This is the complete Google Ads benchmarks by industry table: average cost per click, click-through rate, conversion rate, and cost per lead for all 23 tracked verticals, taken directly from the WordStream by LocaliQ Search Advertising Benchmarks report. But a benchmark table on its own is close to useless, because a number tells you nothing about what to do. So this page pairs the data with the two things that make it actionable: what each number actually means when you see it, and the specific lever to pull if yours is off. Read the table for your row, then read the section for what to do about the gap.
Two things to know before the numbers, because they change how you read them. First, we show both the current 2026 edition and the prior 2025 edition side by side, because the two report different figures and blending them is the single most common error in this topic. Second, these are median figures, not means, deliberately calculated to reduce distortion from a handful of extreme accounts, and they blend Google Ads and Microsoft Ads Search data across every budget size. Treat them as a directional starting line for your vertical, never a target your specific account must hit.
What are the average Google Ads benchmarks across all industries?
The data: the all-industry Google Ads Search benchmarks are a $5.42 average cost per click, a 6.64% average click-through rate, an 8.18% average conversion rate, and a $66.69 average cost per lead, per the WordStream by LocaliQ 2026 edition covering 13,474 US campaigns from April 2025 to March 2026.
| All-industry metric | 2026 edition | 2025 edition | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average cost per click | $5.42 | $5.26 | Up ~3% |
| Average click-through rate | 6.64% | 6.66% | Roughly flat |
| Average conversion rate | 8.18% | 7.52% | Up |
| Average cost per lead | $66.69 | $70.11 | Down ~5% |
Source: WordStream by LocaliQ, Search Advertising Benchmarks. The 2026 edition covers 13,474 US campaigns (April 2025 to March 2026, published June 2026); the 2025 edition covers 16,446 US campaigns (April 2024 to March 2025). Figures are medians and blend Google Ads and Microsoft Ads Search. (LocaliQ, WordStream 2026)
What it means: the single most important thing in that table is a relationship, not a number. Cost per lead is not independent, it is cost per click divided by conversion rate. That is why the average lead got cheaper this year ($70.11 to $66.69) even though the average click got more expensive ($5.26 to $5.42): conversion rates rose to 8.18% from 7.52%, enough to more than offset the higher click cost. This is the entire reason judging an account on CPC alone is a mistake.
What to do: stop looking at your cost per click first. Find your cost per lead and your conversion rate, and judge the account on those. If your CPL is above your industry line, the fix is almost always conversion rate (the landing page), not click cost, which is where the fastest, cheapest wins live. We cover the mechanics in our guide to why cost per lead climbs and how to fix it.
What are the Google Ads benchmarks for every industry? (2026 edition)
The data: here are the complete Google Ads Search benchmarks for all 23 industries in the current 2026 edition. Find your industry’s row and compare against it, not against the all-industry average, because the spread between verticals is enormous.
| Industry | Avg CPC | Avg CTR | Conversion rate | Cost per lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animals & Pets | $4.06 | 7.49% | 16.22% | $31.50 |
| Apparel, Fashion & Jewelry | $4.44 | 6.64% | 4.50% | $97.51 |
| Arts & Entertainment | $1.63 | 12.75% | 5.91% | $26.84 |
| Attorneys & Legal Services | $9.87 | 5.87% | 5.55% | $131.63 |
| Automotive, For Sale | $2.27 | 8.28% | 6.01% | $44.26 |
| Automotive, Repair, Service & Parts | $4.35 | 5.56% | 15.51% | $29.96 |
| Beauty & Personal Care | $4.62 | 6.75% | 10.35% | $39.25 |
| Business Services | $5.87 | 6.10% | 4.85% | $93.69 |
| Career & Employment | $5.81 | 5.88% | 3.05% | $67.36 |
| Dentists & Dental Services | $8.00 | 5.66% | 10.67% | $72.97 |
| Education & Instruction | $4.81 | 7.56% | 13.14% | $77.48 |
| Finance & Insurance | $3.39 | 9.83% | 2.64% | $74.44 |
| Furniture | $3.97 | 6.57% | 2.99% | $106.70 |
| Health & Fitness | $6.17 | 5.81% | 6.94% | $67.36 |
| Home & Home Improvement | $8.33 | 6.47% | 8.05% | $90.92 |
| Industrial & Commercial | $5.87 | 6.57% | 8.20% | $75.19 |
| Personal Services | $7.17 | 7.16% | 12.34% | $54.60 |
| Physicians & Surgeons | $4.76 | 6.61% | 12.43% | $40.04 |
| Real Estate | $3.22 | 7.61% | 3.70% | $102.51 |
| Restaurants & Food | $2.05 | 6.83% | 8.05% | $30.57 |
| Shopping, Collectibles & Gifts | $4.14 | 8.28% | 4.01% | $49.40 |
| Sports & Recreation | $2.77 | 8.75% | 7.69% | $44.26 |
| Travel | $2.14 | 9.32% | 5.83% | $44.70 |
Source: WordStream by LocaliQ, Search Advertising Benchmarks, 2026 edition (US, thousands of Google Ads and Microsoft Ads campaigns, April 2025 to March 2026, median values). (WordStream 2026)
What it means and what to do: read your row across all four columns together, because they explain each other. A high CPC next to a high conversion rate (like dentists at $8.00 and 10.67%) is healthy. A low CPC next to a low conversion rate (like finance at $3.39 and 2.64%) is where the hidden problem sits, cheap clicks that do not convert produce an expensive lead. Locate the weakest of your four numbers relative to your row, and that is the one to fix first.
What are the prior-year Google Ads benchmarks by industry? (2025 edition)
The data: the complete 23-industry benchmarks for the prior 2025 edition, so you can see the direction and volatility of each vertical rather than a single snapshot.
| Industry | Avg CPC | Avg CTR | Conversion rate | Cost per lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animals & Pets | $3.97 | 6.58% | 13.07% | $31.82 |
| Apparel, Fashion & Jewelry | $4.31 | 6.77% | 3.99% | $101.49 |
| Arts & Entertainment | $1.60 | 13.10% | 4.84% | $30.27 |
| Attorneys & Legal Services | $8.58 | 5.97% | 5.09% | $131.63 |
| Automotive, For Sale | $2.41 | 8.29% | 7.76% | $38.86 |
| Automotive, Repair, Service & Parts | $3.90 | 5.56% | 14.67% | $28.50 |
| Beauty & Personal Care | $5.70 | 5.71% | 7.82% | $60.34 |
| Business Services | $5.58 | 5.65% | 5.14% | $103.54 |
| Career & Employment | $5.16 | 6.57% | 4.33% | $62.80 |
| Dentists & Dental Services | $7.85 | 5.44% | 9.08% | $83.93 |
| Education & Instruction | $6.23 | 5.74% | 11.38% | $90.02 |
| Finance & Insurance | $3.46 | 8.33% | 2.55% | $83.93 |
| Furniture | $3.86 | 6.11% | 2.73% | $121.51 |
| Health & Fitness | $5.00 | 7.18% | 6.80% | $62.80 |
| Home & Home Improvement | $7.85 | 6.37% | 7.33% | $90.92 |
| Industrial & Commercial | $5.70 | 6.23% | 7.17% | $85.63 |
| Personal Services | $5.81 | 7.69% | 9.74% | $53.52 |
| Physicians & Surgeons | $5.00 | 6.73% | 11.62% | $56.83 |
| Real Estate | $2.53 | 8.43% | 3.28% | $100.48 |
| Restaurants & Food | $2.05 | 7.58% | 7.09% | $30.27 |
| Shopping, Collectibles & Gifts | $3.49 | 8.92% | 3.83% | $47.94 |
| Sports & Recreation | $2.64 | 9.19% | 7.62% | $47.47 |
| Travel | $2.12 | 8.73% | 5.75% | $73.70 |
Source: WordStream by LocaliQ, Search Advertising Benchmarks, 2025 edition (US, 16,446 campaigns, April 2024 to March 2025, median values). (WordStream 2025)
What it means and what to do: comparing your vertical across the two editions tells you whether the ground is moving under you. If your industry’s CPC rose year over year (real estate jumped 27%, health and fitness 23%), a rising cost in your own account is the market, not necessarily your management, and the response is to defend conversion rate rather than just accept a higher CPL. If your industry’s CPC fell (education down 23%, beauty down 19%), your costs should be easing, and if they are not, that is an account problem worth auditing.
Which industries have the highest Google Ads cost per click, and what to do if yours is high?
The data: attorneys and legal services have the highest CPC at $9.87, followed by home and home improvement at $8.33 and dentists at $8.00. The five costliest all exceed $6.
- Attorneys & Legal Services: $9.87
- Home & Home Improvement: $8.33
- Dentists & Dental Services: $8.00
- Personal Services: $7.17
- Health & Fitness: $6.17
Source: WordStream by LocaliQ, 2026 edition (US). (WordStream 2026)
What it means: these verticals are expensive for a rational reason, not a fixable one. When a single won client is worth thousands of dollars over years, a $9.87 click still pencils out to a profitable acquisition, so the click cost follows the customer’s lifetime value. A high CPC in a high-value industry is not a problem. It is only a problem when your CPC is high relative to what a customer is worth to you, or high relative to your own industry’s line.
What to do if your CPC is genuinely above your industry benchmark:
- Improve Quality Score, the direct lever on CPC. Moving it from 5 to 7 typically cuts cost per click 15 to 20%, and expected click-through rate is the highest-impact component, so improve ad relevance and CTR first.
- Cut the waste inflating your average. Pull the search terms report weekly and add negatives; accounts adding 20-plus negatives a month see 8 to 12% CPC improvements. WordStream’s analysis of 15,000-plus accounts found even a single well-chosen negative can meaningfully lift a campaign.
- Shift budget toward the terms already converting below target and away from the ones bleeding.
Which industries have the lowest Google Ads cost per click?
The data: arts and entertainment has the lowest CPC at $1.63, followed by restaurants at $2.05 and travel at $2.14. These low-cost verticals also tend to have the highest click-through rates.
- Arts & Entertainment: $1.63
- Restaurants & Food: $2.05
- Travel: $2.14
- Automotive, For Sale: $2.27
- Sports & Recreation: $2.77
Source: WordStream by LocaliQ, 2026 edition (US). (WordStream 2026)
What it means and what to do: these are cheap for a reason worth understanding, there is an inverse relationship between CTR and CPC. High-CTR industries have low CPCs because a high CTR improves Quality Score, which lowers cost per click. That is not just an observation about these industries; it is a lever you can pull in any account. Raise your CTR through relevance and stronger ads, and your CPC falls as a direct consequence.
Which industries convert best, and how to lift a low conversion rate?
The data: animals and pets have the highest conversion rate at 16.22%, followed by automotive repair at 15.51% and education at 13.14%. The lowest are finance and insurance (2.64%), furniture (2.99%), and career and employment (3.05%).
- Animals & Pets: 16.22%
- Automotive, Repair, Service & Parts: 15.51%
- Education & Instruction: 13.14%
- Physicians & Surgeons: 12.43%
- Personal Services: 12.34%
Source: WordStream by LocaliQ, 2026 edition (US). (Search Engine Journal / LocaliQ)
What it means: conversion rate is the single highest-leverage number on this page, because it is the one you most control and the one that moves your cost per acquisition fastest. The math: lifting conversion rate from 3% to 5% cuts your effective cost per acquisition by roughly 40% with no change to your CPC. The high-converting verticals share a trait, high-intent searches meeting a clear, single next step; the low-converting ones usually have a longer consideration cycle or a weaker post-click experience.
What to do if your conversion rate is below your industry benchmark:
- Send traffic to a dedicated landing page, never the homepage. The most common and expensive conversion mistake. The page must continue the exact promise the ad made.
- Remove friction: fewer form fields, a clickable phone number on mobile, one clear call to action, no competing exit links.
- Fix page speed: every extra second of mobile load can cut conversions up to 20%.
- Add trust signals above the fold: reviews, ratings, certifications. In considered purchases, trust is the conversion lever.
Because conversion rate is the fastest route to a lower CPA, this is almost always where we start on an inherited account, before touching a bid, as covered in why Google Ads generates bad leads and how to fix it.
Which industries have the highest and lowest cost per lead?
The data: attorneys have the highest CPL at $131.63, while arts and entertainment has the lowest at $26.84.
Highest CPL (2026): Attorneys & Legal Services ($131.63), Furniture ($106.70), Real Estate ($102.51), Apparel ($97.51), Business Services ($93.69).
Lowest CPL (2026): Arts & Entertainment ($26.84), Automotive Repair ($29.96), Restaurants & Food ($30.57), Animals & Pets ($31.50), Beauty & Personal Care ($39.25).
Source: WordStream by LocaliQ, 2026 edition (US). (ReportsMate / LocaliQ)
What it means and what to do: this is the clearest proof on the page that conversion rate, not click price, controls your cost per lead. Finance has a cheap $3.39 click but a $74.44 CPL, because it converts at only 2.64%. Animals and pets has a higher $4.06 click but a $31.50 CPL, because it converts at 16.22%. So if your CPL is high, do not attack the click cost first. Attack the conversion rate, because that is the half of the equation doing the damage, and it is the half you most control.
Which industries saw the biggest cost changes year over year?
The data: real estate saw the biggest CPC increase, up 27.27% ($2.53 to $3.22), while education saw the biggest decrease, down 22.79% ($6.23 to $4.81).
Biggest CPC increases (2025 to 2026): Real Estate (+27.27%), Health & Fitness (+23.41%), Personal Services (+23.41%), Attorneys (largest dollar increase, $8.58 to $9.87).
Biggest CPC decreases: Education & Instruction (-22.79%), Beauty & Personal Care (-18.95%).
Source: WordStream by LocaliQ, comparing editions (US). (WordStream 2026)
What it means and what to do: a rising CPC in your category is a signal to defend your conversion rate, not simply to raise your budget. If competition is pushing click costs up across your vertical, the advertisers who stay profitable are the ones improving conversion rate and cost per lead faster than the click inflates. If your industry’s CPC rose this year and your CPL held or fell, your management is working; if both rose together, your conversion rate is not keeping pace and that is the fix.
What are the most expensive Google Ads keyword categories?
The data: the most expensive keyword category is insurance at $54.91 per click, then gas/electricity at $54.62 and mortgage at $47.12. These are peak commercial terms, roughly ten times any industry benchmark.
| Rank | Keyword category | Avg CPC |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Insurance | $54.91 |
| 2 | Gas/Electricity | $54.62 |
| 3 | Mortgage | $47.12 |
| 4 | Attorney | $47.07 |
| 5 | Claim | $45.51 |
| 6 | Loans | $44.28 |
| 7 | Lawyer | $42.51 |
| 8 | Conference Call | $42.05 |
| 9 | Donate | $42.02 |
| 10 | Degree | $40.61 |
Source: WordStream, The 20 Most Expensive Keywords in Google Ads. These are keyword-category averages for peak commercial terms, kept distinct from account-level industry averages. (WordStream)
What it means and what to do: these are the specific head terms inside expensive industries, and they exist because one converted customer is worth years of revenue (a mortgage, an insurance policy, a legal case). If you are bidding on terms like these, the discipline is to earn them through Quality Score rather than just out-bid, and to make sure every one of these premium clicks lands on a page built to convert, because at $50 a click there is no room for a homepage that leaks.
How should you use these Google Ads industry benchmarks?
Use these benchmarks as a directional reference for your vertical, not as a grade, and always judge your account on cost per lead and conversion rate rather than headline CPC. The practical sequence when your numbers look off:
- Compare cost per lead, not CPC. A $9 click that converts beats a $3 click that does not. Measure against your industry’s CPL column first.
- If your CPL is above benchmark, it is usually a conversion problem, which is fixable. Moving conversion rate from 3% to 5% cuts effective cost per acquisition about 40% with no change in click price.
- If your CPC is above benchmark, tighten match types and negatives before touching bids, and shift budget toward high-intent, high-converting keywords.
- Remember the benchmarks are medians that blend platforms and budgets, so treat them as a starting line. Your own account’s trend over time matters more than the industry line.
The deeper point across all this data is that the industries paying the most per click are not overpaying, they are bidding rationally against high customer value. What separates winning accounts within any vertical is measurement discipline: knowing your true cost per qualified lead and optimising toward it, which is why we treat conversion tracking as the foundation of every account. For the full picture beyond industry benchmarks, see our complete Google Ads statistics reference, and to diagnose a visibility drop specifically, our guide to impression share lost to budget or rank.
Methodology and data notes
These benchmarks come from the WordStream by LocaliQ Search Advertising Benchmarks report, the most-cited account-level dataset in the industry, chosen over one-off blog estimates because it is a recurring study on real advertiser data with a disclosed sample and period. Two editions are used: 2026 (13,474 US campaigns, April 2025 to March 2026, published June 2026) and 2025 (16,446 US campaigns, April 2024 to March 2025). Keyword-category CPCs come from WordStream’s separate Most Expensive Keywords study and are kept distinct from account-level averages.
Important limitations, stated plainly:
- The figures are medians that mask wide within-industry variance, so your account can reasonably sit well above or below its industry line.
- They are US-centric and drawn from one ad-management provider’s customer base, so they may not represent every market or budget level.
- They blend Google Ads and Microsoft Ads Search data.
- Industry definitions and sample composition shift between editions, making year-over-year deltas approximate.
- Conversion and lead definitions vary by advertiser, which affects comparability.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average Google Ads cost per click by industry? The all-industry average is $5.42, ranging from $1.63 in arts and entertainment to $9.87 in legal services, a nearly sixfold spread, per the WordStream by LocaliQ 2026 edition of 13,474 US campaigns. The costliest verticals (legal, home improvement, dental) combine high customer value with intense competition. Always compare against your specific industry, not the all-industry average, and remember a high CPC in a high-value industry is normal, not a problem, as long as your conversion rate supports it.
Which industry has the highest Google Ads cost per click? Attorneys and legal services, at $9.87 per click in the 2026 edition, roughly 1.8 times the all-industry average, followed by home and home improvement at $8.33 and dentists at $8.00. These verticals sustain high click costs because a single won client is worth thousands of dollars over time, so the click cost follows the customer’s lifetime value. If your CPC is high, lower it through Quality Score (5 to 7 cuts CPC 15 to 20%) and negative keywords rather than just cutting bids.
Which industry has the best Google Ads conversion rate? Animals and pets, at 16.22% in the 2026 edition, followed by automotive repair at 15.51% and education at 13.14%. These benefit from strong, specific search intent. The lowest-converting verticals are finance and insurance (2.64%) and furniture (2.99%). Conversion rate is the highest-leverage number you control, lifting it from 3% to 5% cuts your cost per acquisition roughly 40% with no change in click cost, so a below-average rate is the first thing to fix, usually on the landing page.
What is a good conversion rate for my industry on Google Ads? A good rate is at or above your specific industry’s benchmark, which ranges from about 2.6% in finance and insurance to 16.2% in animals and pets, with an all-industry average of 8.18% in the 2026 edition. Judge against your vertical’s line, not the all-industry average, because the variation is enormous. If you are below your line, the fastest fix is the landing page: message match, speed, a single clear call to action, and trust signals, before touching bids.
Why is legal the most expensive Google Ads industry? Because legal services combine very high customer lifetime value with intense local competition. A single legal matter can be worth thousands of dollars, so law firms can profitably bid $9.87 per click even at a 5.55% conversion rate. The pattern holds across the costliest verticals: click cost follows customer value, which is why a high CPC in a high-value industry is rational rather than a problem to solve.
What is the most expensive keyword on Google Ads? At the keyword-category level, insurance is the most expensive at an average $54.91 per click, followed by gas and electricity at $54.62 and mortgage at $47.12, per WordStream’s Most Expensive Keywords study. These are peak commercial terms roughly ten times higher than any blended industry average, dominated by financial and legal products where one customer is worth years of revenue. At those prices, every click must land on a page built to convert.
Are these Google Ads benchmarks accurate for my country? These specific benchmarks are US-centric, drawn from US Google Ads and Microsoft Ads campaigns, so they are most accurate for US accounts. They are directional for other markets but may not reflect local competition, currency, or search behaviour. Treat them as a reference point and weight your own account’s actual performance more heavily than any external benchmark.
How often are these benchmarks updated? The WordStream by LocaliQ Search Advertising Benchmarks report is published annually, with the 2026 edition released in mid-2026 covering campaigns through March 2026. This page shows both the current and prior editions so you can see direction and volatility, and it is reviewed and refreshed as new editions publish. Last reviewed February 2026.
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