Across all industries, LocaliQ's 2026 Search Advertising Benchmarks put the average Google Ads search cost per click at $5.42, click-through rate at 6.64%, conversion rate at 8.18%, and cost per lead at $66.69. The spread between industries is large: cost per click runs from $1.63 (Arts & Entertainment) to $9.87 (Attorneys & Legal Services), and cost per lead from $26.84 to $131.63. This page reproduces LocaliQ's per-industry figures for all 23 categories, adds a few comparisons calculated from them, and shows how to turn a benchmark into a monthly budget.
Google Ads benchmarks by industry (2026)
| Industry | Avg CPC | Avg CTR | Avg conversion rate | Avg cost per lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animals & Pets | $4.06 | 7.49% | 16.22% | $31.50 |
| Apparel / Fashion & Jewelry | $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 |
CPC is cost per click; CTR is the share of ad impressions that get a click; conversion rate is leads divided by clicks; and cost per lead (CPL) is ad spend divided by leads, where LocaliQ counts a lead as a contact by phone, chat, form, or email.
Which industries have the most and least expensive clicks and leads?
The rankings below are our own sorting of LocaliQ's published numbers.
- Highest cost per click: Attorneys & Legal Services ($9.87), Home & Home Improvement ($8.33), Dentists & Dental Services ($8.00), Personal Services ($7.17), Health & Fitness ($6.17).
- Lowest cost per click: Arts & Entertainment ($1.63), Restaurants & Food ($2.05), Travel ($2.14), Automotive — For Sale ($2.27), Sports & Recreation ($2.77).
- Highest cost per lead: Attorneys & Legal Services ($131.63), Furniture ($106.70), Real Estate ($102.51), Apparel / Fashion & Jewelry ($97.51), Business Services ($93.69).
- Lowest cost per lead: Arts & Entertainment ($26.84), Automotive — Repair, Service & Parts ($29.96), Restaurants & Food ($30.57), Animals & Pets ($31.50), Beauty & Personal Care ($39.25).
- Highest conversion rate: Animals & Pets (16.22%), Automotive — Repair, Service & Parts (15.51%), Education & Instruction (13.14%), Physicians & Surgeons (12.43%), Personal Services (12.34%).
- Lowest conversion rate: Finance & Insurance (2.64%), Furniture (2.99%), Career & Employment (3.05%), Real Estate (3.70%), Shopping, Collectibles & Gifts (4.01%).
A high CPC does not always mean an expensive lead: Dentists & Dental Services pay $8.00 per click but convert at 10.67%, which gives a $72.97 cost per lead — lower than Real Estate ($102.51), where clicks cost $3.22 but only 3.70% convert.
Which benchmark applies to my business?
LocaliQ reports 23 broad categories, so most niches have to borrow the closest one. This mapping is our judgment, not LocaliQ's classification — use it as a starting point, and expect niche-specific campaigns (for example dental implants versus general dentistry) to differ.
| If you run a… | Closest LocaliQ category | Avg CPC | Avg cost per lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental practice | Dentists & Dental Services | $8.00 | $72.97 |
| Psychiatry, TMS, or mental health practice | Physicians & Surgeons (no dedicated mental-health category) | $4.76 | $40.04 |
| Commercial cleaning, HVAC, plumbing, or landscaping company | Home & Home Improvement (or Industrial & Commercial / Business Services for B2B) | $8.33 | $90.92 |
| Real estate agent | Real Estate | $3.22 | $102.51 |
| Kids' party bus, tumble bus, or mobile gym | Arts & Entertainment, Sports & Recreation, or Education & Instruction | $1.63 / $2.77 / $4.81 | $26.84 / $44.26 / $77.48 |
| Law firm | Attorneys & Legal Services | $9.87 | $131.63 |
How do you turn a benchmark into a monthly ad budget?
Ad budget for a lead target is cost per lead multiplied by the number of leads you want; the clicks you need per lead are one divided by the conversion rate. For 20 leads a month, the table below applies LocaliQ's averages. It covers ad spend only — not management fees, your website, or the share of leads that become customers.
| Category | Avg cost per lead | Ad spend for 20 leads | Clicks needed per lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arts & Entertainment | $26.84 | $537 | 16.9 |
| Sports & Recreation | $44.26 | $885 | 13.0 |
| Education & Instruction | $77.48 | $1,550 | 7.6 |
| Physicians & Surgeons | $40.04 | $801 | 8.0 |
| Dentists & Dental Services | $72.97 | $1,459 | 9.4 |
| Home & Home Improvement | $90.92 | $1,818 | 12.4 |
| Real Estate | $102.51 | $2,050 | 27.0 |
| Attorneys & Legal Services | $131.63 | $2,633 | 18.0 |
Why will my own Google Ads numbers differ from these benchmarks?
- These are averages across advertisers. They describe the middle of a wide range, not a target you should expect to hit.
- Categories are broad. A cosmetic-dentistry or implant campaign can behave very differently from the general dentist average, and a B2B contract service differs from a consumer one.
- Location, competition, and season move the numbers. The same keyword costs more in a competitive metro than in a small market.
- A lead is not a customer. Cost per customer also depends on how fast you answer, how well you qualify leads, and how many convert to booked work.
For help turning these numbers into a plan for your niche, see our Google Ads management and local SEO services, and our niche reports such as kids' party bus marketing statistics and the tumble bus startup cost breakdown.
Want help applying this to your own Google Ads budget? MIS Services Inc offers a free 30-minute marketing audit — we review your search visibility, website, and reviews, and show you what to fix first. No obligation.