Average cost-per-click (Avg. CPC): Definition

The average amount that you've been charged for a click on your ad. Average cost-per-click (avg. CPC) is calculated by dividing the total cost of your clicks by the total number of clicks.

  • Your average CPC is based on your actual cost-per-click (actual CPC), which is the actual amount you're charged for a click on your ad. Note that your average CPC might be different than your maximum cost-per-click (max. CPC), which is the highest amount that you're willing to pay for a click.
  • Here's an example of how to calculate your average CPC. Let's say your ad gets two clicks, one costing $0.20 and one costing $0.40, for a total cost is $0.60. You'd divide $0.60 (your total cost) by 2 (your total number of clicks) to get an average CPC of $0.30.
  • You can find your average CPC amounts in the "Avg. CPC" column in Campaigns.
  • For Hotel Ads, the Avg. CPC may at times be higher than Max. CPC because the Max. CPC is multiplied by the number of nights in the itinerary. For example, if Max. CPC is set at $2, then the most that a click will cost for a 1-night stay is $2. For a 3-night stay, the most that a click will cost is $6. The Avg. CPC will reflect the full price that you pay for each click.
  • Just getting started and want to get an idea of the average amount you might be charged for a click? You can use Keyword Planner to get estimated average CPC amounts for your Search Network campaigns.

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