● The short answer
For Google search ads, LocaliQ's 2026 benchmarks put the all-industry average click-through rate at 6.64%, ranging from under 6% for legal and dental to over 12% for arts and entertainment. A good CTR beats your industry average and keeps rising as you tighten keywords and ads. But CTR is a diagnostic, not the goal; conversions and cost per lead matter more.
Key takeaways
- LocaliQ's 2026 benchmarks put the average Google search ad CTR at 6.64%.
- Industry ranges are wide, from about 5.7% for dental to 12.75% for arts and entertainment.
- Display, video and Performance Max CTRs are naturally lower and should not be compared to search benchmarks.
The current benchmarks
Click-through rate is clicks divided by impressions. If your ad shows 1,000 times and gets 60 clicks, your CTR is 6%. LocaliQ's 2026 search advertising benchmarks report an all-industry average of 6.64% for search ads, with wide spread by industry:
| Industry (LocaliQ 2026) | Avg. search CTR |
|---|---|
| Arts and entertainment | 12.75% |
| Restaurants and food | 6.83% |
| Home and home improvement | 6.47% |
| Attorneys and legal services | 5.87% |
| Dentists and dental services | 5.66% |
| All industries | 6.64% |
These are search campaign numbers. Display, YouTube and Performance Max placements have far lower CTRs by nature, because people are not actively searching. Do not compare a display CTR to a search benchmark.
The how is where we come in.
What we walk through with you, for your business:
- Why CTR varies so much inside one account
- How to improve a low CTR
- Reading CTR the right way
- Our take
Every business is different, so the plan is too. Tell us where you want to show up and we will show you what it takes.
Talk to usMore questions
Is a 2% CTR bad for Google Ads?
For a search campaign, 2% is well below LocaliQ's 2026 averages for most industries, so it usually signals poor keyword-to-ad relevance or broad targeting. For a display or video campaign, 2% could be fine. Check which network and campaign type you are looking at before deciding, then review the search terms report.
Does CTR affect my cost per click?
Indirectly. Expected CTR is part of Quality Score, and Google says the ad quality signals behind it influence auction results. Ads that people find more relevant tend to earn better positions at a given bid. Quality Score itself is a diagnostic, not a direct auction input, but improving relevance usually helps cost.
Sources
- LocaliQ: Search Advertising Benchmarks for Every Industry [2026 Data]
- Google Ads Help: About ads and AI Overviews
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