Google Ads vs Meta Ads for Shopify Stores: What Works Best in Pakistan?

Running a Shopify store in Pakistan? Then you’ve probably asked yourself one important question: Should you be putting more budget into Google Ads or Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram)? If you’re trying to scale your ecommerce business and don’t want to burn money figuring it out, this breakdown is for you.

In this blog, we’ll explore the strengths and weaknesses of both platforms specifically for Shopify businesses operating in Pakistan. We’ll also touch on how Sash Digital has helped brands get real results through the right mix of paid ads.

Understanding the Pakistani Market

Before we dive into ad platforms, let’s take a look at how ecommerce behaves in Pakistan.

• Mobile-first behavior: Most traffic comes from mobile devices.
• Cash on delivery is still king: Many customers don’t pay upfront, which affects conversion strategies.
• Impulse buying is high: Especially during sales, Eid, and seasonal campaigns.
• Price-sensitive audience: Discounts and value bundles perform well.
• Trust is a big issue: People are still skeptical of online stores, which makes remarketing critical.

Now with that in mind, let’s dig into the platforms.

Google Ads – Search Intent at Its Best

Google Ads is powerful when customers know what they want. If someone types “buy black abaya online Pakistan,” they’re already halfway down the funnel. Google Ads lets you catch them right there.

Pros of Google Ads

1. High Intent: You’re showing up when people are actively searching.
2. Wide Ad Options: Search, Display, Shopping, YouTube – you can go wide.
3. Performance Tracking: Google’s analytics make it easier to measure ROAS, cost per conversion, and keyword success.
4. Works well with Shopify: Easy integration and product feed syncing.

Challenges in Pakistan

• Lower Search Volume: Compared to international markets, niche searches have limited reach.
• Cost per Click (CPC) Fluctuations: Some niches get expensive quickly.
• Less Visual Appeal: Compared to Meta, Google Ads aren’t as visually engaging.

Meta Ads – Discovery and Visual Selling

Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram) work great when you’re trying to introduce your product to new audiences. Think scroll-stopping visuals, influencer-style content, and story ads.

Pros of Meta Ads

1. Massive Reach: Nearly every smartphone user in Pakistan is on Facebook or Instagram.
2. Visual & Lifestyle Content: Perfect for fashion, home decor, makeup, etc.
3. Strong Retargeting Capabilities: Dynamic product ads can remind people what they browsed.
4. Better for Top-of-Funnel: Ideal for brand awareness and engagement.

Challenges in Pakistan

• Lower Intent: People aren’t on Facebook to shop, so intent is lower.
• Policy Bans: Meta is sensitive to content – ads often get rejected.
• Ad Fatigue: If your creativity isn’t fresh, performance drops quickly.

Shopify Integration – What Works Where

Google Ads with Shopify

• Seamless product feed sync using Google’s Shopify plugin
• Conversion tracking via Google Tag Manager
• Shopping ads perform well during sales or Eid season

Meta Ads with Shopify

• Facebook pixel is a must for tracking
• Dynamic ads based on catalog boost repeat purchases
• Instagram Shopping helps in getting organic + paid traction

Which Platform Is Better for Shopify Stores in Pakistan?

It depends on your goal.

Goal	Platform	Why?
Immediate sales	Google Ads	High intent users searching for your product
Brand awareness	Meta Ads	Reach millions quickly with visual content
Retargeting	Meta Ads	Facebook pixel and catalog make it easy
Long-term SEO + Paid strategy	Google	You can build search + display visibility
Visual-heavy products (fashion, accessories)	Meta	Instagram + Stories work better

 

What Top Shopify Stores in Pakistan Are Doing?

Many successful brands use both platforms. Here’s how a typical high-performing store runs its campaigns:

1. Google Search Ads for branded and product-specific searches.
2. Meta Prospecting Campaigns to introduce products.
3. Meta Retargeting Ads to bring back visitors who didn’t convert.
4. Google Display & YouTube for remarketing.

How Sash Digital Helps Shopify Stores Scale?

We’ve worked with fast-growing Shopify stores across Pakistan — fashion, lifestyle, beauty, even tech accessories. What makes a real difference is the ad mix and timing.

At Sash Digital, we don’t throw a budget around hoping something works. Instead:

• We audit your store and campaigns to spot leakages
• Build conversion-optimized ad creatives
• Set up full-funnel campaigns with performance tracking
• Balance Google and Meta Ads based on your product and audience

Read more about our Performance Marketing services.

A Few Wins  

• Helped a fashion brand cut cost per purchase by 42% within 30 days
• Ran a campaign during Ramzan that generated 4x ROAS using Meta dynamic ads
• Set up Google Shopping Ads for a lifestyle store that saw a 3.5x return

Budgeting: How to Split Ad Spend

You don’t need to go all-in on one platform. Here’s a rough guideline based on monthly budgets:

• Under PKR 100,000: 90% Meta / 10% Google
• PKR 100,000 – 300,000: 70% Meta / 30% Google
• Above PKR 300,000: Run full-funnel campaigns across both with testing budget

Tip: Always leave room (10-15%) for testing new creatives or platforms.

Common Mistakes Shopify Stores Make

1. No tracking setup – no pixel, no tags, no data.
2. One creative for all – different audiences need different hooks.
3. Ignoring retargeting – most people won’t buy on first visit.
4. Giving up too early – platforms need time to optimize.
5. Running discounts all year – kills perceived value.

Final Thoughts

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. If your product is visual, lifestyle-driven, and impulse-friendly  Meta might outperform Google. If your customers know what they want and search for it Google Ads win.

Smart Shopify store owners in Pakistan are combining both platforms for a full-funnel approach. And if you’re not sure where to begin or how to optimize your campaigns, that’s where a performance-first partner like Sash Digital comes in.

Let the data speak, run tests, and always focus on profit over just impressions.

Need help figuring out what’ll work best for your store? Talk to our paid ads team.