Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is one of those necessary evils of digital marketing, like SEO or pretending to enjoy networking events. In 2024, global search advertising spend is expected to hit a staggering $190.5 billion, which means that somewhere, right now, a marketer is justifying their budget by pointing to a chart with lots of arrows going up. Businesses, eager to siphon off some of that sweet, sweet internet traffic, are pouring anywhere from $100 to $10,000 a month into PPC campaigns—essentially paying Google rent in hopes of being noticed.
And for good reason. PPC works. Allegedly. For every $1 spent, businesses earn an average of $2, which sounds like a solid investment until you remember that it also requires constant maintenance. The stats support its power—63% of users say they prefer clicking on Google Ads (which raises the unsettling question of whether we’ve all just accepted advertising as part of our daily routine), and 65% click on ads when making purchases, because nothing says “impulse decision” like a well-timed offer for noise-canceling headphones.
Mobile PPC is particularly significant, with 52% of PPC clicks and 70% of all search ad impressions happening on mobile devices—meaning your moment of weakness while doomscrolling could very well result in a new set of luxury bed sheets you didn’t know you needed. And yet, despite all this money being thrown around, 72% of businesses haven’t reviewed their ads in over a month. This is the digital equivalent of signing up for a gym membership and then never going, except instead of wasting $30 a month, you might be burning through thousands of dollars while wondering why your ad for artisanal dog treats isn’t converting.
In this article, we dive into the latest PPC advertising statistics, covering everything from conversion rates to cost-per-click trends, plus the wonders (and occasional horrors) of retargeting, mobile PPC, and social media ads. Because if you’re going to play the game, you might as well know the rules—or at least figure out how not to blow your budget on clicks from people who have no intention of ever buying what you’re selling.
- Global Search Advertising Spend: Companies are projected to spend $190.5 billion on search advertising globally in 2024. webfx.com
- Average PPC Campaign Cost: Small to mid-sized companies typically invest between $100 to $10,000 per month in PPC campaigns. webfx.com
- PPC Service Fees: Businesses generally pay between $501 to $3,000 per month for PPC services from agencies. webfx.com
- PPC ROI: On average, businesses earn $2 for every $1 spent on PPC advertising. webfx.com
- Neglected Campaigns: 72% of companies haven’t reviewed their ad campaigns in over a month. webfx.com
- Google Ads Conversion Rate: The average conversion rate for Google Ads is 1.91%. seo.com
- Google Ads Search Network Conversion Rate: Google Ads sees a 4.40% conversion rate on the search network. seo.com
- Google Ads Display Network Conversion Rate: The conversion rate on Google’s display network is 0.57%. seo.com
- Consumer Preference for Google Ads: 63% of consumers prefer to click on Google Ads compared to other types of paid ads. seo.com
- Social Media Ads CTR: In 2022, the average click-through rate (CTR) for social media ads was 1.21%. seo.com
- Retargeting Ads Conversion Rate: Retargeting ads through Google Ads yield an average conversion rate of around 0.7%. seo.com
- Mobile PPC Clicks: 52% of PPC clicks come from mobile devices. growthscribe.com
- Mobile Search Ad Impressions: In the U.S., 70% of search ad impressions occur on mobile devices. growthscribe.com
- Smartphone Shopping Usage: 70% of smartphone owners use their devices for shopping. growthscribe.com
- Mobile Users Clicking PPC Ads: An estimated 60% of mobile users click on a PPC ad at least once per week. growthscribe.com
- Google Ads CTR: The average click-through rate for Google Ads is between 4% and 6%. thesocialshepherd.com
- Consumer Interaction with Ads: 65% of people click on ads when making purchases. thesocialshepherd.com
- Average CPC Across Industries: The average cost per click (CPC) across all industries was approximately $4.22 in 2023. wecantrack.com
- High CPC Industries: Industries with the highest CPC include legal services and insurance. wecantrack.com
- PPC Adoption Among SMBs: 65% of small to mid-sized businesses run PPC campaigns. blog.hubspot.com
- Paid Search Strategy in Small Businesses: 45% of small businesses have a paid search strategy in place, and 55% of them use PPC advertising. blog.hubspot.com
- Banner Ads CTR Decline: Click-through rates for banner ads have decreased over time, currently averaging closer to 0.2% or 0.3%. en.wikipedia.org
- Customer Purchase Likelihood After Clicking Ads: Customers are 50% more likely to purchase something after clicking a paid ad. en.wikipedia.org
- Annual PPC Spend by SMEs: Small and medium-sized enterprises spend between $108,000 to $120,000 annually on PPC ads. en.wikipedia.org
- Unawareness of Paid Ads: 57.5% of users don’t recognize paid ads when they see them. en.wikipedia.org
- Global Search Advertising Spend: Companies are projected to spend $190.5 billion on search advertising globally in 2024. webfx.com
- Average PPC Campaign Cost: Small to mid-sized companies typically invest between $100 to $10,000 per month in PPC campaigns. webfx.com
- PPC Service Fees: Businesses generally pay between $501 to $3,000 per month for PPC services from agencies. webfx.com
- PPC ROI: On average, businesses earn $2 for every $1 spent on PPC advertising. webfx.com
- Neglected Campaigns: 72% of companies haven’t reviewed their ad campaigns in over a month. webfx.com
- Google Ads Conversion Rate: The average conversion rate for Google Ads is 1.91%. webfx.com
- Google Ads Search Network Conversion Rate: Google Ads sees a 4.40% conversion rate on the search network. webfx.com
- Google Ads Display Network Conversion Rate: The conversion rate on Google’s display network is 0.57%. webfx.com
- Consumer Preference for Google Ads: 63% of consumers prefer to click on Google Ads compared to other types of paid ads. webfx.com
- Social Media Ads CTR: In 2022, the average click-through rate (CTR) for social media ads was 1.21%. webfx.com
- Retargeting Ads Conversion Rate: Retargeting ads through Google Ads yield an average conversion rate of around 0.7%. webfx.com
- Mobile PPC Clicks: 52% of PPC clicks come from mobile devices. growthscribe.com
- Mobile Search Ad Impressions: In the U.S., 70% of search ad impressions occur on mobile devices. growthscribe.com
- Smartphone Shopping Usage: 70% of smartphone owners use their devices for shopping. growthscribe.com
- Mobile Users Clicking PPC Ads: An estimated 60% of mobile users click on a PPC ad at least once per week. growthscribe.com
- Google Ads CTR: The average click-through rate for Google Ads is between 4% and 6%. inbeat.co
- Consumer Interaction with Ads: 65% of people click on ads when making purchases. inbeat.co
- Average CPC Across Industries: The average cost per click (CPC) across all industries was approximately $4.22 in 2023. growthscribe.com
- High CPC Industries: Industries with the highest CPC include legal services and insurance. growthscribe.com
- PPC Adoption Among SMBs: 65% of small to mid-sized businesses run PPC campaigns. webfx.com
- Paid Search Strategy in Small Businesses: 45% of small businesses have a paid search strategy in place, and 55% of them use PPC advertising. webfx.com
- Banner Ads CTR Decline: Click-through rates for banner ads have decreased over time, currently averaging closer to 0.2% or 0.3%. webfx.com
- Customer Purchase Likelihood After Clicking Ads: Customers are 50% more likely to purchase something after clicking a paid ad. webfx.com
- Annual PPC Spend by SMEs: Small and medium-sized enterprises spend between $108,000 to $120,000 annually on PPC ads. webfx.com
- Unawareness of Paid Ads: 57.5% of users don’t recognize paid ads when they see them. webfx.com
PPC advertising is a bit like online dating—if you don’t put in the effort, you’ll end up spending a lot of money for very little in return. With Google Ads averaging a 1.91% conversion rate across industries, businesses need to squeeze every possible drop of value from their campaigns, because let’s be honest—nobody enjoys paying for attention only to be ignored.
Mobile PPC is also on the rise, with 60% of mobile users clicking on a PPC ad at least once a week, which means if your landing page isn’t mobile-friendly, congratulations—you’ve just paid to annoy someone who will never become a customer. And yet, despite the money at stake, 72% of businesses fail to review their campaigns regularly, effectively setting their budget on fire and then wondering why their ads aren’t working.
The good news? With a little effort—A/B testing, retargeting, and not throwing money at keywords no one is searching for—PPC can actually deliver meaningful results. The bad news? Digital advertising is only getting more competitive, so if you’re not refining your strategy, someone else is. In the end, PPC success comes down to the same rule that applies to life: pay attention, make adjustments, and for the love of all things clickable, stop neglecting your campaign before Google happily drains your budget on ads that lead nowhere.
Written by: Tony Zayas, Chief Revenue Officer
In my role as Chief Revenue Officer at Insivia, I am at the forefront of driving transformation and results for SaaS and technology companies. I lead strategic marketing and business development initiatives, helping businesses overcome plateaus and achieve significant growth. My journey has led me to collaborate with leading businesses and apply my knowledge to revolutionize industries.