2022 Search Advertising Benchmarks
In the tabs below, you'll find average cost per click, click-through rate, conversion rate, and cost per lead for search ads for over 20 different industries in 2022. For a deeper dive into the data, download the free PDF: Paid Search Advertising Benchmarks Report.
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FAQs
What is search advertising?
How much does Google Ads cost?
What is cost per click?
The average cost per click for search ads in 2022 ranges from $1.36 to $8.67. See the table below for 2022 average costs per click in search ads by industry:
| Industry | Search Ads Average Cost Per Click |
|---|---|
| Arts & Entertainment | $1.51 |
| Animals & Pets | $2.86 |
| Apparel / Fashion & Jewelry | $2.66 |
| Attorneys & Legal Services | $8.67 |
| Automotive — For Sale | $2.27 |
| Automotive — Repair, Service & Parts | $3.13 |
| Beauty & Personal Care | $3.10 |
| Business Services | $4.85 |
| Career & Employment | $3.94 |
| Dentists & Dental Services | $7.10 |
| Education & Instruction | $3.94 |
| Finance & Insurance | $4.57 |
| Furniture | $2.39 |
| Health & Fitness | $4.01 |
| Home & Home Improvement | $6.11 |
| Industrial & Commercial | $4.18 |
| Personal Services | $3.32 |
| Physicians & Surgeons | $3.78 |
| Real Estate | $1.36 |
| Restaurants & Food | $1.84 |
| Shopping, Collectibles & Gifts | $2.25 |
| Sports & Recreation | $1.73 |
| Travel | $1.63 |
You can learn more about cost per click in our Complete Guide to PPC Metrics.
What is conversion rate?
The average conversion rate for search ads in 2022 ranges from 2.06% to 15.45%. See the below chart for average conversion rate by industry:
| Industry | Search Ads Average Conversion Rate |
|---|---|
| Arts & Entertainment | 4.81% |
| Animals & Pets | 15.45% |
| Apparel / Fashion & Jewelry | 2.06% |
| Attorneys & Legal Services | 9.33% |
| Automotive — For Sale | 5.77% |
| Automotive — Repair, Service & Parts | 12.74% |
| Beauty & Personal Care | 6.88% |
| Business Services | 5.31% |
| Career & Employment | 4.58% |
| Dentists & Dental Services | 13.33% |
| Education & Instruction | 5.93% |
| Finance & Insurance | 5.59% |
| Furniture | 2.59% |
| Health & Fitness | 9.21% |
| Home & Home Improvement | 11.21% |
| Industrial & Commercial | 7.78% |
| Personal Services | 10.18% |
| Physicians & Surgeons | 15.07% |
| Real Estate | 3.52% |
| Restaurants & Food | 5.54% |
| Shopping, Collectibles & Gifts | 3.07% |
| Sports & Recreation | 5.86% |
| Travel | 5.19% |
For more on conversion rate, head to our Complete Guide to PPC Metrics.
How can I improve my ad performance?
- The WordStream Blog (in particular, the Paid Search Marketing category).
- The in-depth, visual (and free!) guides in Our Resource Center.
- This post on 10 Questions to Ask When Choosing a PPC Agency.
- You can also book a free digital marketing assessment with one of our digital marketing experts if you're interested in partnering with us!
Where can I learn more about search advertising?
- If you're just learning the ropes of online advertising, WordStream's PPC University is a great place to start.
- If you're ready to get started, head over to our Step-by-Step Guide to Your First Google Ads Campaign.
- For more options, refer to our list of The 10 Best Google Ads Training Courses for All Levels.
What is cost per lead?
The average cost per lead for search ads in 2022 ranges from $17.46 to $83.10. Here are the average costs per lead by industry in 2022:
| Industry | Search Ads Average Cost Per Lead |
|---|---|
| Arts & Entertainment | $50.40 |
| Animals & Pets | $17.46 |
| Apparel / Fashion & Jewelry | $57.97 |
| Attorneys & Legal Services | $83.10 |
| Automotive — For Sale | $46.99 |
| Automotive — Repair, Service & Parts | $18.73 |
| Beauty & Personal Care | $40.04 |
| Business Services | $73.70 |
| Career & Employment | $81.45 |
| Dentists & Dental Services | $50.91 |
| Education & Instruction | $54.60 |
| Finance & Insurance | $74.44 |
| Furniture | $76.71 |
| Health & Fitness | $45.60 |
| Home & Home Improvement | $54.05 |
| Industrial & Commercial | $49.90 |
| Personal Services | $29.08 |
| Physicians & Surgeons | $29.96 |
| Real Estate | $44.70 |
| Restaurants & Food | $26.58 |
| Shopping, Collectibles & Gifts | $30.27 |
| Sports & Recreation | $31.50 |
| Travel | $46.06 |
You can learn more about cost per lead in our Complete Guide to PPC Metrics.
What is click-through rate?
Average click-through rates for search ads by industry in 2022 are as follows:
| Industry | Search Ads Average Click-Through Rate |
|---|---|
| Arts & Entertainment | 11.43% |
| Animals & Pets | 7.08% |
| Apparel / Fashion & Jewelry | 6.27% |
| Attorneys & Legal Services | 4.24% |
| Automotive — For Sale | 8.67% |
| Automotive — Repair, Service & Parts | 5.65% |
| Beauty & Personal Care | 5.92% |
| Business Services | 5.17% |
| Career & Employment | 5.93% |
| Dentists & Dental Services | 5.03% |
| Education & Instruction | 6.17% |
| Finance & Insurance | 5.70% |
| Furniture | 6.01% |
| Health & Fitness | 6.15% |
| Home & Home Improvement | 4.62% |
| Industrial & Commercial | 5.61% |
| Personal Services | 6.95% |
| Physicians & Surgeons | 6.25% |
| Real Estate | 8.55% |
| Restaurants & Food | 7.60% |
| Shopping, Collectibles & Gifts | 5.50% |
| Sports & Recreation | 8.82% |
| Travel | 9.19% |
You can learn more about click-through rate in our Complete Guide to PPC Metrics.
About the data
This report is based on a sample of 79,455 North American-based LOCALiQ client campaign cycles in the outlined business categories that were running search ads between October 1, 2021 - September 30, 2022.
Our proprietary platform dynamically shifts budget between search channels on a campaign-by-campaign basis, but in aggregate, approximately 80-85% of budget is allotted to Google and 15-20% to Microsoft.
Each business category includes a minimum of 250 campaign cycles. All currency values are posted in USD.
2021 Search Advertising Benchmarks
In the tabs below, you'll find average cost per click, click-through rate, conversion rate, and cost per lead for search ads for over 20 different industries in 2021. For a deeper dive into the data above, head to our Paid Search Advertising Benchmarks Report.
About the data
Home services
These home services benchmarks cover search, display, and social ads for eight key home services verticals. You can also learn more in our deeper dive into this data.
About this data
Healthcare
Below you'll find benchmark data for search, display, and social ads for 11 key healthcare business verticals. You can find more insights in our deeper dive on this data.
About this data
Real estate
Below you'll find benchmark data for search, display, and social ads for four key real estate business verticals. You can find more insights in our deeper dive on this data.
About this data
Get more out of Google Ads
Find opportunities to optimize your account (and save money!) with the Free Google Ads Performance Grader.