Guide · Paid ads
2026 ad benchmarks for Australia and the USA
Google, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok and Amazon ad benchmarks from named sources, with a plain note on what they mean for Australian and US businesses.
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Benchmarks are rough guides, not targets. Most published figures come from one vendor’s own client accounts, and almost all are from the USA or global samples. We could not find a credible, published Australia-only benchmark for any ad platform. Statista reports that Australia had the highest average search CPC in Asia-Pacific in December 2024, so Australian businesses should expect costs at the higher end and convert the USD figures below to AUD.
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Check my ad spend →Google search ads by industry
| Industry | CTR | CPC (USD) | Conv. rate | Cost per lead (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6.64% | $5.42 | 8.18% | $66.69 |
| Business services (B2B) | 6.10% | $5.87 | 4.85% | $93.69 |
| Education | 7.56% | $4.81 | 13.14% | $77.48 |
| Automotive repair and service | 5.56% | $4.35 | 15.51% | $29.96 |
| Automotive for sale | 8.28% | $2.27 | 6.01% | $44.26 |
| Home and home improvement | 6.47% | $8.33 | 8.05% | $90.92 |
| Attorneys and legal | 5.87% | $9.87 | 5.55% | $131.63 |
| Shopping and gifts | 8.28% | $4.14 | 4.01% | $49.40 |
| Apparel, fashion and jewellery | 6.64% | $4.44 | 4.50% | $97.51 |
Source: LocaliQ Search Advertising Benchmarks, updated 1 June 2026. Based on LocaliQ’s own client campaigns across Google and Microsoft Ads; mainly US.
Meta (Facebook and Instagram) ads
| Campaign type or industry | Key figures | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic campaigns, all industries | CTR 1.93% · CPC $0.60 | 2026 | LocaliQ (client sample) |
| Lead campaigns, all industries | CTR 2.70% · CPC $1.80 · conv. 8.54% · cost per lead $27.39 | 2026 | LocaliQ |
| Lead campaigns, education | Cost per lead $26.31 · conv. 15.87% | 2026 | LocaliQ |
| Lead campaigns, automotive for sale | Cost per lead $35.52 · conv. 4.15% | 2026 | LocaliQ |
| Lead campaigns, home improvement | Cost per lead $42.95 · conv. 5.32% | 2026 | LocaliQ |
| Ecommerce, about 35,000 brands, global | CPM $14.19 · CTR 2.19% · conv. 1.60% · cost per purchase $38.19 · ROAS 1.86 | Jan–Dec 2025 | Influee, citing Triple Whale |
The ecommerce row is a secondary source quoting Triple Whale data; other versions of the same data show a ROAS median between 1.86 and 1.93.
LinkedIn ads (B2B)
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Lead Gen Form conversion rate | 13% (LinkedIn’s own figure) | LinkedIn Marketing Blog, Aug 2025 |
| Median CPC, single image ad | $13.23 | ZenABM 2026 (211 B2B companies) |
| Median CPC, Thought Leader Ads | $2.29 | ZenABM 2026 |
| Median CPM, single image | $59.15 | ZenABM 2026 |
| Median CTR, single image / Thought Leader Ads | 0.42% / 2.68% | ZenABM 2026 |
| Typical cost per lead | North America $200–250 · Asia-Pacific $80–120 | ZenABM 2026 |
| Return on ad spend from closed deals | LinkedIn 121% · Google Search 67% · Meta 51% | Dreamdata, Mar 2026 |
ZenABM and Dreamdata are vendor samples of their own B2B customers.
TikTok ads
| Segment | CPM | CTR | CPC |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries (5,900 brands, Aug 2025–Jul 2026) | $4.08 | 0.61% | – |
| Retail and ecommerce (2025) | – | 0.82% | $0.26 |
| Education (2025) | – | 0.42% | $0.49 |
| Automotive (2025) | – | 0.59% | $0.58 |
| Professional services (2025) | – | 0.40% | $1.04 |
Source: Focus Digital, Oct 2026, compiling Triple Whale and other data.
Amazon Sponsored Products
| Metric | Median | Middle half of accounts |
|---|---|---|
| ACoS | 28.2% | 16.0–63.1% |
| ROAS | 3.55 | 1.59–6.23 |
| CTR | 0.69% | 0.40–0.83% |
| Conversion rate | 5.85% | 2.30–10.04% |
| CPC (US accounts) | $0.82 | $0.51–1.22 |
Source: WisePPC, June 2026. A small sample of 69 accounts using its tool, 1 Apr–29 Jun 2026. Amazon publishes no official benchmark.
Online store conversion rates
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Global ecommerce conversion rate | 1.4% (Q1 2026) | Shopify, citing Statista |
| Global conversion rate, 400+ brands | 2.66% | Shopify, citing Dynamic Yield |
| By category | Beauty 5.32% · Fashion 2.77% · Home and furniture 1.29% | Shopify, citing Dynamic Yield |
How to use these numbers
- Compare with your own industry row, not the overall average. Legal leads on Google cost about four times what car-repair leads do.
- Know your break-even. A Meta ROAS of about 2 is typical for ecommerce, but whether it’s profitable depends on your margin. With a 40% margin you need 2.5x to break even.
- Judge cost per lead with lead quality. Cheap form fills don’t always become customers. Track which leads turn into sales.
- In Australia, budget a buffer. Expect search costs at the higher end and convert USD to AUD.
Common questions
What is a good cost per lead on Google Ads in 2026?
LocaliQ’s 2026 data shows an average of US$66.69 across all industries, from about US$30 for automotive repair to about US$132 for legal. Compare with your own industry rather than the overall average.
What is a good ROAS for Meta ads for ecommerce?
A secondary source citing Triple Whale data for about 35,000 ecommerce brands reports a 2025 median ROAS of 1.86 on Meta. Whether that is profitable depends on your gross margin.
Are there Australian ad benchmarks?
We could not find a credible, published Australia-only benchmark. Statista reports Australia had the highest average search CPC in Asia-Pacific in December 2024, so budget at the higher end and convert USD figures to AUD.
What is a good ACoS on Amazon?
A June 2026 sample of 69 Amazon accounts showed a median ACoS of 28.2% for Sponsored Products, with the middle half between 16% and 63%.
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