In November 2003, tech writer John Battelle gave Google's search box a name that stuck. He called it "the database of intentions": "the aggregate results of every search ever entered, every result list ever tendered, and every path taken as a result" (John Battelle).
That idea is the whole Google vs Facebook question for a mover. Google knows what someone wants right now. Someone typing "movers near me" has a date, an address and a problem to solve this week. Facebook knows who people are: their age, where they live, what they like. A person scrolling Facebook might move in six months, or never.
Both can work. They just catch people at different moments, and they cost very different amounts per lead. Here are the current benchmarks, a calculator that compares what a booked move costs on each, and the order we'd use them in.
The Benchmarks, Side By Side
LocaliQ publishes yearly benchmarks for both platforms. Neither has a separate moving category, so these are the averages for home and home improvement businesses:
| Home and home improvement, 2026 | Google search ads | Facebook lead ads |
|---|---|---|
| Average cost per click | $8.33 | $2.18 |
| Clicks that become a lead | 8.05% | 5.32% |
| Average cost per lead | $90.92 | $42.95 |
Sources: LocaliQ search benchmarks 2026, LocaliQ Facebook benchmarks 2026, lead campaign objective.
Facebook leads look half the price. But a lead is not a booked move. The person who searched Google asked for a mover. The person who filled out a Facebook form saw an ad while scrolling. What matters is how many of each you actually book.
Compare Cost Per Booked Move
The cost per lead defaults are the LocaliQ averages above. The booking rates are where your own numbers matter most, so replace them with what you really book from each channel.
Google search
Facebook lead ads
Where Google Wins For Movers
People who need a mover now
"Movers near me," "two bedroom movers," "long distance movers." Every one of these searches is someone ready to get prices.
Local Services Ads
Pay per lead, at the very top of the page. We compare costs and fine print in best moving lead providers.
Control over which searches you pay for
With good negative keywords and settings, you pay only for searches that can book. Our 10 budget leaks guide shows how, with a negative keyword list builder.
Where Facebook Earns Its Place
Bringing back people who visited your site
Most visitors leave without calling. Showing them your reviews and crew a day later is one of the best uses of Facebook for a mover.
Being known before people need you
Short videos of real crews on real jobs, shown to homeowners in your area, build the name they'll search for later.
Filling slow weeks
Flexible date offers for mid month weekdays reach people who can move any time.
Hiring movers
Facebook is a natural place to reach people looking for local work, and good crews are what get you good reviews.
If you run Facebook lead forms, add a step. Meta lets you build forms optimized for "higher intent leads," which add "a step to the form submission flow where a person reviews and confirms their answers" (Meta). Fewer leads, but more of them real. And call every Facebook lead as fast as a Google one. See speed to lead.
The Order We'd Use Them In
Website and Google Business Profile
Both platforms send people here. A page that doesn't convert makes every ad more expensive. See website that converts.
Google search or Local Services Ads
Catch the people who are ready now. Track cost per booked move from day one.
Facebook retargeting
A small budget to bring back site visitors who didn't call.
Facebook for awareness and slow weeks
Once the first three work, use Facebook to get known in the neighborhoods you want most.
To plan how much to spend on each, use the calculator in moving company marketing budget. And for how we run Google Ads for movers, with two months of real numbers, see Google Ads for moving companies.
FAQ
Is Google Ads or Facebook better for moving companies?
For most movers, Google comes first, because people searching for movers need one now. Facebook works best second, for bringing back website visitors, building awareness in your area and filling slow weeks. Judge both by cost per booked move, not cost per lead.
How much do Facebook leads cost compared to Google for movers?
LocaliQ's 2026 benchmarks for home and home improvement businesses show an average of $42.95 per lead on Facebook lead ads and $90.92 per lead on Google search ads. There is no separate moving category, and your own numbers will differ.
Why are Facebook leads cheaper?
Clicks cost less on Facebook, $2.18 on average for home and home improvement lead campaigns versus $8.33 on Google search. But Facebook shows ads to people who were not searching for a mover, so fewer of those leads may be ready to book. Track how many you actually book.
How do I know if Facebook ads are working for my moving company?
Compare cost per booked move, not cost per lead. Facebook matches Google only if you book enough of its leads. The calculator in this guide shows the booking rate where the two break even.
Should movers use Facebook lead forms or send people to a website?
Both can work. If you use lead forms, choose the higher intent option, which adds a step where people review and confirm their answers, and call every lead within minutes.
What should a mover advertise on Facebook?
Real crews on real jobs, reviews, retargeting ads for people who visited your site, flexible date offers for slow weeks, and job ads to recruit crew members.
Goran is co-founder of Move Accelerator, a marketing agency that works only with moving and junk removal companies. Before marketing, he spent 10 years in customer service, which is why he judges every ad by the customer who calls, not the click. He writes about what's working for movers right now, including the parts most agencies keep quiet.
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