Google ads CTR benchmarks
Google ads CTR is the share of times a Google (or Microsoft) Search ad was clicked after it was shown. Here is every published figure we can show, side by side, with what each one counts.
2.22% to 12.75%
Published Google Ads CTR figures for 2026 differ by roughly 3x depending on what's pooled into the average. LocaliQ, publishing in partnership with WordStream, puts the cross-industry Search-ads average at 6.64%. Optmyzr's account-level data across 21,425 Google Ads accounts shows an overall blended CTR of 2.22% in Q1 2026 (up from 1.83% a year earlier). The gap is mostly about scope: LocaliQ's figure covers Search-network advertising specifically, while Optmyzr's blended figure covers every campaign type an account runs — including Display and Shopping, which pull the average down. 34 figures from 3 sources, grouped by what they count (agency-managed google ads ctr (agencyanalytics) is charted too, but not part of the headline range). We never average them.
Published Google ads CTR figures by way of counting, from 2.22% to 6.64%. Every figure is listed in the source list below.
Tap or hover a point to see its source.
Key findings
Each one cites its source figures.
LocaliQ's Search-only cross-industry average (6.64%) and Optmyzr's account-wide blended average (2.22%, Q1 2026) describe different things, not a contradiction: Search ads click far more than Display or Shopping ads, so an account's blended CTR runs well below its Search-only CTR.
LocaliQ (published in partnership with WordStream by LocaliQ)OptmyzrLocaliQ's Search-network CTR by industry ranges more than 2x, from 5.56% (Automotive — Repair, Service & Parts) up to 12.75% (Arts & Entertainment), with Travel (9.32%) and Finance & Insurance (9.83%) also well above the cross-industry average.
LocaliQ (published in partnership with WordStream by LocaliQ)Optmyzr's blended CTR across the same 21,425 accounts rose every quarter from Q1 2025 (1.83%) to Q1 2026 (2.22%), even as total impressions fell 11% over the same year — evidence that impression volume and click rate can move in opposite directions.
OptmyzrSame data, different answers
How the way of counting changes the number, on one scale.
Same metric name, two very different scopes
"Google Ads CTR" means something different depending on whether Display and Shopping campaigns are folded in.
Search-network CTR by industry (LocaliQ, 2026)
Search intent varies enormously by category — entertainment and travel searchers click far more than automotive-repair searchers.
Source by source
Open any source for its definition, sample and method.
LocaliQ (published in partnership with WordStream by LocaliQ)Search Advertising Benchmarks for Every Industry [2026 Data] · 2026 edition6.64%search-network campaignsGrade B
- What counts
- Search-network campaigns across Google Ads and Microsoft Ads, pooled together, 23 industries. CTR formula not explicitly stated.
- Statistic
- Average (not otherwise defined)
- Sample
- "Thousands of our customers' advertising campaigns across Google Ads and Microsoft Ads" (exact count not stated)
- Data window
- Not stated (2026 designation only)
- Method
- LocaliQ states the data is produced in partnership with WordStream by LocaliQ; the fuller methodology lives on WordStream's own benchmark page, which returned HTTP 403 and was not independently verified in this pass.
- Published cuts
- industry (23)
- Limitations
- Pools Google Ads and Microsoft Ads together; not a pure Google Ads figure
- Sample size not stated
- Statistic type (mean vs median) not stated
- Same underlying data/partnership as WordStream, so not a fully independent second source
- Vendor-reported (LocaliQ/WordStream advertiser accounts, agency/SMB skew)
- Licence
- Same assessment as the LocaliQ Facebook benchmark page: product/subscription terms found, nothing restricting citation of published blog figures. Headline plus a handful of industry cuts, attributed and linked.
- Checked
- Sep 30, 2026 · Read the source
Optmyzr21K Google Ads Accounts Show Why Budgets Must Change (Google Ads Benchmark Report, Q1 2026) · Q1 2026 edition2.22%account-wide blended ctrGrade A
- What counts
- Whole-account blended CTR across every campaign type the account runs (Search, Shopping, Display, Performance Max, Local Services, etc., not broken out separately on this page). Click/impression formula not explicitly restated.
- Statistic
- Not stated (mean vs median not specified)
- Sample
- 21,425 Google Ads accounts
- Data window
- Q1 2025 through Q1 2026 (five consecutive quarters)
- Method
- Optmyzr's own product telemetry across 21,425 Google Ads accounts it manages or monitors, tracked quarterly for five consecutive quarters (Q1 2025 – Q1 2026).
- Published cuts
- quarter (5 consecutive quarters)
- Limitations
- Blended across all campaign types; not broken out by Search vs Display vs Shopping on this page
- Statistic type (mean vs median) not stated
- Vendor-reported: accounts using Optmyzr's bid-management software, likely more actively managed than a typical account
- A companion Optmyzr page ("The State of Google Ads Q1 2026") cites a different framing (median CTR, account-size and campaign-type cuts) but gates the actual numbers behind a lead form; those unverified figures are not used here
- Licence
- Optmyzr's published terms found in this pass govern use of its SaaS product; silent on citing published blog/report content. Headline and quarterly trend quoted with attribution.
- Checked
- Sep 30, 2026 · Read the source
AgencyAnalyticsGoogle Ads Benchmarks: Insights to Optimize Campaigns and Impress Clients · 20254.99%agency-managed google ads ctr (agencyanalytics)Grade B
- What counts
- Agency-managed Google Ads CTR across 28 industries; the page discusses search ads but does not formally enumerate network inclusion/exclusion, so it should not be treated as strictly Search Network-only.
- Statistic
- Median
- Sample
- Over 150,000 campaigns run by 7,000 professional marketing agencies using AgencyAnalytics
- Data window
- Not stated on the benchmark page
- Method
- First-party platform benchmark across agency-managed Google Ads campaigns run through AgencyAnalytics.
- Published cuts
- industry (28)
- Limitations
- Agency-managed SMB/mid-market skew
- Exact data window not stated
- Network scope (Search-only vs broader) not formally enumerated
- Licence
- Reported here as factual findings in our own wording and presentation, with attribution and a link to the source. This is not a claim that AgencyAnalytics has granted a reproduction licence, and we do not copy its prose, charts, tables or page design. Its Terms restrict copying site material beyond own non-commercial use; we read that as generic sitewide copyright boilerplate, not a restriction on citing published figures. Flagged for review: the clause is broadly worded.
- Checked
- Oct 1, 2026 · Read the source
1 more publishers, linked but not quoted
These publishers' terms do not allow their figures to be reproduced without permission (or we could not confirm that they do), so we link to their reports instead of showing the numbers.
By industry
Selected figures, each with its source. Full tables live in each publisher's report.
Why sources disagree
Each factor moves the number on its own.
Optmyzr's Q1 2026 report frames the CTR rise alongside a falling conversion rate and falling impression volume, attributing the shift to "AI Overviews and evolving SERP layouts" reshaping available ad inventory — a plausible mechanism for why CTR and impressions moved in opposite directions, though Optmyzr's own report page does not give an exact CVR figure alongside it that we could independently confirm.
Optmyzr, Google Ads Benchmark Report Q1 2026Search-only vs whole-account blended
LocaliQ's 6.64% is a Search-network figure. Optmyzr's 2.22% blends every campaign type an account runs. Display and Shopping campaigns typically click far less than Search, so pooling them into one account-level average pulls the number down a lot — this, not a real change in ad performance, likely explains most of the 3x gap.
Google Ads only, or Google + Microsoft Ads
LocaliQ's page states the data comes from "thousands of our customers' advertising campaigns across Google Ads and Microsoft Ads" pooled together — so its 6.64% is not a pure Google Ads number.
Industry mix
LocaliQ's Search-network CTR by industry ranges from 5.56% to 12.75%, a more-than-2x spread. An all-industry average describes neither end well.
Who the data comes from
LocaliQ/WordStream's figures come from agency and SMB advertiser accounts on its platform. Optmyzr's come from accounts using Optmyzr's own bid-management software, which likely skews toward larger or more actively managed accounts. Neither is a random sample of all Google advertisers.
Statistic type not always stated
Optmyzr's Q1 2026 report does not state on the page whether its quarterly CTR figures are a mean or a median across accounts; LocaliQ does not state this either.
What is a good Google ads CTR?
It depends on how your platform counts and who you send to.
If you're comparing a Search-only campaign
LocaliQ's 2026 cross-industry Search average is 6.64%, ranging from 5.56% (Automotive — Repair, Service & Parts) to 12.75% (Arts & Entertainment) by industry.
If you're comparing your whole account (Search + Shopping + Display + Performance Max)
Optmyzr's Q1 2026 blended figure across 21,425 accounts is 2.22%, up from 1.83% a year earlier — a closer comparison than a Search-only benchmark.
By industry (Search network)
Finance & Insurance (9.83%) and Travel (9.32%) click well above the cross-industry line; Automotive Repair (5.56%) and Dentists (5.66%) sit well below it.
Before you compare
- LocaliQ's figure pools Google Ads and Microsoft Ads together; it is not a pure Google Ads number, despite how it's commonly cited.
- Never compare a Search-only CTR (LocaliQ's 6.64%) against a whole-account blended CTR (Optmyzr's 2.22%) as if they were the same metric — the gap is mostly scope, not performance.
- WordStream's own 2026 Google Ads benchmark page returned HTTP 403 to our fetcher and could not be independently verified in this pass; it is listed link-only.
Show 3 more cautions
- Optmyzr does not state on its report page whether its CTR figures are a mean or a median, or which campaign types are included quarter to quarter.
- Every figure here is vendor-reported (each company's own platform customers), not a random sample of all Google advertisers.
- AgencyAnalytics' industry breakdown (named in Sources below) is agency-managed Google Ads across 28 industries, but its page does not formally state whether it is Search-network-only or includes other network types — treat it as broadly comparable, not an exact match to LocaliQ's or Optmyzr's stated scopes.
How to calculate Google ads CTR
- Say whether you mean Search-network CTR alone or a whole-account blend across every campaign type — the two can differ by 3x or more.
- Compare against your own industry's Search figure before comparing against an all-industry average.
- If your account runs Display or Shopping alongside Search, expect your blended CTR to sit well below a Search-only benchmark for reasons that have nothing to do with ad quality.
Questions about Google ads CTRs
Tools to measure and improve it
Chosen for what they do, not ranked.
Sources and licence notes4 sources · 3 quoted · 1 linked only · checked Oct 1, 2026
- LocaliQ (published in partnership with WordStream by LocaliQ), Search Advertising Benchmarks for Every Industry [2026 Data] · 2026 edition · last checked Sep 30, 2026Same assessment as the LocaliQ Facebook benchmark page: product/subscription terms found, nothing restricting citation of published blog figures. Headline plus a handful of industry cuts, attributed and linked.
- Optmyzr, 21K Google Ads Accounts Show Why Budgets Must Change (Google Ads Benchmark Report, Q1 2026) · Q1 2026 edition · last checked Sep 30, 2026Optmyzr's published terms found in this pass govern use of its SaaS product; silent on citing published blog/report content. Headline and quarterly trend quoted with attribution.
- WordStream by LocaliQ, Google Ads Benchmarks 2026: Competitive Data & Insights for Every Industry · 2026 edition · last checked Sep 30, 2026Linked only. PENDING: the page returned HTTP 403 to our fetcher and could not be read directly in this pass. Link only.
- AgencyAnalytics, Google Ads Benchmarks: Insights to Optimize Campaigns and Impress Clients · 2025 · last checked Oct 1, 2026Reported here as factual findings in our own wording and presentation, with attribution and a link to the source. This is not a claim that AgencyAnalytics has granted a reproduction licence, and we do not copy its prose, charts, tables or page design. Its Terms restrict copying site material beyond own non-commercial use; we read that as generic sitewide copyright boilerplate, not a restriction on citing published figures. Flagged for review: the clause is broadly worded.
These are figures reported by the platforms themselves about their own customers; we do not measure them ourselves. Found an error or a newer edition? Tell us