Paid & Organic Search Benchmarks by Business Type
Google Ads and organic search benchmarks, organised the way Addy classifies a business: ecommerce, lead generation, or SaaS. The figures that matter differ by model, so start with yours, then read the paid and organic tables underneath.
Paid: WordStream / LocaliQ, 2025 · Organic: Advanced Web Ranking, April 2026
1. Pick your business model
2. Paid search benchmarks (Google Ads)
| Industry | Model | Avg CTR | Avg conv. rate | Avg CPC (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ecommerce / Retail | Ecommerce | 8.92% | 3.83% | $3.49 |
| Automotive | Lead Generation | 8.29% | 7.76% | $2.41 |
| Education & Instruction | Lead Generation | 5.74% | 11.38% | $6.23 |
| Finance & Insurance | Lead Generation | 8.33% | 2.55% | $3.46 |
| Health & Medical | Lead Generation | 7.18% | 6.8% | $5 |
| Legal Services | Lead Generation | 5.97% | 5.09% | $8.58 |
| Real Estate | Lead Generation | 8.43% | 3.28% | $2.53 |
| Travel & Hospitality | Lead Generation | 8.73% | 5.75% | $2.12 |
| Home & Trade Services | Lead Generation | 6.37% | 7.33% | $7.85 |
| B2B / TechnologyBusiness-services row, used as the B2B and technology proxy. The source has no dedicated SaaS vertical. | SaaS | 5.65% | 5.14% | $5.58 |
| Advocacy / Non-profitReported as the cross-industry average row. | — | 6.66% | 7.52% | $5.26 |
2025 Google Ads search advertising benchmarks. Data window April 2024 to March 2025, US-sourced, figures in USD. Treat as directional, not a target. Source: WordStream / LocaliQ. CPC is in USD; compare the shape against your own account rather than the absolute figure.
3. Organic search benchmarks (click-through rate by position)
Share of searchers who click a result at each ranking position, 1 to 10. The top spot earns the overwhelming majority of clicks, and the drop-off is steep.
By search intent (UK)
Intent maps onto business model: commercial queries suit ecommerce and lead gen, informational queries are where SaaS earns early-funnel attention, and location queries matter most for local lead gen.
| Segment | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial | 24.02% | 9.78% | 6.07% | 4.22% | 3.22% | 2.31% | 1.71% | 1.29% | 1.23% | 0.97% |
| Informational | 15.78% | 7.75% | 4.99% | 3.67% | 2.61% | 1.96% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.84% | 0.69% |
| Location | 19.3% | 7.13% | 5.75% | 4.54% | 3.46% | 2.47% | 1.75% | 1.38% | 1.15% | 0.9% |
| Specific intent | 17.35% | 7.77% | 5.33% | 4.02% | 2.98% | 2.21% | 1.6% | 1.24% | 1.04% | 0.84% |
By industry category
| Segment | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopping / RetailEcommerce | 30.55% | 16.59% | 9.91% | 6.94% | 4.65% | 3.26% | 2.55% | 2.01% | 1.84% | 1.74% |
| Style & FashionEcommerce | 35% | 13.74% | 6.71% | 4.37% | 3.29% | 2.59% | 2.05% | 1.7% | 1.71% | 1.58% |
| Food & DrinkEcommerce | 40.7% | 20.85% | 14.09% | 10.31% | 7.93% | 6.27% | 4.35% | 3.64% | 3.13% | 2.69% |
| Health & FitnessLead Generation | 13.65% | 6.22% | 3.99% | 2.82% | 2.08% | 1.56% | 1.37% | 1.15% | 1.03% | 0.91% |
| Home & GardenLead Generation | 37.75% | 15.94% | 7.39% | 4.47% | 2.9% | 1.89% | 1.22% | 1% | 0.91% | 0.8% |
| Real EstateLead Generation | 27.75% | 16.06% | 8% | 4.72% | 3.15% | 2.09% | 1.55% | 1.27% | 1.1% | 0.96% |
| Personal FinanceLead Generation | 34.92% | 16.46% | 8.98% | 5.45% | 3.17% | 1.77% | 0.93% | 0.81% | 0.57% | 0.55% |
| Law & GovernmentLead Generation | 37.48% | 16.41% | 10.66% | 7.28% | 5.17% | 3.48% | 2.16% | 1.27% | 0.96% | 0.82% |
| AutomotiveLead Generation | 18.37% | 6.92% | 5.72% | 4.28% | 3.22% | 2.3% | 1.87% | 1.46% | 1.1% | 1.05% |
| TravelLead Generation | 23.94% | 12.43% | 7.42% | 4.99% | 3.39% | 2.25% | 1.56% | 1.17% | 0.96% | 0.94% |
| Careers & RecruitmentLead Generation | 23.36% | 7.96% | 5.55% | 4.38% | 3.13% | 2.45% | 1.75% | 1.43% | 1.05% | 1.01% |
| EducationLead Generation | 26.36% | 11.12% | 7.26% | 4.99% | 3.63% | 2.65% | 1.43% | 0.97% | 0.83% | 0.63% |
| Business / B2BSaaS | 30.9% | 12.27% | 7.11% | 4.79% | 3.05% | 1.79% | 0.85% | 0.74% | 0.59% | 0.66% |
| Technology & ComputingSaaS | 19.48% | 11.47% | 7.36% | 5.07% | 3.48% | 2.31% | 1.68% | 1.33% | 1.09% | 0.97% |
Branded vs non-branded queries (UK)
People searching your brand name click through far more readily than people searching a generic term. It is the clearest argument for protecting brand terms and for treating non-branded rankings as the harder, more valuable acquisition work.
| Segment | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Branded queries | 37.19% | 24.41% | 17.98% | 14.67% | 11.9% | 8.56% | 5.93% | 5.22% | 4.9% | 4.95% |
| Non-branded queries | 22.21% | 10.34% | 6.42% | 4.46% | 3.09% | 2.16% | 1.59% | 1.23% | 1.01% | 0.87% |
Google Organic CTR study, April 2026. Aggregated from Google Search Console data across UK, US, and International panels, all devices. Click-through rate by ranking position. Source: Advanced Web Ranking. Search-intent and branded tables are UK panels; the category table can be switched between regions above.
How to read these benchmarks
A benchmark is a reference point, not a target. Two accounts in the same industry can both be healthy with very different numbers, because budget, geography, brand strength, and bidding strategy all move the figures. Use these tables to ask better questions: if your click-through rate sits well below the band for your category, the issue is usually ad relevance or position, not the benchmark.
The paid figures come from WordStream / LocaliQ and are US medians in dollars. Read the relationships rather than the absolute pounds and pence: which industries convert higher, where clicks cost more, how conversion rate trades off against volume. UK costs differ, but the structure holds.
The organic figures come from Advanced Web Ranking and show what share of searchers click each position. The headline pattern is consistency: position one takes the bulk of clicks across almost every category, and the curve falls away quickly. That is why moving from position five to position three is worth far more than the two places suggests.
Why business model comes first
Addy classifies every brand profile as ecommerce, lead generation, or SaaS, because the same metric means different things in each. A 3% conversion rate is strong for a considered B2B purchase and weak for an impulse ecommerce buy. A £9 cost per click is alarming for a low-value product and comfortable for a legal enquiry worth thousands.
Ecommerce lives or dies on return on ad spend, so conversion rate and order value are the numbers to watch. Lead generation turns clicks into enquiries that close later, so a higher cost per click can still pay back, and organic visibility compounds over a longer cycle. SaaS sits between the two, with trials and demos in the funnel, so acquisition cost is judged against lifetime value rather than a single sale.
Frequently asked questions
Where do these benchmarks come from?
Paid search figures are from WordStream / LocaliQ's 2025 Google Ads benchmarks, covering April 2024 to March 2025 (US-sourced, in USD). Organic click-through rates are from Advanced Web Ranking's Google Organic CTR study, April 2026, aggregated from Google Search Console data across UK, US, and International panels.
Why are the benchmarks split by ecommerce, lead generation, and SaaS?
Because the same number means different things in each. A 3% conversion rate is strong for a considered B2B purchase and weak for an impulse ecommerce buy, and a high cost per click is fine when one lead is worth thousands. Addy classifies every brand profile by one of these three models so its analysis compares like with like.
Are the paid CPC figures relevant outside the US?
Read them as relationships, not absolute costs. The dollar figures are US medians, so UK and other markets will differ, but the structure holds: which industries convert higher, where clicks cost more, and how conversion rate trades off against volume.
What is a good organic click-through rate?
It depends on position and intent. The top organic result earns the largest share of clicks across nearly every category, and the rate falls away quickly down the page. That is why moving from position five to position three is worth far more than the two places suggests. Compare your own pages against the band for your category rather than chasing a single number.
Why do branded searches have a much higher click-through rate?
People searching your brand name already intend to reach you, so they click through far more readily than people searching a generic term. It is the clearest reason to protect your brand terms and to treat non-branded rankings as the harder, more valuable acquisition work.
Should I treat a benchmark as a target?
No. A benchmark is a reference point. Two healthy accounts in the same industry can post very different numbers because budget, geography, brand strength, and bidding strategy all move the figures. Use benchmarks to spot where you sit well outside the band, then investigate the cause.