What is a good conversion rate for Google Ads?
For Google Search ads, the 2026 all-industry average conversion rate is 8.18% in LocaliQ's benchmarks, ranging from 2.64% (Finance & Insurance) to 16.22% (Animals & Pets). Across all campaign types, the median account in the RunAds Google Ads Benchmark 2026 converted 2.78% of clicks, so a good rate is one at or above your industry's search figure that also gives you a cost per conversion you can afford.
The benchmarks
LocaliQ's 2026 search benchmarks put the all-industry conversion rate at 8.18%.[1] The RunAds Google Ads Benchmark 2026 found a median of 2.78% across 117 accounts that spent at least $1,000.[2] The RunAds figure is lower because it covers every campaign type those accounts ran, including Shopping, Performance Max and Demand Gen, not only search keywords.
Spend level mattered in the RunAds data. Median conversion rate ran from 2.10% for accounts under $1,000 a month to 5.52% for accounts spending $10,000 to $50,000 a month.[2]
Search conversion rate by industry
| Industry | Conversion rate | Cost per lead |
|---|---|---|
| Animals & Pets[1] | 16.22% | $31.50 |
| Automotive: Repair, Service & Parts[1] | 15.51% | $29.96 |
| Education & Instruction[1] | 13.14% | $77.48 |
| Physicians & Surgeons[1] | 12.43% | $40.04 |
| Personal Services[1] | 12.34% | $54.60 |
| Dentists & Dental Services[1] | 10.67% | $72.97 |
| Beauty & Personal Care[1] | 10.35% | $39.25 |
| Industrial & Commercial[1] | 8.20% | $75.19 |
| Home & Home Improvement[1] | 8.05% | $90.92 |
| Restaurants & Food[1] | 8.05% | $30.57 |
| Sports & Recreation[1] | 7.69% | $44.26 |
| Health & Fitness[1] | 6.94% | $67.36 |
| Automotive: For Sale[1] | 6.01% | $44.26 |
| Arts & Entertainment[1] | 5.91% | $26.84 |
| Travel[1] | 5.83% | $44.70 |
| Attorneys & Legal Services[1] | 5.55% | $131.63 |
| Business Services[1] | 4.85% | $93.69 |
| Apparel / Fashion & Jewelry[1] | 4.50% | $97.51 |
| Shopping, Collectibles & Gifts[1] | 4.01% | $49.40 |
| Real Estate[1] | 3.70% | $102.51 |
| Career & Employment[1] | 3.05% | $67.36 |
| Furniture[1] | 2.99% | $106.70 |
| Finance & Insurance[1] | 2.64% | $74.44 |
| All industries | 8.18% | $66.69 |
Check what you're counting first
Google defines conversion rate as conversions divided by the interactions that can be tracked to a conversion in the same period.[3] So the rate is only as honest as the conversions behind it:
- If a page view or a button click counts as a conversion, the rate looks high and means little.
- If an action counts every conversion, one person can convert several times. Google notes the rate can then exceed 100%.[3]
- Only primary conversion actions are used for bidding; secondary ones are for observation.[4] Make sure the rate you judge is built on the primary action.
For leads, count the form submit or the qualified call. For a store, count the purchase. See conversion tracking setup.
Why the rate matters: cost per conversion
Conversion rate and cost per click together set what each sale or lead costs. A small change in the rate moves cost per conversion a lot.
1,000 clicks at $4.00
Going from 4% to 6% cuts the cost of each conversion by a third, with no change to bids.
What moves conversion rate
- Search intent. "Emergency plumber near me" converts better than "how to fix a leak". Review the search terms report and add negatives for research queries.
- The landing page. One page per offer, the price or next step visible without scrolling, a short form, a phone number on mobile.
- The offer itself. A free quote, a first-order discount or a guarantee converts better than "contact us".
- Speed. A slow page loses visitors before it loads.
- Campaign mix. Display, Demand Gen and YouTube reach people who weren't searching; their rate will be lower than Search and should be judged separately.
If you get clicks but almost no conversions, work through our seven checks for Google Ads that don't convert.
RunAds builds landing pages for each campaign and watches cost per conversion every day. Signing up is free. Credit packs start at $25, and Google ad spend uses 5 credits per $1.
Credit packs from $25, 5 credits per $1 of ad spend. No contracts.
Common questions
Is a 5% conversion rate good for Google Ads?
It depends on the industry and campaign type. 5% is below LocaliQ's 2026 search average of 8.18% but above the 2.78% median account in the RunAds benchmark, which includes Shopping, Performance Max and Demand Gen. Compare with your own industry row, then check cost per conversion.
How does Google calculate conversion rate?
Conversions divided by the ad interactions that can be tracked to a conversion in the same period. Google's example: 50 conversions from 1,000 interactions is 5%.
Why is my conversion rate over 100%?
You are counting more than one conversion per interaction, either because several conversion actions are tracked or because the action counts every conversion rather than one per click. Google notes this can push the rate above 100%.
Do ecommerce stores have lower conversion rates than lead generation?
Usually yes on search. In LocaliQ's 2026 data, Apparel, Fashion and Jewelry converted at 4.50% and Furniture at 2.99%, while lead categories such as Physicians and Surgeons were above 12%. A purchase asks more of the visitor than a form.
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.
- RunAds Google Ads Benchmark 2026, RunAds. Published November 10, 2026.Anonymized aggregates from 224 Google Ads accounts connected to RunAds, November 1, 2025 to October 31, 2026, converted to US dollars. Medians use accounts with at least $1,000 spend and 100 clicks.
- Conversion rate: Definition, Google Ads Help. Checked Nov 9, 2026.Conversions divided by ad interactions that can be tracked to a conversion in the same period (50 from 1,000 is 5%). Can exceed 100% when every conversion is counted.
- Set up your web conversions, Google Ads Help. Checked Nov 9, 2026.Create conversion actions from the Goals menu with a URL rule, code or Google Tag Manager; mark each Primary (used for bidding) or Secondary (observation only); verify in the Status column and with Tag Assistant.
Every number on this page links to its source above, with the date we checked it. Figures from the RunAds Google Ads Benchmark come from anonymized RunAds customer accounts.
Related pages
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