Benchmarks · 2026
Google Ads benchmarks
by industry.
Cited CPL, CPA, CPC, and ROAS figures for 9 verticals. Every number links to its primary source. Use these to sanity-check your own account — or to brief a new agency.
Benchmarks reflect Google Ads Search (and where noted, Performance Max or Local Service Ads). Figures are ranges — your account will vary based on geo, match type, Quality Score, and bidding strategy. See the research page for AI search, Core Web Vitals, and regulation benchmarks.
SaaS & B2B
Industry playbook →Average CPL (demo request)
$150 – $400
Mid-market SaaS with ACV $10K–$50K. CPL on demo-attended events (offline conversion import) typically 2–3× higher than form-fill CPL.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗Average CPC (competitive SaaS terms)
$8 – $35
Broad SaaS keywords. Branded and long-tail terms can run $3–$8. Enterprise/security SaaS can exceed $60.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗Average conversion rate (form-fill)
2.9%
Across B2B SaaS Google Ads accounts. Accounts using offline conversion optimization (SQL/Closed-Won) typically see 4–6% on the correct conversion event.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗Smart Bidding minimum conversions for Target CPA
30+ / campaign / month
Google's stated threshold before Smart Bidding can reliably optimize. Below this threshold, manual CPC often outperforms.
Source: Google Ads Help — About Smart Bidding ↗Healthcare
Industry playbook →CPL — primary care / family medicine
$40 – $120
Geo-targeted 10–15 mile radius. CPL on appointment-attended events typically 2–3× higher than form-fill CPL.
Source: Google Ads Help — Healthcare advertising policies ↗CPL — dental / orthodontic
$60 – $180
Procedure-name keywords (Invisalign, dental implants) outperform specialty-name by 3–5× in CPL on most accounts.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗CPL — cardiology / specialty physician
$150 – $400
Tighter geo-targeting based on insurance network. 20–35% no-show rate should be factored into appointment-attended conversion goals.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗CPL — plastic surgery / cosmetic
$200 – $600
Track through to procedure-booked, not consultation-booked. Conversion gap between consultation and procedure is large in this vertical.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗LegitScript certification cost (required for addiction treatment ads)
~$1,995/year
Required for addiction-treatment advertising on Google. Separate certification from Healthcare Merchant certification.
Source: LegitScript — Addiction Treatment Certification ↗Real Estate
Industry playbook →CPL — seller / vendor lead (US)
$40 – $120
Geo-targeted to primary trading area. Seller leads are worth 5–10× buyer leads because the lifetime relationship includes commissions, lettings, and referrals.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗CPL — buyer lead (US)
$30 – $80
Lower CPL reflects lower per-lead value. Buyer journey is 60–180 days; campaigns optimizing on form-fill miss most of the sales cycle.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗CPL — vendor lead (UK prime London)
£120 – £250
Prime central London and Edinburgh New Town. Implied cost-per-instruction-won is typically 3–6× the raw CPL.
Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data ↗Average CPC (real estate terms, US major metros)
$8 – $25
Head terms ('homes for sale [city]') at the expensive end. Neighborhood-specific and seller-intent terms run $4–$10.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗Legal
Industry playbook →Average CPC — personal injury (US)
$50 – $150
Most expensive vertical in Google Ads. Mass-tort and major-city terms can exceed $300 CPC.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗Average CPL — personal injury
$200 – $600
CPL on signed case is typically 5–10× form-fill CPL due to qualification drop-off and no-show rates.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗Average conversion rate — legal
4.1%
Across legal Google Ads accounts (WordStream). Personal injury accounts with offline conversion imports typically run 6–10% on signed-case events.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗Financial Services
Industry playbook →Average CPC — financial services (US)
$18 – $65
Insurance and mortgage terms are the most competitive in the vertical. Credit and lending terms run $10–$30.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗Average conversion rate — financial services
5.1%
Accounts using consent-mode-compliant server-side tracking and offline conversion imports typically run 7–10% on qualified lead events.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗Negative-keyword build (day-one recommendation)
400 – 600 terms
Financial services requires the heaviest negative-keyword investment of any vertical due to breadth of consumer vs. professional search intent overlap.
Source: Google Ads Help — About negative keywords ↗E-commerce
Industry playbook →Average ROAS — e-commerce Google Ads
200% – 500%
Healthy range for established DTC brands. New accounts in the learning phase often see 100–150% before Smart Bidding stabilises.
Source: Google Ads Help — About target ROAS bidding ↗Average conversion rate — e-commerce
3.8%
Across e-commerce Google Ads accounts. Accounts with product-feed quality scores above 90% and Performance Max brand exclusions typically run 5–8%.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗Smart Shopping sunset date
Late 2022
Google sunset Smart Shopping campaigns in late 2022, migrating accounts to Performance Max. Accounts that haven't manually rebuilt PMax are running Smart Shopping settings on the new campaign type.
Source: Google — Upgrade Smart Shopping to Performance Max ↗Home Services
Industry playbook →CPL — Local Service Ads (Google Guaranteed)
$25 – $100
LSA CPL is typically 40–70% lower than equivalent Search ad CPL because LSA is pay-per-lead rather than pay-per-click. HVAC, plumbing, roofing are covered in most US metros.
Source: Google — About Local Services Ads ↗CPL — Search ads (home services)
$80 – $300
Emergency-intent keywords (same-day HVAC, emergency plumber) run the highest CPLs but also the highest close rates.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗Average CPC — home services (US)
$12 – $35
Seasonal variation is significant — HVAC CPCs spike 40–60% in summer/winter. Locksmith and water-damage terms run $25–$50.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗Education
Industry playbook →CPL — higher education inquiry
$40 – $200
Accounts optimising on enrolled-paid-student events (not inquiry) typically see CPL on that event run $300–$1,200 but cost-per-enrolled drops 30–40% vs. inquiry-optimised accounts.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗Average conversion rate — education
3.4%
Inquiry-to-application conversion in Google Ads. Accounts with offline conversion imports (application-started, enrolled) run 5–8% on the correct downstream event.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗Travel & Hospitality
Industry playbook →Average CPC — travel (US)
$1.50 – $6
Lower CPCs than most verticals but high click volumes and long booking windows. ROAS optimisation requires at least 90-day attribution windows.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗Average conversion rate — travel
3.9%
Across travel and hospitality Google Ads accounts. Luxury / high-ticket travel runs 1–2%; budget travel can run 6–8%.
Source: WordStream Google Ads Industry Benchmarks ↗Methodology noteEvery benchmark on this page cites a primary source (Google, WordStream industry studies, HM Land Registry, or LegitScript). Ranges reflect the majority of accounts; high-competition markets or specialist setups may sit outside these ranges. If you believe a figure here is outdated or contradicted by a more recent primary source, email info@myleadsfactory.com and we will correct it within 5 business days.
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