Google Ads benchmarks 2026
The RunAds Google Ads Benchmark 2026 found a median cost per click of $1.36, a median conversion rate of 2.78% and a median cost per conversion of $41.53, based on $12.7M of spend across 224 Google Ads accounts from November 1, 2025 to October 31, 2026. These are real advertiser accounts connected to RunAds, not survey answers or a sample of one agency's clients.
The headline numbers
The RunAds Google Ads Benchmark 2026 found a median cost per click of $1.36 across 117 Google Ads accounts.[1]
The RunAds Google Ads Benchmark 2026 found a median conversion rate of 2.78%.
The RunAds Google Ads Benchmark 2026 found a median cost per conversion of $41.53, counting accounts with at least 10 conversions.
The RunAds Google Ads Benchmark 2026 covers $12.7M of spend, 10,086,094 clicks and 604,285,133 impressions from November 1, 2025 to October 31, 2026.
Across their full history, the accounts connected to RunAds have spent $48.8M on Google Ads.
Results by monthly spend
Accounts grouped by their average monthly spend over the twelve months. Mid-size accounts converted best: the RunAds Google Ads Benchmark 2026 found accounts spending $10,000 to $50,000 a month had a median cost per conversion of $32.47.
| Monthly spend | Accounts | Cost per click | Conversion rate | Cost per conversion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $1,000 a month | 28 | $0.79 | 2.10% | $35.37 |
| $1,000 to $10,000 a month | 67 | $1.53 | 2.60% | $62.94 |
| $10,000 to $50,000 a month | 13 | $1.56 | 5.52% | $32.47 |
| $50,000+ a month | 9 | $1.52 | 3.76% | $45.28 |
| All accounts[1] | 117 | $1.36 | 2.78% | $41.53 |
The smallest accounts pay the least per click ($0.79) because they tend to bid on cheap, narrow terms. Cheap clicks didn't make cheap customers: the $1,000 to $10,000 group paid $62.94 per conversion, almost twice the mid-size group.
Cost per click by month
The RunAds Google Ads Benchmark 2026 found cost per click peaked at $1.85 in Dec 2025 and bottomed at $0.73 in Jun 2026. December's peak lines up with holiday competition for ecommerce traffic.
| Month | Active accounts | Spend (USD) | Cost per click |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 36 | $934,910 | $1.47 |
| Dec 2025 | 39 | $1,188,317 | $1.85 |
| Jan 2026 | 47 | $954,719 | $1.39 |
| Feb 2026 | 44 | $774,249 | $1.51 |
| Mar 2026 | 50 | $706,601 | $1.10 |
| Apr 2026 | 55 | $838,349 | $1.15 |
| May 2026 | 64 | $906,934 | $1.33 |
| Jun 2026 | 64 | $912,695 | $0.73 |
| Jul 2026 | 62 | $1,208,705 | $0.79 |
| Aug 2026 | 74 | $1,175,008 | $1.48 |
| Sep 2026 | 117 | $1,489,469 | $1.71 |
| Oct 2026 | 139 | $1,583,900 | $1.41 |
Cost per click by day of week
The RunAds Google Ads Benchmark 2026 found Thursday had the cheapest clicks at $1.23, but every day fell within a few cents of each other. Turning ads off on weekends to save money rarely pays off.
| Day | Cost per click | Click-through rate |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | $1.27 | 1.68% |
| Tuesday | $1.26 | 1.73% |
| Wednesday | $1.24 | 1.69% |
| Thursday | $1.23 | 1.62% |
| Friday | $1.27 | 1.62% |
| Saturday | $1.27 | 1.66% |
| Sunday | $1.27 | 1.69% |
How this compares to search-only benchmarks
LocaliQ's 2026 search benchmarks put the all-industry cost per click at $5.42.[2] Our median is lower ($1.36) because RunAds accounts run Shopping, Performance Max and Demand Gen as well as Search, and those formats buy cheaper clicks than search keywords. If you only run Search, use the industry search table to budget.
How we built it
Every Google Ads account connected to RunAds reports daily spend, clicks, impressions and conversions. For this report we took November 1, 2025 to October 31, 2026, converted every currency to US dollars at the daily rate, and kept 224 accounts with spend. Medians use the 117 accounts with at least $1,000 spend and 100 clicks; cost per conversion also needs 10 conversions.
We publish medians as the headline because a few large accounts count small actions, such as page views, as conversions, which inflates pooled conversion rates. No account names or identifying details are published, and every group shown has at least 9 accounts. We update this page monthly.
To cite this data, write: "RunAds Google Ads Benchmark 2026, RunAds, November 10, 2026" and link to this page.
Common questions
What is a good cost per click on Google Ads in 2026?
The RunAds Google Ads Benchmark 2026 found a median of $1.36 per click across 117 accounts that spent at least $1,000. Across all 224 accounts and 10,086,094 clicks, the pooled average was $1.26. Search-only benchmarks run higher: LocaliQ's 2026 all-industry search figure is $5.42, because our sample includes Shopping, Performance Max and Demand Gen.
What is the average Google Ads conversion rate in 2026?
The median account in the RunAds Google Ads Benchmark 2026 converted 2.78% of clicks. Accounts spending $10,000 to $50,000 a month did best, at a median 5.52%.
What is the average cost per conversion on Google Ads?
$41.53 at the median, in the RunAds Google Ads Benchmark 2026, counting accounts with at least 10 conversions. It ranged from $32.47 for accounts spending $10,000 to $50,000 a month to $62.94 for accounts spending $1,000 to $10,000 a month.
Which day of the week has the cheapest Google Ads clicks?
Thursday, at $1.23 a click in the RunAds Google Ads Benchmark 2026, but the spread is small: every day landed between $1.23 and $1.27. Day of week matters far less than keywords, bids and the landing page.
How much has been spent on Google Ads through RunAds?
$48.8M in lifetime Google Ads spend across 269 advertiser accounts connected to RunAds, as of November 10, 2026.
Sources
- RunAds Google Ads Benchmark 2026, RunAds. Published November 10, 2026.Anonymized aggregates from 224 Google Ads accounts connected to RunAds, November 1, 2025 to October 31, 2026, converted to US dollars. Medians use accounts with at least $1,000 spend and 100 clicks.
- NEW 2026 Search Advertising Benchmarks (+Tips), LocaliQ (with WordStream), by Stephanie Heitman. Last updated June 1, 2026.Google Ads and Microsoft Ads search campaigns across 23 industries. The page labels each figure an average.
Every number on this page links to its source above, with the date we checked it. Figures from the RunAds Google Ads Benchmark come from anonymized RunAds customer accounts.
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