Meta ads | Google ads |
|---|---|---|
| Main question | Will this ad stop the right person scrolling? | Is this the right search to pay for? |
| Most of your time | Briefing and testing creatives, hooks and offers | Keywords, search terms, negatives and feeds |
| Biggest mistake | Changing things too often and resetting learning | Leaving default settings and broad keywords unchecked |
| Works well with | People who like content and psychology | People who like structure and spreadsheets |
If you want to see what the Google side looks like on a real account, read the five settings I change on every new Google Ads account.
What do local clients and clients abroad ask for?
Local clients mostly ask for Meta ads that bring orders or WhatsApp messages. Clients abroad ask for both, but they expect you to understand tracking and reporting before they trust you with a budget.
In Pakistan, the typical brief is a Shopify or WhatsApp store selling on cash on delivery, a modest budget in PKR, and an owner who judges you on orders this week. You'll need to understand COD refusals and why Ads Manager doesn't match their sheet.
On Upwork and from agencies abroad, the briefs I see are more often Google Search and Shopping for stores and service businesses, Meta for e-commerce brands, and a lot of "my tracking is broken, can you fix it". That last one is a real opening for someone who knows tracking well.
A 30-day plan to get started
Spend the first month on one platform, one small real campaign and the basics of tracking. Don't try to finish every course on both.
- Days 1 to 7: learn the structure. Campaign, ad set, ad. Objectives, budgets, audiences and placements. Set up a business portfolio (formerly Business Manager) and an ad account of your own.
- Days 8 to 14: learn tracking. Install a pixel on a test store, check events in Events Manager, and understand what the Conversions API does.
- Days 15 to 21: run a small real campaign. Your own small budget, or a friend's business. Write down every decision and why.
- Days 22 to 26: read the results. Cost per result, click-through rate, frequency, and what you'd change. Compare Ads Manager with the real orders.
- Days 27 to 30: write it up. Turn it into a short case note you can show a client, then start on Google basics next month.
If you've never run anything, write that case note honestly. I explain how in building an ads portfolio with no clients.
Why tracking skills matter more than the platform
Tracking is the skill that makes you worth more on both platforms. A media buyer who can set up and check conversion tracking gets better results and can charge more than one who only runs campaigns.
Anyone can press publish. The person who can prove which sales came from the ads gets the next contract.
Most accounts I audit have a tracking problem before they have a targeting problem. Learn the pixel and Conversions API on Meta, the Google tag and enhanced conversions on Google, and Google Tag Manager to run both. Why Meta ads stopped working after iOS updates is a good place to see why this matters, and the five GTM tags most stores need shows the practical side.
What should I learn after the first month?
After the first month, add the second platform and go deeper on tracking. By then, Google will make more sense, because you already understand objectives, budgets and conversions.
Keep running something small the whole time. Reading about ads without spending even a little money is like learning to drive from videos.
Pick one platform, learn tracking with it, and get one real campaign behind you. That's a stronger start than six half-finished courses.
If you want a structured path with real accounts and feedback, the academy walks through it step by step. If you want to hear how I teach first, join the free webinar.
Questions people ask me about learning ads
Can I learn Meta and Google ads at the same time?
You can, but most beginners learn both slowly and neither well. I'd rather you spend one month on one platform with one real campaign, then add the second. The basics carry over: objectives, budgets, conversions and tracking.
Do I need to spend my own money to learn ads?
A small amount helps a lot. Reading about ads without running anything only takes you so far. Run a small campaign on your own budget or for a friend's business, and treat what you spend as part of your training.
Which pays more for freelancers, Meta or Google?
It depends more on your skill and your clients than the platform. What I see raise rates on both is tracking. A media buyer who can set up and check conversion tracking is worth more than one who only launches campaigns.
Is it too late to start a media buying career in 2026?
No. Businesses keep spending on ads, and many of them still run accounts badly with broken tracking. The work has shifted toward creative strategy and measurement, so learn those properly instead of only the buttons.
Got a question this didn't answer? Message me on WhatsApp.
Where this comes from
Everything in this post comes from setting up and fixing ad accounts myself. Platform menus and names change often, so if a screen looks different from what I describe, check the platform's own help pages for the current wording, or message me and I'll point you to the right one.
Written by Moiz Khan
Meta and Google Ads consultant, 13+ years in ad accounts
I'm Moiz Khan. I've spent 13+ years inside Meta and Google ad accounts and managed $12M+ in ad spend, for e-commerce and service businesses in Pakistan and abroad. Here I write down what I check, what I change and why, so you can fix your own account or know what to ask for.
