Google Ads Benchmarks by Industry: CPC, Conversion Rate and Cost per Lead (2026)
The latest average cost per click, click-through rate, conversion rate and cost per lead for 23 industries, and how to use the numbers without fooling yourself.
The short answer: Across all industries, the average Google search ad now costs US$5.42 per click, converts 8.18% of clicks and produces a lead for US$66.69, with a 6.64% click-through rate. But the spread between industries is huge: legal leads average over US$130, while pet and auto repair leads cost around US$30. Use benchmarks as a sense check, then judge your account on profit.
“Is my cost per lead any good?” is one of the questions I get asked most. The honest answer is: it depends on your industry, your offer and what a customer is worth to you. But benchmarks give you a useful starting point, so here are the latest numbers by industry, plus how to read them properly.
Where these numbers come from
The figures below come from the 2026 Search Advertising Benchmarks by WordStream and LocaliQ, one of the longest-running studies of its kind. It analysed 13,474 US search campaigns across Google Ads and Microsoft Ads, running from April 2025 to March 2026.
Two things to keep in mind: the data is American, and it is in US dollars. Australian costs vary by market, and we don’t have an equally large public Australian dataset. Treat these as a guide to how industries compare with each other, not as exact Australian prices.
The 2026 averages across all industries
- Average cost per click (CPC): US$5.42
- Average click-through rate (CTR): 6.64%
- Average conversion rate (CVR): 8.18%
- Average cost per lead (CPL): US$66.69
The standout trend: cost per lead fell across all industries for the first time in five years, even though clicks got a little more expensive. In other words, advertisers who adapted to automation and better tracking got more leads from each dollar.
Google Ads benchmarks by industry
Cost per lead is the most common way to measure cost per acquisition (CPA) for lead-generation businesses, so that’s the CPA column here.
| Industry | Avg CPC | Avg CTR | Conversion rate | Cost per lead (CPA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animals & Pets | $4.06 | 7.49% | 16.22% | $31.50 |
| Apparel / Fashion & Jewellery | $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, 2026 Search Advertising Benchmarks. US data, US dollars.
Run these numbers for your business. Our free Google Ads calculator loads every benchmark in this table, converts costs to Australian dollars and shows your likely leads, sales and profit.
Want this as a printable guide?
Every industry in one table, converted to Australian dollars, plus a worksheet to work out what you can afford per lead and a one-page budget case for your boss.
Get the free PDF See all downloadsWhat stands out
- Most expensive: Attorneys and legal services have both the highest CPC (US$9.87) and the highest cost per lead (US$131.63). Home improvement and dentists aren’t far behind on clicks.
- Cheapest clicks: Arts and entertainment (US$1.63), restaurants (US$2.05) and travel (US$2.14).
- Best converters: Animals and pets (16.22%), auto repair (15.51%) and education (13.14%) turn the most clicks into leads.
- Hardest to convert: Finance and insurance (2.64%), furniture (2.99%) and career services (3.05%).
How to use benchmarks without fooling yourself
Benchmarks are a sense check, not a target. Here’s how I use them with clients:
- Check your tracking first. If conversions are missing, doubled up or counting the wrong things, your numbers can’t be compared with anything.
- Compare cost per lead with lead value. A US$130 legal lead that becomes a $5,000 client is a bargain. A $25 lead that never answers the phone is expensive.
- Track sales, not just leads. The best accounts feed real sales data back into Google, so bidding chases customers, not form fills.
- Benchmark against yourself. Your own trend over time matters more than an industry average.
- Look at the whole funnel. A low conversion rate might be a landing page problem, not an ads problem.
How to work out your own CPA
It is simple maths: cost per acquisition = ad spend ÷ number of conversions. If you spend $3,000 in a month and get 40 leads, your CPA is $75.
The more useful question is your maximum affordable CPA. Take your average profit per customer and multiply it by your lead-to-customer close rate. If a customer is worth $1,200 in profit and you close one in four leads, you can afford up to $300 per lead and still break even.
Five ways to beat your industry average
- Tighten your keywords. Cut broad, low-intent searches and add negative keywords every week.
- Match the landing page to the ad. The page should answer exactly what the ad promised.
- Test your offer, not just your copy. A better offer lifts conversion rate more than clever headlines.
- Use smart bidding on good data. Automation works when it learns from real conversions.
- Answer leads fast. The quicker you respond, the more leads turn into customers.
Want to know how your account really stacks up? Start with a Google Ads audit. Our Google Ads management starts with your tracking and your profit, not just your cost per click. Get a free audit and we’ll show you where the money is leaking. New to the terms? Our digital marketing glossary explains them in plain English.
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About the author
Director and Lead Consultant, Anahaw Media
John Conigliaro is the Director and Lead Consultant at Anahaw Media, a Perth digital marketing agency focused on performance. A Filipino-Australian digital marketer now based in Perth, WA, with more than 15 years’ experience across Singapore and Australia, he has led agencies in Australia on technical execution and growth strategy, founded a globally recognised eCommerce brand, and managed almost 300 campaigns, from small businesses to multinational brands, including Canon, Uniqlo, Benefit Cosmetics, Asiana Airlines, Changi Recommends, APM and Golfbox. He completed an MBA and a dissertation on Digital Transformation, holds a specialisation in Computer Applications from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLSU-CSB), and is also a consumer tech critic and publisher. His mission is to use his talent and passion for digital marketing to change businesses for the better, in how they win customers and how they build their brand.
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