The most comprehensive collection of Google Ads benchmarks and performance data. Average CPC, CTR, conversion rates, and ROI by industry — sourced from WordStream, LocaliQ, Store Growers, and more.
The scale, reach, and dominance of the world's largest advertising platform
How much you'll pay per click across different industries on Google Search Ads
| Industry | Avg. CPC (Search) | Cost Level |
|---|---|---|
| Attorneys & Legal Services | $8.58 | Highest CPC industry |
| Dentists & Dental Services | $7.85 | Very high |
| Home & Home Improvement | $7.85 | Very high |
| Education & Instruction | $6.23 | High |
| Finance & Insurance | $5.16 | Above average |
| Business Services | $5.37 | Above average |
| Healthcare | $3.52 | Moderate |
| Real Estate | $2.81 | Below average |
| Travel | $2.12 | Low |
| Restaurants & Food | $2.05 | Low |
| Arts & Entertainment | $1.60 | Lowest CPC industry |
Industries with high customer lifetime value — like legal, finance, and B2B services — tend to have the highest CPCs because a single conversion can be worth thousands of dollars. A law firm paying $8.58 per click can still be highly profitable if their average case value exceeds $5,000. On the other hand, industries with lower transaction values like restaurants and entertainment naturally have lower CPCs. The key is not to focus on CPC in isolation, but to evaluate it against your conversion rate and customer value.
How often users click on your ads after seeing them, broken down by industry and format
| Industry | Avg. Search CTR | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Arts & Entertainment | 13.10% | Highest CTR industry |
| Sports & Recreation | 10.53% | Well above average |
| Travel | 8.57% | Above average |
| Real Estate | 8.21% | Above average |
| Automotive (Sales) | 8.12% | Above average |
| Animals & Pets | 7.08% | Average |
| Health & Fitness | 6.44% | Average |
| Education & Instruction | 6.17% | Slightly below average |
| Business Services | 5.17% | Below average |
| Finance & Insurance | 5.07% | Below average |
| Attorneys & Legal Services | 4.24% | One of the lowest CTRs |
Notice how industries with the highest CTRs (Arts & Entertainment at 13.10%) tend to have the lowest CPCs ($1.60), while industries with low CTRs (Legal at 4.24%) have the highest CPCs ($8.58). This inverse relationship exists because high CTRs improve your Quality Score, which directly lowers your cost per click. Search campaigns deliver CTRs that are on average 680% higher than display campaigns, with the largest gaps in consumer-facing industries.
What percentage of clicks turn into leads or customers across industries and campaign types
| Industry | Avg. Conversion Rate | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| Automotive — Repair, Service & Parts | 14.67% | Highest CVR |
| Animals & Pets | 13.07% | Very high |
| Physicians & Surgeons | 11.62% | Very high |
| Dating & Personals | 9.64% | High |
| Legal Services | 6.98% | Above average |
| Consumer Services | 6.64% | Above average |
| Automotive — Sales | 6.03% | Above average |
| Employment Services | 5.13% | Average |
| Finance & Insurance | 2.55% | Below average |
| Furniture | 2.73% | Below average |
| Real Estate | 3.28% | Below average |
How much it costs to acquire a lead through Google Ads across different sectors
| Industry | Avg. Cost Per Lead | Cost Level |
|---|---|---|
| Attorneys & Legal Services | $131.63 | Most expensive CPL |
| Furniture | $121.51 | Very high |
| Business Services | $103.54 | High |
| Finance & Insurance | $90.02 | Above average |
| Education & Instruction | $72.70 | Average |
| Health & Fitness | $57.97 | Below average |
| Animals & Pets | $31.82 | Low |
| Arts & Entertainment | $30.27 | Very low |
| Restaurants & Food | $30.27 | Very low |
| Automotive — Repair, Service & Parts | $28.50 | Lowest CPL |
A $131.63 cost per lead for legal services may seem steep, but when the average case value can exceed $5,000–$50,000, the return on investment is substantial. Conversely, automotive repair leads at $28.50 make sense for services that average $200–$500 per visit. Always evaluate CPL against your average customer value and close rate to determine true profitability.
Return on ad spend benchmarks across industries and business models
| Business Model / Sector | Avg. ROAS | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Travel Accessories & Luggage | 4.30x | Down 21.10% YoY |
| E-commerce (Overall) | 2.0x – 4.0x | Common profitable range |
| Consumer Electronics | 3.02x | Down 11.45% YoY |
| Health & Wellness | 2.12x | Down 15.64% YoY |
| DTC / E-commerce (Median) | 2.04x | Triple Whale platform data |
| B2B SaaS | 1.55x | Varos benchmark data |
The 10.03% decline in median ROAS reflects increasing ad costs across the platform. With CPCs rising 12.88% and conversion rates dropping 9.28%, advertisers are paying more for each conversion. The key to maintaining profitability is optimizing landing pages, improving Quality Score, and leveraging AI bidding strategies like Target ROAS to maximize returns.
Adoption rates and performance data for Google's AI-driven campaign types
Google is increasingly rewarding advertisers who lean into automation. To show ads in AI Overviews, advertisers need to use broad match, AI Max, or Performance Max. However, experienced advertisers recognize that PMax can plateau and struggle with new customer acquisition at scale, leading to diversified campaign portfolios rather than PMax-only strategies. The smartest approach: use PMax for broad coverage while maintaining targeted Search and Shopping campaigns for precision control.
Performance benchmarks for product listing ads and e-commerce campaigns
At $0.66 per click vs. $5.26 for search, Google Shopping offers significantly cheaper traffic. While CTRs are lower at 0.86%, the visual format with product images, prices, and reviews attracts more qualified buyers. The 33% YoY CPC increase in e-commerce search reflects stronger competition as more brands invest in online sales channels.
Cost per view, view rates, and engagement benchmarks for YouTube advertising
| YouTube Ad Format | Avg. CPV | Performance Notes |
|---|---|---|
| TrueView In-Stream (Skippable) | $0.05–$0.10 | View rates up to 66%, CPVs 8.5% below average |
| YouTube Shorts Ads | $0.10–$0.30 | Higher CPV but growing engagement format |
| Non-Skippable In-Stream | CPM-based | 100% viewability, highest brand awareness |
| Industry | YouTube CPM | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare & Insurance | $7.10 | Highest CPM & CPV ($0.071) |
| Finance & Business | $5.80 | High-value audience targeting |
| Education | $4.20 | View rates often exceed 35% |
| Technology & Electronics | $3.90 | Strong view rates, engaged audience |
| Automotive | $2.90 | Lowest CPM category |
Cost, reach, and performance benchmarks for display advertising across the web
Display and Search ads serve fundamentally different purposes. Search captures high-intent users actively looking for solutions (6.66% CTR, 4.4% CVR). Display reaches users while they browse content, building awareness at scale (0.46% CTR, 0.57% CVR). At $0.63 per click vs. $5.26 for search, display is ideal for top-of-funnel brand building, remarketing, and reaching large audiences on a budget. Most successful campaigns combine both.
How ad performance differs between mobile and desktop devices
| Metric | Mobile | Desktop | Insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share of Clicks | ~63% | ~37% | Mobile dominates click volume |
| Cost Per Click | Generally lower | Generally higher | Desktop clicks cost more on average |
| Conversion Rate | Lower on average | Higher on average | Desktop users convert more often |
| Google Search Share | 92–95.4% | 79.88% | Mobile = near-monopoly for Google |
| Budget Allocation Trend | Increasing YoY | Stable/declining | Mobile-first strategy growing |
Budget allocation, growth forecasts, and spending patterns heading into 2026
| Year | Google Ad Revenue | YoY Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $237.86 billion | Baseline |
| 2024 | $264.5 billion | +11.2% |
| 2025 (Q1-Q3) | $212.4 billion | On track for ~$290B+ |
| 2026 (Forecast) | $300+ billion | Expected to cross $300B |
Three major trends are shaping Google Ads in 2026: (1) AI-driven campaigns becoming mandatory for accessing new ad inventory like AI Overviews, (2) mobile-first ad experiences growing as mobile queries dominate, and (3) real-time ad adaptation to user signals like intent, location, and device. More SMBs from Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America are onboarding to Google Ads, expanding global competition. Advertisers who embrace automation while maintaining strategic oversight will outperform those relying on manual optimization alone.
All statistics sourced from industry-leading research firms and platforms
Rudys.AI ger dig AI-marknadsföringsfärdigheter — webbplatsbyggande, Google Ads, landningssidor — allt genom konversation. Ingen kodning krävs.