Google Ads Benchmarks by Industry for 2026
See the 2026 median click-through rate, cost per click, conversion rate and cost per lead for 23 industries, with the change since last year. Enter your own numbers to see where you beat or trail your industry and what to fix first. Free, no signup.
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- Updated October 2026
Key Takeaways
Across 23 industries, the 2026 Google Ads benchmarks are a 6.64% click-through rate, a $5.42 cost per click, an 8.18% conversion rate and a $66.69 cost per lead. These are medians from WordStream by LocaliQ, based on 13,474 US search campaigns from April 2025 to March 2026. Legal has the highest cost per lead at $131.63.
- The all-industry median cost per click on Google Ads search campaigns is $5.42 and the median cost per lead is $66.69 (WordStream 2026).
- Attorneys and legal services pay the most per click ($9.87) and per lead ($131.63); arts and entertainment pay the least per click ($1.63) and per lead ($26.84).
- Overall cost per lead fell 4.88% from the 2025 report while conversion rate rose 8.78%, the first cost per lead drop WordStream has measured in five years.
- Cost per lead equals CPC divided by conversion rate, so a home improvement advertiser paying $9.40 a click and converting 6.1% of clicks pays about $154 per lead, 69% above the $90.92 median.
- Benchmarks are medians across US search campaigns on Google Ads and Microsoft Ads, so use them as a range check, not a target.
How to Use the Google Ads Benchmarks by Industry
Pick your industry
Choose the closest of the 23 WordStream categories. The tool shows its median CTR, CPC, conversion rate and cost per lead, how it ranks among all industries, and how each figure changed since 2025.
Enter your own numbers
Type your CTR, average CPC, conversion rate and cost per lead from the last 30 to 90 days of Search campaigns, in US dollars. Leave cost per lead empty and the tool works it out as CPC divided by conversion rate.
Read the verdicts
Each metric gets a Better, On par or Worse label with the percentage gap. Gaps within 10% count as on par.
Fix the biggest gap first
The tool splits your cost per lead gap into the part caused by CPC and the part caused by conversion rate, ranks them, and shows what your cost per lead would be if you matched the median on each.
What are the average Google Ads benchmarks for each industry in 2026?
These are the medians WordStream by LocaliQ published for 2026. WordStream calls them averages, but its methodology says they are median figures, which keeps a few very large or very small accounts from skewing the result. Money is in US dollars.
| Industry | CTR | CPC | Conversion rate | Cost per lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6.64% | $5.42 | 8.18% | $66.69 |
| Animals & Pets | 7.49% | $4.06 | 16.22% | $31.50 |
| Apparel / Fashion & Jewelry | 6.64% | $4.44 | 4.50% | $97.51 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 12.75% | $1.63 | 5.91% | $26.84 |
| Attorneys & Legal Services | 5.87% | $9.87 | 5.55% | $131.63 |
| Automotive, For Sale | 8.28% | $2.27 | 6.01% | $44.26 |
| Automotive, Repair, Service & Parts | 5.56% | $4.35 | 15.51% | $29.96 |
| Beauty & Personal Care | 6.75% | $4.62 | 10.35% | $39.25 |
| Business Services | 6.10% | $5.87 | 4.85% | $93.69 |
| Career & Employment | 5.88% | $5.81 | 3.05% | $67.36 |
| Dentists & Dental Services | 5.66% | $8.00 | 10.67% | $72.97 |
| Education & Instruction | 7.56% | $4.81 | 13.14% | $77.48 |
| Finance & Insurance | 9.83% | $3.39 | 2.64% | $74.44 |
| Furniture | 6.57% | $3.97 | 2.99% | $106.70 |
| Health & Fitness | 5.81% | $6.17 | 6.94% | $67.36 |
| Home & Home Improvement | 6.47% | $8.33 | 8.05% | $90.92 |
| Industrial & Commercial | 6.57% | $5.87 | 8.20% | $75.19 |
| Personal Services | 7.16% | $7.17 | 12.34% | $54.60 |
| Physicians & Surgeons | 6.61% | $4.76 | 12.43% | $40.04 |
| Real Estate | 7.61% | $3.22 | 3.70% | $102.51 |
| Restaurants & Food | 6.83% | $2.05 | 8.05% | $30.57 |
| Shopping, Collectibles & Gifts | 8.28% | $4.14 | 4.01% | $49.40 |
| Sports & Recreation | 8.75% | $2.77 | 7.69% | $44.26 |
| Travel | 9.32% | $2.14 | 5.83% | $44.70 |
Source: WordStream by LocaliQ, Google Ads Benchmarks 2026. Sample: 13,474 US search campaigns on Google Ads and Microsoft Ads running between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026, with at least 52 campaigns per industry.
Which industries have the highest and lowest Google Ads costs?
- Highest CPC: Attorneys & Legal Services ($9.87), Home & Home Improvement ($8.33), Dentists & Dental Services ($8.00).
- Lowest CPC: Arts & Entertainment ($1.63), Restaurants & Food ($2.05), Travel ($2.14).
- Highest cost per lead: Attorneys & Legal Services ($131.63), Furniture ($106.70), Real Estate ($102.51).
- Lowest cost per lead: Arts & Entertainment ($26.84), Automotive, Repair, Service & Parts ($29.96), Restaurants & Food ($30.57).
- Highest conversion rate: Animals & Pets (16.22%), Automotive, Repair, Service & Parts (15.51%), Education & Instruction (13.14%).
- Lowest conversion rate: Finance & Insurance (2.64%), Furniture (2.99%), Career & Employment (3.05%).
- Highest CTR: Arts & Entertainment (12.75%), Finance & Insurance (9.83%), Travel (9.32%).
A high CPC does not always mean a high cost per lead. Dentists pay $8.00 per click, the third highest, but convert 10.67% of clicks, so their median cost per lead ($72.97) sits close to the all-industry figure. Furniture pays only $3.97 per click but converts 2.99%, which pushes its cost per lead to $106.70, the second highest.
How did Google Ads benchmarks change from 2025 to 2026?
Across all industries, CTR moved -0.3%, CPC rose 3.04%, conversion rate rose 8.78% and cost per lead fell 4.88%. Conversion rate went up in 20 of 23 industries. The figures below are the percentage change against WordStream's 2025 report.
| Industry | CTR | CPC | Conversion rate | Cost per lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | -0.3% | +3.04% | +8.78% | -4.88% |
| Attorneys & Legal Services | -1.68% | +15.03% | +9.01% | 0.00% |
| Automotive, For Sale | -0.12% | -5.81% | -22.56% | +13.90% |
| Beauty & Personal Care | +18.21% | -18.95% | +32.34% | -34.95% |
| Dentists & Dental Services | +4.04% | +1.91% | +17.56% | -13.06% |
| Education & Instruction | +31.71% | -22.79% | +15.43% | -13.93% |
| Home & Home Improvement | +1.57% | +6.11% | +9.81% | 0.00% |
| Real Estate | -9.73% | +27.27% | +12.81% | +2.02% |
| Travel | +6.76% | +0.94% | +1.47% | -39.35% |
Real estate had the biggest CPC increase (+27.27%). Travel had the biggest cost per lead drop (-39.35%), followed by beauty and personal care (-34.95%) and physicians and surgeons (-29.54%). Automotive for sale had the biggest cost per lead increase (+13.90%). The tool shows the change for every industry and metric.
How do you compare your Google Ads results to industry benchmarks?
Compare the same four metrics, from Search campaigns only, over at least 30 days, in US dollars. Then use one identity to find the cause of any cost per lead gap:
Cost per lead = CPC ÷ conversion rate
Worked example for a home improvement company:
- Your CPC is $9.40 and your conversion rate is 6.1%. Cost per lead = $9.40 ÷ 0.061 = $154.10.
- The industry median is $90.92, so you are 69% above it.
- Hold your CPC and use the median conversion rate of 8.05%: $9.40 ÷ 0.0805 = $116.77. Fixing conversion rate alone saves $37.33 per lead.
- Hold your conversion rate and use the median CPC of $8.33: $8.33 ÷ 0.061 = $136.56. Fixing CPC alone saves $17.54 per lead.
Conversion rate is the bigger lever here, so the landing page, form and offer come before bids and keywords. The tool runs this split for you and ranks the fixes. When you want a team to do the fixing, Clickem's Google Ads management starts with exactly this audit.
Why might your numbers be different from the benchmarks?
- Medians, not targets. Half of the campaigns in each industry did better and half did worse.
- Search only. The data covers search campaigns. Performance Max, Display and YouTube have different CTRs and CPCs.
- US data. CPCs in other countries can be much lower or higher.
- Conversion definitions. An account that counts page views or every call as a conversion will show a higher conversion rate and a lower cost per lead than one that counts only qualified form fills.
- Broad categories. WordStream does not publish separate figures for trades such as HVAC, plumbing or roofing, so use the closest category (Home & Home Improvement) as a guide.
- Brand campaigns. Searches for your own name usually have much higher CTRs and lower CPCs than non-brand searches. Compare non-brand campaigns where you can.
What is a good CTR, CPC and conversion rate for Google Ads?
A good number is one that beats your own industry's median and still leaves a profit. As a range check from the 2026 data:
| Metric | All-industry median | Lowest industry | Highest industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| CTR | 6.64% | 5.56% | 12.75% |
| CPC | $5.42 | $1.63 | $9.87 |
| Conversion rate | 8.18% | 2.64% | 16.22% |
| Cost per lead | $66.69 | $26.84 | $131.63 |
The number that decides profit is cost per lead compared with what a lead is worth to you: average sale value × gross margin × close rate. A law firm can be happy with a $131 lead if one case in five is worth $5,000 in gross profit.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average CPC for Google Ads in 2026?
The median cost per click across 23 industries is $5.42, according to WordStream by LocaliQ’s 2026 benchmarks. It ranges from $1.63 for arts and entertainment to $9.87 for attorneys and legal services. CPC rose 3.04% from the 2025 report.
What is a good conversion rate for Google Ads?
The 2026 all-industry median is 8.18%, so anything above your own industry’s median is good. Industry medians run from 2.64% for finance and insurance to 16.22% for animals and pets. Check that you count the same kind of conversion, such as qualified leads, before you compare.
What is the average cost per lead on Google Ads?
The median cost per lead is $66.69 across all industries in 2026. Legal is highest at $131.63, followed by furniture at $106.70 and real estate at $102.51. Arts and entertainment is lowest at $26.84.
What is the average click-through rate on Google Ads?
The 2026 median CTR for search campaigns is 6.64%. Arts and entertainment leads at 12.75%, while automotive repair, service and parts is lowest at 5.56%. CTR was almost flat year over year, down 0.3%.
Where does this benchmark data come from?
From WordStream by LocaliQ’s Google Ads Benchmarks 2026 report, last updated May 19, 2026. It covers 13,474 US search campaigns on Google Ads and Microsoft Ads from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, and reports medians in US dollars. We captured all 23 industries from the published report.
Do these benchmarks include Performance Max or Display campaigns?
No. The report covers search advertising campaigns. Display, YouTube and Performance Max campaigns usually have lower CTRs and different costs, so compare only your Search campaigns with these figures.
My industry is not listed. Which benchmark should I use?
Use the closest category and treat it as a rough guide. HVAC, plumbing and roofing fit under Home & Home Improvement; med spas fit closest to Beauty & Personal Care or Physicians & Surgeons. Your own account history is always a better baseline once you have 30 to 90 days of data.
Should I lower my CPC or raise my conversion rate first?
Fix whichever moves cost per lead more. Divide your CPC by the median conversion rate, then divide the median CPC by your conversion rate, and see which result is lower. The tool does this for you and ranks the fixes.
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