Live Research · Updated Q1 2026

Google Ads
Benchmarks 2026

Industry-average CPC, CTR, conversion rate, and cost-per-lead across 10 verticals. Use this data to know if your account is winning — or wasting.

Updated quarterly
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Legal Services

Legal has the highest average CPC of any industry at $8.58. Personal injury and DUI keywords regularly exceed $50/click in competitive metro markets. High CPL is offset by large lifetime client value.

Avg. CPC
$0.00
% YoY
Avg. CTR
0.00%
% YoY
Avg. CVR
0.00%
% YoY
Avg. CPL
$0.00
% YoY

Impression Share

%avg competitive share

Avg Quality Score

out of 10

Top Keywords

personal injury lawyerdivorce attorneycriminal defenseDUI lawyercar accident attorney

Casaccio Media's Take on Legal Services

Legal has the highest average CPC of any industry at $8.58. Personal injury and DUI keywords regularly exceed $50/click in competitive metro markets. High CPL is offset by large lifetime client value.

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Full Industry Comparison

Click any column header to sort. Data sourced from aggregate campaign performance across managed accounts.

Q1 2026 · 10 industries
IndustryAvg. CPCAvg. CTRAvg. CVRAvg. CPLTrend
Legal Services
$8.585.97%5.09%$131.63
Home & Home Improvement
$7.856.37%7.33%$90.92
Dentists & Healthcare
$7.855.44%9.08%$83.93
Education & Instruction
$6.235.74%11.38%$90.02
Personal Services
$5.817.69%9.74%$53.52
Business Services
$5.585.65%5.14%$103.54
Automotive
$3.905.56%14.67%$28.50
Shopping & Gifts
$3.498.92%3.83%$47.94
Real Estate
$2.538.43%3.28%$100.48
Restaurants & Food
$2.057.58%7.09%$30.27

Data sourced from the LocaliQ / WordStream 2025 Search Advertising Benchmarks Report (published February 6, 2026 by Stephanie Heitman), based on thousands of US advertiser accounts across Google Ads and Microsoft Ads. National averages — individual results vary by budget, location, and competition. Trend sparklines are illustrative.

Methodology

Primary Source

LocaliQ / WordStream 2025 Search Advertising Benchmarks Report, published February 6, 2026 by Stephanie Heitman.

Sample Size

Thousands of US advertiser accounts across Google Ads and Microsoft Ads. Each industry includes a statistically significant sample.

Important Note

These are national US averages. Your results will vary based on budget, location, competition, landing page quality, and account structure.

Full report: localiq.com/blog/search-advertising-benchmarks. Trend sparklines on industry cards are illustrative only and do not represent actual historical data.

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