Google Search Ads Statistics & Benchmarks

By now, most business owners have heard that Google Search Ads can be one of the best marketing investments they can make in their brand. There’s so much potential to grow your brand awareness, expand reach, and drive significant conversions.

But how valuable exactly are Google Search Ads?

In this post, we’re going to go beyond vague statements and look at specific statistics and Google Search Ads benchmarks so that you can understand benchmark performance, how user behavior is impacted by ads, how advertisers are using the ads, and more.

If you want specifics, this is the post for you, so read on!

Google Search Ads Reach Statistics: The Basics

First up, let’s take a look at the kind of usage that Google has on a regular basis and the potential reach of Search Ads.

• Google was the most-visited domain in February of 2020 with 71.14 billion visits
• There are more than 650,000 apps that serve Google Ads as of 2019
• More than 2 million websites and apps are in the Google Ads Search Network
• 62% of all core search queries in the US were generated by Google in 2020
• 63% of users in the US have clicked on at least one search ad on Google
• Google Ads is the largest provider of search advertising in the world
• Two out of five small- and medium-sized businesses are currently running a PPC campaign
• Small and medium-sized businesses who invest in Google are often willing to go big, spending between $9,000-10,000 per month on average on their Google Ads alone

Google Search Ads Costs & Performance Benchmarks

Google Search Ads benchmarks are never 100%, because results vary significantly depending on the competition of the keywords you’re targeting and consumer behavior. That being said, if you want to get an idea of average Google Ads benchmarks and whats possible with performance, take a look here:

• The average CTR on Google Search Ads is 3.17%
• The average CPC varies greatly per industry, but the average overall is $2.69, ranging from $0.44 in the travel industry on the low end to costs like $6.75 in the legal industry on the high end
• The average cost per action is $48 for Search Ads
• The average conversion rate is 3.78% for Search Ads
• Google Ads has a higher average CTR than Bing Ads
• Ads in the first position on the first page of Google has an average CTR of 7.11%
• While ROI varies heavily, different statistics state a 2:1 return on investment to an 8:1 return on investment; either way, we think that’s a win

Google Search Ads & Consumer Behavior

It’s important to understand how Google Search Ads influence consumer behavior— and vice versa. Let’s take a look at some of the data we have on what we can expect from users seeing Google Ads:

• 63% of people say they’d click on a Google search ad if a relevant one was in their search results
• 75% of users said that paid search ads actually make it easier to find information that they’re looking for
• 33% of people click on search ads because it’s so relevant to their search
• Over 50% of users aged 18-34 (which is a tech-savvy audience) can’t tell the difference between a Google search ad and an organic search listing on Google
• 55% of users who engage with ads prefer text search ads over other options
• People click on paid ads because they:
  • Answer a question searched for/align with search intent (33%)
  • Mention brands they’re familiar with (26%)
  • Appear before other results (20%)
  • Have compelling titles, descriptions, or images (19%)
• 95.8% of Google searches contain four or more words
• 65% of Google Ads that get clicked have buyer-intent keywords in the copy like “buy,” “purchase,” and “call”
• Customers are up to 70% more likely to purchase a product from Google Ads when the brand uses retargeting
• Google Ads receive 65% of clicks on searches that use buying keywords; organic search results only receive 35% of those clicks
• Internet users are about 4x more likely to click on a paid search ad on Google at 63% likely than any other search engine; it’s 15% on Amazon, 9% on YouTube, and 6% on Bing
• Google Search Ads extend beyond immediate results online post-click; consumers who have clicked on a retailer’s Google Search Ad before visiting the store in person spend an average of 10% more on purchases than other consumers

Local Google Search Ad Statistics

Just because you’re a local business doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be taking advantage of the expansive reach that Google Ads has to offer; the opposite is actually true, proven by the following data:

• 4 out of 5 consumers want to see ads that are customized to their city, area, or zip code when relevant; at the very least, make sure that you’re only showing ads to users who can actually purchase whatever you’re selling
• 80% of consumers use search engines to find local information and engines
• Over 70% of mobile converters convert by calling a local business directly through Google Ads

Responsive Search Ads Statistics

Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) are a relatively new type of Google Ads that allow you to add more ad variations in ad copy, which Google will then automatically select based on machine learning and the user’s specific search query.

RSAs are now the default Google Search Ad type, replacing expanded text ads.

We’ve seen incredible results using them for our clients (largely because we use them strategically), but there is some interesting and slightly-conflicting data.

Here are the statistics you’ll want to see on RSAs:

• ETAs originally outperformed RSAs in every single category, including CTR (51% vs 49%), Conversion Rate (67% vs 33%), CPA (67% vs 33%), ROAS (69% vs 31%), Conversions/Impressions (55% vs 45%), and Conversion Value / Impressions (63% vs 37%)
• As of 2019, over 80% of advertisers were already using RSAs, showing how widespread their usage has been for over well two years now
• RSAs without pinned ad copy received significantly more impressions than those with pinned copy (over 700 impressions per ad on average compared to just over 300 impressions per ad)
• Ads with more copy variants received higher numbers of impressions in a recent study, with up to 13-15 headlines receiving the most impressions; as a note though, we only recommend using all copy variations if you have relevant, high-quality copy to test

Mobile Search Ads Statistics

When it comes to Google Ads, you absolutely can’t ignore mobile users. An enormous amount of search traffic comes from mobile devices, and a huge chunk of clicks and conversions come from mobile, too.

Here are the Google statistics that prove it:

• Google Ads get 95% of mobile clicks in the SERPs
• Mobile devices accounted for 69% of all Google Ad clicks in 2019
• Mobile searches for local businesses grew by more than 250% between 2017 and 2019.
• 70% of mobile searches result in the user taking action within an hour
• 64% of mobile conversions come from the top three ad positions

Final Thoughts

If you were looking for any proof that Google Search Ads could benefit your business (no matter the industry or size), these statistics are hard to ignore.

Keep in mind that Google Ads can be as big of an investment as you choose, and it can be scaled up and down. There are also plenty of strategies to help you reach your target audience and connect with high-intent buyers who are looking for exactly what you’re selling. We can help you maximize your campaigns with data-driven Google Ads services and strategies that get results.

Learn how to harness the potential of Google with our free Google Search Ads Hub, and if you need help managing your campaigns don’t forget to get in touch.