You want your Google Ads campaigns to generate more sales, but you might not be entirely sure if what you’re doing is correct.
And if you only have your own metrics to look at, it’s not that easy to see what’s performing well and what isn’t.
That’s exactly why I put together this collection of 27 Google Ads benchmarks. It will help you get a better idea of what good (and bad) looks like for all the key Google Ads metrics.
One caveat before you jump in: an average might give you direction, but the correct number for you depends greatly on your industry and business.
Table of Contents
Google Ads Benchmarks
There are many different campaign types in Google Ads, and because each of these types behaves a little differently, their metrics are also different.
So let’s first start out with a couple of overall averages, and then dig into the specific campaign types.
Average Google Ads Clickthrough Rate
Clickthrough rate (CTR) shows how often people click your ad vs how many times it’s shown. This metric is a good indicator of how well your keywords match your advertisement.
The average CTR for Search Ads is 3.17%, while Google Display Ads have an average CTR of 0.46% across industries.
The reason why the Search CTR is 10X that of Display Ads is that with Search Ads, people are actively looking for information, while Display Ads aim to interrupt people while they’re doing something else online.
Average Google Ads Cost-per-click
Cost-per-click is the price you have to pay for every click on your ads.
On average, advertisers pay $2.69 per click on Search Ads, while the average CPC for Display Ads is $0.63.
Knowing how much other advertisers spend per click can help you estimate if you’re not spending enough, and thereby limit your exposure, or if you’re overpaying for some reason.
Average Google Ads Conversion Rates for Ecommerce
The conversion rate is the percentage of how many visitors you’re able to convert into sales.
The average ecommerce conversion rate for Search Ads is 2.81%. For Display Ads, the average conversion rate is 0.59%.
Knowing average conversion rates can help troubleshoot why your campaigns might not be generating a high enough return.
Average Google Ads Cost Per Action for Ecommerce
Cost per action (CPA) is how much you’re paying for each sale.
For Search Ads, the average CPA for ecommerce is $45.27. For Display Ads, the average CPA is $65.80.
Many businesses have a good idea of how much they can afford to spend to get a customer. So by knowing the amounts, other advertisers are able to hit, you can benchmark your own efforts.
Google Search Ads
Next, we’ll look at the most important benchmarks specifically for Google Search Ads.
To make this more applicable, I’ve included the specific numbers for different industries. That way you can find the most relevant number.
Average Google Search Ads Click Through Rate
The average CTR for Search and Display Ads are higher than they were several years ago. That might be a results of users clicking more ads, or that Google is featuring them more prominently in their layout.
Top 3 industries with the highest CTR:
- Dating & Personals – 6.05%
- Travel & Hospitality – 4.68%
- Advocacy – 4.41%
Top 3 industries with the lowest CTR:
- Technology – 2.09%
- B2B – 2.41%
- Consumer Services – 2.41%
| Industry | Average CTR (Search) |
| Advocacy | 4.41% |
| Auto | 4.00% |
| B2B | 2.41% |
| Consumer Services | 2.41% |
| Dating & Personals | 6.05% |
| E-Commerce | 2.69% |
| Education | 3.78% |
| Employment Services | 2.42% |
| Finance & Insurance | 2.91% |
| Health & Medical | 3.27% |
| Home Goods | 2.44% |
| Industrial Services | 2.61% |
| Legal | 2.93% |
| Real Estate | 3.71% |
| Technology | 2.09% |
| Travel & Hospitality | 4.68% |
Source: WordStream
What is a good CTR for your business?
With Search Ads, you should be aiming to have a CTR above 2%.
The exact number will depend on a couple of factors, but in general, a higher CTR is better 📈 This means potential find your ads more relevant.
Average Google Search Ads Cost Per Click
Relative to other industries, eCommerce advertisers pay the lowest CPCs with Search Ads. That’s not to say clicks are cheap though, the CPCs are very often in line with the potential deal size.
Top 3 industries with the highest CPCs:
- Legal – $6.75
- Consumer Services – $6.40
- Technology – $3.80
Top 3 industries with the lowest CPCs:
- eCommerce – $1.16
- Advocacy – $1.43
- Travel & Hospitality – $1.53
| Industry | Average CPC (Search) |
| Advocacy | $1.43 |
| Auto | $2.46 |
| B2B | $3.33 |
| Consumer Services | $6.40 |
| Dating & Personals | $2.78 |
| E-Commerce | $1.16 |
| Education | $2.40 |
| Employment Services | $2.04 |
| Finance & Insurance | $3.44 |
| Health & Medical | $2.62 |
| Home Goods | $2.94 |
| Industrial Services | $2.56 |
| Legal | $6.75 |
| Real Estate | $2.37 |
| Technology | $3.80 |
| Travel & Hospitality | $1.53 |
Source: WordStream
What is a good CPC for your business?
Ideally, you want your CPCs to be as low as possible 📉 . But many advertisers make the mistake of using a certain CPC value as the goal. While in reality, the CPC is what usually drives your campaigns.
So start out around the average, and see what results you get. Over time, you can learn more about the impact of certain costs per click on your actual return.
Average Google Search Ads Conversion rate
While the average conversion rate for Search Ads is 3.75%, conversion rates vary wildly between industries.
That’s mainly because they measure different things. For eCommerce Search Ads, the average conversion rate is 2.81%. But other niches, like Dating, have a much higher conversion rate because they mainly measure lead conversion.
Top 3 industries with the highest conversion rates:
- Dating & Personals – 9.64%
- Legal – 6.98%
- Consumer Services – 6.64%
Top 3 industries with the lowest conversion rates:
- Advocacy – 1.96%
- Real Estate – 2.47%
- Home Goods – 2.70%
| Industry | Average CR (Search) |
| Advocacy | 1.96% |
| Auto | 6.03% |
| B2B | 3.04% |
| Consumer Services | 6.64% |
| Dating & Personals | 9.64% |
| E-Commerce | 2.81% |
| Education | 3.39% |
| Employment Services | 5.13% |
| Finance & Insurance | 5.10% |
| Health & Medical | 3.36% |
| Home Goods | 2.70% |
| Industrial Services | 3.37% |
| Legal | 6.98% |
| Real Estate | 2.47% |
| Technology | 2.92% |
| Travel & Hospitality | 3.55% |
Source: WordStream
What is a good conversion rate for your business?
A higher conversion rate is better 📈.
While the average conversion rate of 2% is often mentioned, most eCommerce businesses currently convert between 0.5-2% of their visitors into sales.
Average Google Search Ads Cost Per Action
The average cost per action (CPA) of your ads is the average amount of money you pay for the conversion.
The average CPA across all industries in Google Search is $48.96.
Top 3 industries with the highest cost per action:
- Technology – $133.52
- Real Estate – $116.61
- B2B – $116.13
Top 3 industries with the lowest cost per action:
- Auto – $33.52
- Travel & Hospitality – $44.73
- ecommerce – $45.27
| Industry | Average CPA (Search) |
| Advocacy | $96.55 |
| Auto | $33.52 |
| B2B | $116.13 |
| Consumer Services | $90.70 |
| Dating & Personals | $76.76 |
| Ecommerce | $45.27 |
| Education | $72.70 |
| Employment Services | $48.04 |
| Finance & Insurance | $81.93 |
| Health & Medical | $78.09 |
| Home Goods | $87.13 |
| Industrial Services | $79.28 |
| Legal | $86.02 |
| Real Estate | $116.61 |
| Technology | $133.52 |
| Travel & Hospitality | $44.73 |
Source: WordStream
What is a good CPA for your business?
A lower CPA is always better. That means that you’re getting customers for less.
That said, you’ll need to find a good balance between spending enough to find enough new customers, and the revenue these customers will generate.
The overall CPA for the eCommerce industry is $45.27, which is pretty high. This number is highly dependent on the average order value (AOV) or lifetime value (LTV).
Google Shopping Ads Benchmarks
Google Shopping is a key part of any Google Ads strategy. So in this section, we’ll take a look at the most important Google Shopping benchmarks.
Average Google Shopping CTR
The average CTR for Shopping ads is 0.86%, which is lower than Bing Shopping Ads at 1.25%.
Top 3 industries with the highest CTR:
- Automotive Supplies – 1.20%
- HVAC & Climate Control – 1.12%
- Travel & Luggage – 0.99%
Top 3 industries with the lowest CTR:
- Computers & Technology – 0.55%
- Office & Business Needs – 0.65%
- Pet Care – 0.68%
Here is a breakdown by industry:
| Industry | Average CTR (Shopping) |
| Medical Supplies | 0.87% |
| Health & Beauty | 0.74% |
| Child & Infant Care | 0.71% |
| Pet Care | 0.68% |
| Clothing & Apparel | 0.76% |
| Food & Alcohol | 0.91% |
| Home & Garden | 0.90% |
| HVAC & Climate Control | 1.12% |
| Automotive Supplies | 1.20% |
| Travel & Luggage | 0.99% |
| Entertainment & Events | 0.92% |
| Educational Supplies | 0.94% |
| Computers & Technology | 0.55% |
| Office & Business Needs | 0.65% |
| Art & Music | 0.76% |
| Chemical & Industrial | 0.89% |
Source: Wordstream
Average Google Shopping CPC
The average cost per click for Shopping Ads is $0.66.
Top 3 industries with the highest CPC:
- Office & Business Needs – $1.09
- Computers & Technology – $0.89
- Health & Beauty – $0.87
Top 3 industries with the lowest CPC:
- Art & Music – $0.34
- Child & Infant Care – $0.36
- Travel & Luggage – $0.40
Here is a breakdown by industry:
| Industry | Average CPC (Shopping) |
| Medical Supplies | $0.63 |
| Health & Beauty | $0.87 |
| Child & Infant Care | $0.36 |
| Pet Care | $0.82 |
| Clothing & Apparel | $0.69 |
| Food & Alcohol | $0.42 |
| Home & Garden | $0.58 |
| HVAC & Climate Control | $0.47 |
| Automotive Supplies | $0.56 |
| Travel & Luggage | $0.40 |
| Entertainment & Events | $0.48 |
| Educational Supplies | $0.83 |
| Computers & Technology | $0.89 |
| Office & Business Needs | $1.09 |
| Art & Music | $0.34 |
| Chemical & Industrial | $0.66 |
Source: Wordstream
Average Google Shopping Conversion rate
The average conversion rate for Google Shopping Ads is 1.91%.
Top 3 industries with the highest conversion rate:
- HVAC & Climate Control – 3.30%
- Medical Supplies – 2.94%
- Health & Beauty – 2.78%
Top 3 industries with the lowest conversion rate:
- Chemical & Industrial – 0.83%
- Pet Care – 1.07%
- Automotive Supplies – 1.29%
Here is a breakdown by industry:
| Industry | Average CR (Shopping Ads) |
| Medical Supplies | 2.94% |
| Health & Beauty | 2.78% |
| Child & Infant Care | 2.20% |
| Pet Care | 1.07% |
| Clothing & Apparel | 2.70% |
| Food & Alcohol | 2.16% |
| Home & Garden | 1.31% |
| HVAC & Climate Control | 3.30% |
| Automotive Supplies | 1.29% |
| Travel & Luggage | 2.07% |
| Entertainment & Events | 1.98% |
| Educational Supplies | 1.88% |
| Computers & Technology | 2.20% |
| Office & Business Needs | 2.45% |
| Art & Music | 1.77% |
| Chemical & Industrial | 0.83% |
Source: Wordstream
Average Google Shopping CPA
The average CPA for Shopping Ads is $38.87.
Note that this is quite a bit lower compared to Search Ads, which was $45.27.
Top 3 industries with the highest CPA:
- Chemical & Industrial – $91.21
- Computers & Technology – $75.92
- Office & Business Needs – $68.55
Top 3 industries with the lowest CPA:
- HVAC & Climate Control – $7.28
- Entertainment & Events – $17.51
- Art & Music – $19.03
Here is a breakdown by industry:
| Industry | Average CPA (Shopping Ads) |
| Medical Supplies | $19.23 |
| Health & Beauty | $35.89 |
| Child & Infant Care | $49.36 |
| Pet Care | $26.01 |
| Clothing & Apparel | $19.29 |
| Food & Alcohol | $35.80 |
| Home & Garden | $58.00 |
| HVAC & Climate Control | $7.28 |
| Automotive Supplies | $54.76 |
| Travel & Luggage | $36.34 |
| Entertainment & Events | $17.51 |
| Educational Supplies | $30.67 |
| Computers & Technology | $75.92 |
| Office & Business Needs | $68.55 |
| Art & Music | $19.03 |
| Chemical & Industrial | $91.21 |
Source: Wordstream
Going Deeper on Google Ads
While this guide is a big one, it barely scratches the surface of what it takes to win with Search and Shopping campaigns.
That’s exactly why I combined two of our courses, Search Ads Success and Google Shopping Success into a Google Ads Success bundle.
It covers everything I’ve learned from running these campaigns for the past 12 years, and much more.
If you want to learn more, I’d love for you to check it out!
On with the article 👇
Performance Max Ads
Currently, we don’t have any benchmarks specifically for Performance Max, as these are a mix of Search, Shopping, Display and Video Ads.
Google Display Ads
Next, let’s take a look at the most important benchmarks for Google Display Ads.
These are ads that appear on the Google Display Network (or GDN). This network is composed of websites that are either owned by Google or have allowed Google to show targeted ads on their websites.
Average Google Display Ads CTR
The average CTR Display Ads is 0.46%.
Here is a breakdown by industry:
| Industry | Average CTR (Display Ads) |
| Advocacy | 0.59% |
| Auto | 0.60% |
| B2B | 0.46% |
| Consumer Services | 0.51% |
| Dating & Personals | 0.72% |
| E-Commerce | 0.51% |
| Education | 0.53% |
| Employment Services | 0.59% |
| Finance & Insurance | 0.52% |
| Health & Medical | 0.59% |
| Home Goods | 0.49% |
| Industrial Services | 0.50% |
| Legal | 0.59% |
| Real Estate | 1.08% |
| Technology | 0.39% |
| Travel & Hospitality | 0.47% |
Source: WordStream
Average Google Display Ads CPC
The average CPC for Display Ads is $0.63.
Here is a breakdown by industry:
| Industry | Average CPC (Display Ads) |
| Advocacy | $0.62 |
| Auto | $0.58 |
| B2B | $0.79 |
| Consumer Services | $0.81 |
| Dating & Personals | $1.49 |
| E-Commerce | aa$0.45 |
| Education | $0.47 |
| Employment Services | $0.78 |
| Finance & Insurance | $0.86 |
| Health & Medical | $0.63 |
| Home Goods | $0.60 |
| Industrial Services | $0.54 |
| Legal | $0.72 |
| Real Estate | $0.75 |
| Technology | $0.51 |
| Travel & Hospitality | $0.44 |
Source: WordStream
Average Google Display Ads Conversion Rate
The average conversion rate for Google Display Ads is 0.57%.
Note that this is a lot lower compared to either Search or Shopping Ads. The main reason for this is that the purchase intent from people clicking on a Display Ad is a lot lower.
Here is a breakdown by industry:
| Industry | Average CVR (Display Ads) |
| Advocacy | 1.00% |
| Auto | 1.19% |
| B2B | 0.80% |
| Consumer Services | 0.98% |
| Dating & Personals | 3.34% |
| E-Commerce | 0.59% |
| Education | 0.50% |
| Employment Services | 1.57% |
| Finance & Insurance | 1.19% |
| Health & Medical | 0.82% |
| Home Goods | 0.43% |
| Industrial Services | 0.94% |
| Legal | 1.84% |
| Real Estate | 0.80% |
| Technology | 0.86% |
| Travel & Hospitality | 0.51% |
Source: WordStream
Average Google Display Ads CPA
The average CPA for Google Display Ads is $75.51 CPA across all industries.
Here is a breakdown by industry:
| Industry | Average CPA (Display Ads) |
| Advocacy | $70.69 |
| Auto | $23.68 |
| B2B | $130.36 |
| Consumer Services | $60.48 |
| Dating & Personals | $60.23 |
| E-Commerce | $65.80 |
| Education | $143.36 |
| Employment Services | $59.47 |
| Finance & Insurance | $56.76 |
| Health & Medical | $72.58 |
| Home Goods | $116.17 |
| Industrial Services | $51.58 |
| Legal | $39.52 |
| Real Estate | $74.79 |
| Technology | $103.60 |
| Travel & Hospitality | $99.13 |
Source: WordStream
YouTube Ads Benchmarks
In this last section, we’ll take a look at the most important YouTube ads benchmarks.
Average YouTube Ads CTR
The average YouTube CTR is 0.65%, which is a lot lower compared to Search or Shopping Ads, but more in line with Display Ads.
Average YouTube Ads CPC
For the average CPC, YouTube Ads is currently at $0.49 per click.
Average YouTube Ads CPV
In a CPV bidding, you’ll pay for every time someone interacts or watches the 30 seconds of your video ad, or the entire duration if it’s shorter than 30 seconds. The average CPV for YouTube ads is $0.026.
Average YouTube Ads CPM
Cost per mile (CPM) means the cost per 1,000 impressions. An impression is each time your ad is shown to a viewer. The average YouTube Ads CPM is $3.53.
If you would like to know the breakdown of all these metrics by their industry, have a closer look at our article on YouTube Ads benchmarks.
How to Use These Google Ads Benchmarks
Google Ads benchmarks help you realize how far you’re ahead of or behind your competition.
These can be considered as references for molding your campaign ads, to make them even more effective!
