CPC calculator
Updated
This CPC calculator works out your cost per click from what you spent and the clicks you got, or the reverse: how many clicks a budget buys. Add impressions to see CPM and click-through rate.
Cost per click formula
The cost per click formula is total ad spend ÷ clicks. That's how Google calculates theAvg. CPC column: $500 for 200 clicks is $2.50 a click. It's an average: the maximum you bid is the most you'll usually pay, and Google says you'll often becharged less.
CPC, CPM and CTR: what's the difference?
- CPC is what you pay per click: spend ÷ clicks.
- CPM is what you pay per 1,000 impressions: spend ÷ impressions × 1,000. On the Display Network, Google uses viewable CPM bidding: you pay per 1,000 impressions that could be seen, not per click.
- CTR, click-through rate, is the share of impressions that turned into clicks: clicks ÷ impressions.
What is a good cost per click?
One that leads to customers at a price you can afford. WordStream's2026 benchmarks put the average US search click at about $5.42 across all industries and $8.33 for home and home improvement businesses, but your own number matters more. Divide your cost per click by your conversion rate to get your cost per lead: at $2.50 a click and 5% of clicks becoming leads, each lead costs $50. If that's less than a customer is worth to you, the clicks are worth buying.
How do I lower my cost per click?
Better ad relevance, expected click-through rate and landing pages improve yourQuality Score, which helps your position without raising bids. Paying for fewer wrong clicks matters as much as paying less per click: block searches you don't sell withnegative keywords.
What to do next
The ROAS calculator shows whether those clicks pay for themselves in sales, and thead copy checker helps the ads earn more clicks. The free SpendCanary scan shows which clicks in your account cost money without bringing results.