If you’re considering running Google Ads, you’re probably asking yourself this question. The idea of paying for clicks or impressions on your ads can be a little intimidating, especially if you’re new to digital advertising or working with a tight budget. You don’t want to waste money, but at the same time, you need to know if Google Ads can give you the kind of results that justify the spend.
The truth is, Google Ads can be as affordable or as expensive as you make it. The cost can vary widely based on a range of factors, like the competition in your industry, how you structure your campaigns, and the keywords you target.
In this article, you’ll learn exactly how much Google Ads can cost, what affects that cost, and how to set a budget that works for your business without blowing your entire marketing budget.
What You Need to Know About Google Ads Cost
Google Ads isn’t just a “one-size-fits-all” pricing model. There are several ways you can be charged, and understanding these will help you get the most out of your budget.
Let’s break down the different ways you can be billed for your Google Ads campaigns.
1. Cost-Per-Click (CPC)
This is the most common pricing structure. With CPC, you pay every time someone clicks on your ad. The amount you pay per click is determined by a bidding process that takes into account factors like:
- Keyword competition
- Ad quality
- Your bid amount.
The more competitive your keywords, the higher the cost per click will be. For instance, in industries like insurance, where the competition is fierce, the average cost is $54.91 per click. On the other hand, for less competitive keywords in smaller niches, the cost can be much lower.
2. Cost-Per-Thousand Impressions (CPM)
If you’re running display ads (ads that appear on websites within Google’s Display Network), you’ll likely use CPM. Here, you’re not paying for clicks; instead, you pay based on how many times your ad is shown, specifically, for every thousand impressions (views).
While CPM is often used for branding or awareness campaigns, it’s not ideal if your goal is immediate clicks or conversions. On average, CPM for the Google Display Network is $3.12 per thousand impressions, but this varies depending on factors like the targeting settings and the websites your ads appear on.
3. Other Costs You Should Be Aware Of
Aside from the direct costs of your campaigns, there are other potential expenses to consider when running Google Ads. These include:
- Ad creation costs: If you don’t have the time or expertise to design ads, you might need to pay a designer or agency to create high-quality ad creatives. This is more applicable for campaign types that require images and video.
- Management fees: If you hire an agency or an expert to manage your Google Ads campaigns, there may be additional fees on top of your advertising spend.
Factors That Affect Google Ads Costs
Now that you understand the basic pricing models, let’s talk about what influences the cost of your Google Ads. The most significant factors include:
- Keyword Competition: High-competition keywords (think “personal injury lawyer” or “mortgage broker”) will cost more per click because everyone wants to rank for them.
- Quality Score: Google rewards high-quality ads and landing pages with lower costs. Your Quality Score is determined by factors like the relevance of your ad to the keyword, your click-through rate (CTR), and the user experience on your landing page.
- Bid Strategy: If you’re manually setting bids, you’re in control, but automatic bidding strategies can impact how much you pay. Choosing the right strategy—whether it’s Maximise Conversions or Maximise Clicks can help you control costs more effectively.
- Targeting: The more specific your targeting (e.g., location, language, device), the better your ad’s relevance, which can lead to a lower CPC.
So, How Much Will Google Ads Cost Our Business?
When it comes to budgeting for Google Ads, the first thing to understand is that you have complete control over your daily spend. You can set your average daily budget to any amount that aligns with your business goals and financial capacity.
Setting Your Budget:
- Average Daily Budget: This is the amount you’re willing to spend each day on your campaign.
- Daily Spending Limit: Google allows your daily spend to exceed your average daily budget by up to twice the amount on any given day. For example, if your average daily budget is $10, your daily spending limit can be up to $20.
- Monthly Spending Limit: Over the course of a month, you won’t be charged more than 30.4 times your average daily budget. So, if your average daily budget is $10, your monthly spending limit would be $304.
Google Ads operates on an auction system, where your ad’s position and cost per click depend on several factors.
In highly competitive industries, the CPC can be significantly higher due to increased competition. Conversely, in less competitive niches, the CPC tends to be lower.
So while you can control how much you spend on Google Ads, the amount you pay per click is going to differ based on your industry and ads. Without knowing your specific industry, campaign settings, and ad copy, it is difficult to provide a true estimate.
However, this doesn’t give you a clear idea of how much you might spend. As such, let’s delve into some industry averages.
How Much Do Google Ads Cost in 2025?
How Much Does Google Ads Cost Per Click?
- Advocacy: $1.43 (Search), $0.62 (Display)
- Auto: $2.46 (Search), $0.58 (Display)
- B2B: $3.33 (Search), $0.79 (Display)
- Consumer Services: $6.40 (Search), $0.81 (Display)
- Dating & Personals: $2.78 (Search), $1.49 (Display)
- E-Commerce: $1.16 (Search), $0.45 (Display)
- Education: $2.40 (Search), $0.47 (Display)
- Employment Services: $2.04 (Search), $0.78 (Display)
- Finance & Insurance: $3.44 (Search), $0.86 (Display)
- Health & Medical: $2.62 (Search), $0.63 (Display)
- Home Goods: $2.94 (Search), $0.60 (Display)
- Industrial Services: $2.56 (Search), $0.54 (Display)
- Legal: $6.75 (Search), $0.72 (Display)
- Real Estate: $2.37 (Search), $0.75 (Display)
- Technology: $3.80 (Search), $0.51 (Display)
- Travel & Hospitality: $1.53 (Search), $0.44 (Display)
The average CPC in Google Ads across all industries is $2.69 for search and $0.63 for display. All benchmarks according to Wordstream.
How Much Does Google Ads Cost Per Conversion?
- Advocacy: $96.55 (Search), $70.69 (Display)
- Auto: $33.52 (Search), $23.68 (Display)
- B2B: $116.13 (Search), $130.36 (Display)
- Consumer Services: $90.70 (Search), $60.48 (Display)
- Dating & Personals: $76.76 (Search), $60.23 (Display)
- E-Commerce: $45.27 (Search), $65.80 (Display)
- Education: $72.70 (Search), $143.36 (Display)
- Employment Services: $48.04 (Search), $59.47 (Display)
- Finance & Insurance: $81.93 (Search), $56.76 (Display)
- Health & Medical: $78.09 (Search), $72.58 (Display)
- Home Goods: $87.13 (Search), $116.17 (Display)
- Industrial Services: $79.28 (Search), $51.58 (Display)
- Legal: $86.02 (Search), $39.52 (Display)
- Real Estate: $116.61 (Search), $74.79 (Display)
- Technology: $133.52 (Search), $103.60 (Display)
- Travel & Hospitality: $44.73 (Search), $99.13 (Display)
The average CPA in Google Ads across all industries is $48.96 for search and $75.51 for display. All benchmarks according to Wordstream.
So, What’s Next?
Google Ads offers a wealth of opportunities for businesses of all sizes, but success depends on your ability to manage costs, target effectively, and continuously optimise your campaigns for better performance.
With the right strategy in place, Google Ads can be a powerful tool to help you grow your business and achieve your marketing goals.
With that said, here’s some common Google Ads mistakes you’ll want to avoid to get the most out of your budget.