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Channel
Paid search benchmarks
Google Search, Performance Max, Bing/Microsoft Ads. Highest-intent demand-capture. AI Overview disruption is reshaping click economics in 2026.
Share of digital ad spend: ~40% of US digital ad spend (2026)
Channel snapshot
Brand CPC $0.40–2.20, non-brand $1.80–6.40 DTC / $8–45 B2B. Avg DTC CPA $45–125.
How to operate this channel
Operator playbook
- Always separate brand and non-brand into different campaigns.
- Use offline conversion imports for long sales cycles.
- Audit search-term reports weekly; PMax masks query data.
- Bid on commercial-intent queries less affected by AI Overview.
- Pair Performance Max with a brand-only campaign to prevent cannibalization.
Platforms in this channel
How to read these benchmarks
Use the Paid search ranges below to locate your account, then act on the gap. a result inside the range usually means the constraint is elsewhere - offer, landing experience, or measurement - while a result well outside it points straight at targeting, creative, or bid strategy. Compare like with like - same funnel stage, same objective, same season - because a top-of-funnel number judged against a bottom-of-funnel benchmark will always mislead.
How to use this page. Find the funnel stage you are buying, read the range, and calculate the gap to your live numbers. Model the revenue impact of closing that gap with the break-even ROAS and CAC payback calculators, then pressure-test the plan against the full 2026 benchmarks compendium.
Sourcing. Ranges are RGM's 2026 synthesis of platform-reported figures and aggregated account data, expressed as medians and typical spreads rather than single points. They move with season, auction pressure, and creative quality, so re-check them each quarter.