Intent beats interruption
Social media and search advertising solve different things. In the feed you interrupt someone who is really doing something else. In the search box you meet someone who is looking for what you offer right now. For cheap impulse buys the interruption can be enough. But the more expensive and considered the purchase, the more intent decides, and then search is hard to beat.
Expensive purchases start in the search box
A treatment or service worth tens of thousands of kronor isn't bought on a whim in passing. The buyer reads up, compares options and then searches actively. That search is where the decision matures. Being there, with the right message and a search campaign built around how the buyer actually behaves, captures demand that already exists instead of trying to create it from zero.
The social feed has its place
This doesn't mean social media is wasted. The feed builds awareness and catches those who aren't ready yet, and retargeting keeps you in mind. But at the bottom of the funnel, with the person ready to book, search usually wins. The mistake is pouring the whole budget into the feed because that's where activity is easiest to show off. That's what happened to a private healthcare clinic whose ad budget effectively ran on autopilot in the wrong channel.
Measure against bookings, not clicks
None of this matters without tracking. The point isn't clicks or impressions, it's bookings. When every krona of ad budget can be tied to an actual booking, it becomes clear which channel deserves the next krona. Tie ads to bookings first, optimise Google Ads second.
Someone already searching for your service is not an audience to interrupt, but a customer to meet.
The right channel follows purchase intent. For expensive, considered purchases, that usually means search carries and the feed supports.
