$2.32 → $5.42
Buying attention through ads keeps getting more expensive, year over year.
Google Ads average CPC more than doubled in 10 years: $2.32 (2016) → $5.42 (2026) (13,474 US campaigns); average search CTR 6.64%.
WordStream by LocaliQ Google Ads Benchmarks, 2026 (opens in a new tab)10-year comparison, not a claim that costs only rise; the source says 2026 CPL fell