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Ecommerce Google Ads cost by niche
Short answer
In LocaliQ's 2026 search benchmarks, retail categories paid $1.63 to $4.62 a click, and the cost per conversion ran from $19.11 for auto parts and accessories to $106.70 for furniture. Whether that pays depends on margin: a store makes money on the first order when ROAS stays above 1 divided by gross margin, which is 2.0x at a 50% margin and 4.0x at 25%.
Retail search costs in 2026
$4.44Cost per click, apparel, fashion and jewelry
$31.50Cost per conversion, animals and pets
2.99%Clicks that converted, furniture
$66.69Cost per conversion, all industries
| Category | Data period | Cost per click | Click-through rate | Conversion rate | Cost per conversion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furniture[1] | Apr 2025 to Mar 2026 | $3.97 | 6.57% | 2.99% | $106.70 |
| Apparel / Fashion & Jewelry[1] | Apr 2025 to Mar 2026 | $4.44 | 6.64% | 4.50% | $97.51 |
| Shopping, Collectibles & Gifts[1] | Apr 2025 to Mar 2026 | $4.14 | 8.28% | 4.01% | $49.40 |
| Sports & Recreation[1] | Apr 2025 to Mar 2026 | $2.77 | 8.75% | 7.69% | $44.26 |
| Beauty & Personal Care[1] | Apr 2025 to Mar 2026 | $4.62 | 6.75% | 10.35% | $39.25 |
| Animals & Pets[1] | Apr 2025 to Mar 2026 | $4.06 | 7.49% | 16.22% | $31.50 |
| Restaurants & Food[1] | Apr 2025 to Mar 2026 | $2.05 | 6.83% | 8.05% | $30.57 |
| Arts & Entertainment[1] | Apr 2025 to Mar 2026 | $1.63 | 12.75% | 5.91% | $26.84 |
| Auto Parts & Accessories[2] | Apr 2025 to Jun 2026 | $2.80 | 8.11% | 26.16% | $19.11 |
| All industries[1] | Apr 2025 to Mar 2026 | $5.42 | 6.64% | 8.18% | $66.69 |
These rows cover every advertiser in each category, including local shops and service businesses, and only Search campaigns. Home and home improvement is left out here because that category is mostly contractors; the home decor and garden guides show it with that caveat. Most niches below have no row of their own, so each guide shows the nearest category and says which one it is. Wine and spirits and CBD guides carry no cost table, because we found no public benchmark for them that we could check at the source.
Break-even ROAS by gross margin
Break-even ROAS is 1 divided by gross margin. Above it, the first order makes money after ad costs; below it, the sale needs a repeat order to pay back. The highest CAC column assumes an $80 average order, a made-up figure for illustration.
| Gross margin | Break-even ROAS | Highest first-order CAC |
|---|---|---|
| 20% | 5.00x | $16.00 |
| 30% | 3.33x | $24.00 |
| 40% | 2.50x | $32.00 |
| 50% | 2.00x | $40.00 |
| 60% | 1.67x | $48.00 |
| 70% | 1.43x | $56.00 |
| 80% | 1.25x | $64.00 |
Once the account has purchase data, set a target ROAS above break-even. Google's own example of a 500% target means $5 of sales for each $1 of spend.[3] Try your own numbers in the ROAS calculator.
The campaign mix most stores start with
- A Merchant Center feed. Shopify stores can sync products with the Google & YouTube app.[11] Titles can run to 150 characters, and shoppers usually see the first 70 or fewer, so the product type and the attribute people search for come first.[4]
- Performance Max or Standard Shopping on that feed, split by margin or price band so budget follows the products that pay.
- Brand Search in its own campaign, so cheap sales from people who already know you don't make the other campaigns look better than they are.
- Non-brand Search on category plus attribute terms, each ad group sent to the matching collection page.
- Demand Gen or YouTube once the sales campaigns are profitable, judged on new customers.
- Seasonality adjustments for sales of 1 to 7 days, which Google says work less well beyond 14 days.[5]
Fashion and accessories
Google Ads for clothing brandsApparel search clicks cost $4.44 and convert at 4.50% (LocaliQ 2026); size-and-fit feeds, Shopping and PMax by collection, and returns-aware ROAS for women's and men's clothing.Google Ads for activewear brandsActivewear on Google: apparel and sports benchmarks from LocaliQ 2026, fabric and use-case feed titles, January and back-to-school seasons, and campaign setup.Google Ads for lingerie and swimwear brandsLingerie and swimwear Google Ads: Merchant Center's sexual content rules for images, band-and-cup size feeds, swim season timing and apparel benchmarks.Google Ads for shoe brandsFootwear Google Ads: size, width and gender feed attributes, model-name search, apparel benchmarks of $4.44 a click (LocaliQ 2026) and break-even ROAS math.Google Ads for jewelry brandsJewelry Google Ads: metal, stone and carat in feed titles, gifting peaks, LocaliQ's 2026 apparel and jewelry row ($97.51 per conversion) and campaign setup.Google Ads for watch brandsWatch brands on Google: movement, case size and strap in feed titles, reseller and replica negatives, apparel and jewelry benchmarks and ROAS math.Google Ads for eyewear and sunglasses brandsEyewear and sunglasses on Google: frame shape and lens feed attributes, prescription search terms, summer timing and the nearest LocaliQ 2026 benchmarks.Google Ads for handbag and accessories brandsHandbags, wallets and belts on Google: leather and size in titles, dupe and replica negatives, gifting seasons and LocaliQ 2026 apparel benchmarks.
Beauty and grooming
Google Ads for beauty and cosmetics brandsMakeup brands on Google: beauty search clicks cost $4.62 (LocaliQ 2026), shade-level feeds, YouTube tutorials, restrictions on reaching minors and campaign setup.Google Ads for hair care brandsHair care Google Ads: hair type and concern in feed titles, refill economics, health-claim limits for growth products and beauty benchmarks from LocaliQ 2026.Google Ads for men's grooming brandsMen's grooming on Google: razors, beard care and body wash, replenishment CAC math, Father's Day timing and beauty and personal care benchmarks.Google Ads for fragrance brandsPerfume and cologne on Google: scent notes and size in titles, dupe and tester negatives, discovery sets, holiday peaks and LocaliQ 2026 beauty benchmarks.
Home and garden
Google Ads for home decor storesHome decor Google Ads: style and room in feed titles, visual Demand Gen, seasonal decor timing and the nearest LocaliQ 2026 benchmarks for home and gifts.Google Ads for furniture storesFurniture converts at 2.99% of search clicks and costs $106.70 per conversion (LocaliQ 2026); dimensions in titles, long consideration and high-AOV ROAS math.Google Ads for mattress and bedding brandsMattress and bedding Google Ads: firmness, size and material in feeds, trial-period copy, holiday-weekend sales and the LocaliQ 2026 furniture benchmark.Google Ads for kitchen and cookware brandsCookware on Google: material, size and cooktop compatibility in titles, wedding and holiday gifting, knife policy notes and the nearest LocaliQ 2026 benchmarks.Google Ads for candle brandsCandle brands on Google: scent, wax and burn time in titles, Q4 gifting, reorder CAC and the LocaliQ 2026 shopping and gifts benchmark ($49.40 per conversion).Google Ads for plant and garden storesOnline plant and garden stores: spring-loaded budgets, plant and pot size in titles, care-guide negatives and the nearest LocaliQ 2026 home benchmark.
Pets, kids and toys
Google Ads for pet product brandsPet product Google Ads: animals and pets search clicks cost $4.06 and convert at 16.22% (LocaliQ 2026); size-by-breed feeds, refill CAC and campaign setup.Google Ads for baby and kids brandsBaby and kids products on Google: age-group feed attributes, registry and parent searches, safety-claim care and the nearest LocaliQ 2026 retail benchmark.Google Ads for toy and game storesToy and game stores on Google: age range and player count in titles, a Q4 that dwarfs the year, adult-audience targeting and LocaliQ 2026 gifts benchmarks.
Sports and outdoors
Google Ads for fitness equipment brandsHome gym equipment on Google: weight capacity and footprint in titles, the January peak, high-AOV ROAS and LocaliQ 2026 health and sports benchmarks.Google Ads for outdoor and camping brandsOutdoor and camping gear on Google: weight, temperature rating and capacity in titles, spring and fall seasons, knife policy and sports benchmarks ($2.77 a click).Google Ads for sporting goods storesSporting goods Google Ads: sports and recreation clicks cost $2.77 and convert at 7.69% (LocaliQ 2026); sport-season budgets, team and size feeds, campaign setup.Google Ads for bike and e-bike brandsBikes and e-bikes on Google: frame size, motor and range in titles, high-AOV ROAS math, spring demand and LocaliQ 2026 sports and recreation benchmarks.
Electronics and auto
Google Ads for electronics and gadget brandsConsumer electronics on Google: GTINs and model numbers, spec-led titles, thin-margin ROAS, Black Friday timing and the nearest LocaliQ 2026 retail benchmark.Google Ads for phone accessory brandsPhone cases, chargers and mounts on Google: device-model titles, trademark rules for compatible products, launch-week timing and LocaliQ 2026 retail benchmarks.Google Ads for auto parts storesAuto parts and accessories search clicks cost $2.80 and convert at 26.16% (LocaliQ automotive 2026); fitment in titles, part-number search and campaign setup.
Food and drink
Google Ads for coffee and tea brandsCoffee and tea brands on Google: roast, origin and grind in titles, reorder-based CAC, gifting peaks and the nearest LocaliQ 2026 food benchmark.Google Ads for food and snack brandsSnack and specialty food brands on Google: flavor and pack size in titles, Merchant Center rules for high fat, sugar and salt foods, and LocaliQ 2026 food benchmarks.Google Ads for wine and spirits brandsWine and spirits on Google: which countries allow alcohol ads, the copy Google bans, ABV on the landing page, age rules and campaign setup.
Gifts, crafts and print on demand
Google Ads for gift and personalized product storesGift and personalized product stores: shopping and gifts search clicks cost $4.14 (LocaliQ 2026); recipient and occasion searches, custom-product feeds and cutoff timing.Google Ads for arts and crafts storesCraft supply stores on Google: low-AOV ROAS math, yarn weight and fiber in titles, DIY and pattern search terms and LocaliQ 2026 arts and gifts benchmarks.Google Ads for print-on-demand storesPrint-on-demand stores on Google: trademark and copyright rules, design-led titles, thin per-item margins and LocaliQ 2026 shopping and apparel benchmarks.
Restricted categories
Categories with Google policy limits
- Alcohol. Ads may target only listed countries, never people under the legal drinking age, and can't imply health, social or performance benefits.[6] See wine and spirits.
- CBD. Only topical, hemp-derived products at 0.3% THC or less, with LegitScript and Google certification, in California, Colorado and Puerto Rico.[7] See CBD brands.
- Weapons-adjacent products. Shopping restricts knives designed or promoted to injure, pepper spray, tasers and airsoft guns.[8] See outdoor and camping and cookware.
- Health claims. Products marketed as effective against disease without government approval are restricted.[9] See the supplements and skincare guides.
- Minors. On YouTube and Display, ads for beauty, food and drink, supplements and several other categories aren't shown to children.[10] See toys and games.
For regulated DTC categories, see the guides for telehealth, peptide brands and pet supplements.
How RunAds runs Google Ads for online stores
What the agent does for you
- Reads your store and feed, then builds Shopping, Performance Max, Search and YouTube campaigns.
- Rewrites product titles so the searched attribute comes first, and shows you each change.
- Writes the ads, makes images for them and shows you the full launch before anything goes live.
- Checks the account every day and flags search terms and products with spend and no sales.
Start with the Shopify guide, the ROAS calculator or the pricing section.
Create your free account
Credit packs from $25, 5 credits per $1 of ad spend.
Common questions
How much does Google Ads cost for an ecommerce store?
You set the budget. For planning, LocaliQ's 2026 search benchmarks show $4.14 per click and $49.40 per conversion for shopping, collectibles and gifts, $4.44 and $97.51 for apparel and jewelry, and $3.97 and $106.70 for furniture. Those are Search figures; LocaliQ doesn't break out Shopping or Performance Max.
What is a good ROAS for ecommerce on Google Ads?
Any ROAS above your break-even, which is 1 divided by gross margin. A store with 40% margins breaks even at 2.5x, one with 70% margins at about 1.43x. Repeat buyers let a brand accept a lower first-order ROAS, because the second and third orders carry no ad cost.
Do Google Shopping ads cost less than Search ads?
No public benchmark we could read at the source compares them by product category, so we don't quote a figure. Shopping and Performance Max run on your Merchant Center feed and price per click like Search, and your own account's search terms and cost per conversion are the numbers to plan from after the first month.
Which products can't be advertised on Google?
Google restricts or bans several ecommerce categories. Alcohol ads may run only in listed countries and never to people under the legal drinking age. CBD is limited to certified topical, hemp-derived products in California, Colorado and Puerto Rico. Knives designed to injure, pepper spray and airsoft guns are restricted in Shopping, and health products can't claim to treat disease without approval.
Can RunAds run Google Ads for my online store?
Yes. RunAds is an AI agent that builds Shopping, Performance Max, Search and YouTube campaigns from your store, writes the ads and checks the account every day. You approve every launch and budget change, and signing up is free.
Sources
- NEW 2026 Search Advertising Benchmarks (+Tips), LocaliQ (with WordStream), by Stephanie Heitman. Last updated June 1, 2026.Google Ads and Microsoft Ads search campaigns across 23 industries. The page labels each figure an average.
- Automotive Search Advertising Benchmarks for 2026, LocaliQ, by Rob Glover. Last updated September 29, 2026; data from April 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026.1,983 US search campaigns on Google Ads and Microsoft Ads, at least 12 per subcategory. The page says its averages are medians.
- About Target ROAS bidding, Google Ads Help. Checked Oct 30, 2026.Google's example: $5 of sales for each $1 of ad spend is a 500% target ROAS.
- Title [title] and structured title [structured_title], Google Merchant Center Help. Checked Nov 6, 2026.Titles can run 1 to 150 characters; shoppers usually see the first 70 or fewer. No prices, sale dates, shipping details or all-caps emphasis in titles.
- About seasonality adjustments, Google Ads Help. Checked Nov 6, 2026.For short events of 1 to 7 days where you expect a large conversion rate change; less effective beyond 14 days, because Smart Bidding already handles regular seasonality.
- Alcohol, Google Advertising Policies Help. Checked Nov 6, 2026.Alcohol ads may run only in listed countries (the US, UK and Canada among them), must not target people under the legal drinking age, and must not imply health, social, sexual or performance benefits. Drinks at 0.5% ABV or higher must show ABV on the landing page.
- Recreational drugs, Google Advertising Policies Help. Checked Nov 6, 2026.Topical, hemp-derived CBD with 0.3% THC or less is allowed with certification (LegitScript first for retailers, then Google's CBD Ads Certification), targeting only California, Colorado and Puerto Rico. Examples given: creams, sprays, roll-ons, lotions, bath bombs, candles.
- Dangerous products, Google Merchant Center Help. Checked Nov 6, 2026.Restricts knives designed or promoted to injure an opponent (switchblades, balisongs), throwing stars, brass knuckles, tasers, pepper spray, airsoft guns, gun parts that enhance function, and exploding fireworks. Gun locks and trigger locks are allowed.
- Healthcare & medicines (Shopping ads and listings), Google Merchant Center Help. Checked Nov 6, 2026.Restricts products marketed as effective against disease without government approval, products that imply they work as well as prescription drugs, and supplements with active pharmaceutical or dangerous ingredients.
- Shopping ads protections for children and teens, Google Merchant Center Help. Checked Nov 6, 2026.On YouTube, Display and DV360, ads for categories such as beauty and cosmetics, food and drink, supplements, alcohol and weapons are not shown to children; teens are excluded from categories such as weapons, weight loss, alcohol and adult content.
- Google & YouTube, Shopify Help Center. Checked Nov 6, 2026.The app syncs products and store details to Google Merchant Center; eligible US stores can show synced products in free Shopping tab listings.
Every outside number on this page links to its source above, with the date we checked it. RunAds has not published its own account data here.
Related pages
Google Ads for Shopify storesConnecting the store, the Google & YouTube app and the base campaign setup.Google Ads for DTC brandsAdding Google to a brand that grew on Meta.What is a good ROASBreak-even ROAS from margin, with worked examples.Google Ads cost by industryAll 23 industries from the 2026 benchmarks.
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