What Is a Good CTR for Google Ads?
Published
Written by Christopher Krassnig, Founder & CEO of ZenoX Media. Answers every question here from the accounts ZenoX runs, not from theory.
The short answer
A good Google Ads CTR on US search campaigns is 6.64% or higher, because that is the median in WordStream's 2026 search ads report. Check your own past rate too, because CTR moves by industry. ZenoX has no CTR benchmark of its own, so that number is WordStream's, read 5 November 2026. A high CTR with no sales is still a bad result.
What CTR Means
CTR is click-through rate: the share of people who saw your ad and clicked it. Divide clicks by impressions (the times your ad was shown). 66 clicks from 1,000 impressions is 6.6%.
The Numbers by Category
These are medians from WordStream's 2026 search ads report, read 5 November 2026. It covers 13,474 US search campaigns from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, across 23 industries.
Shopping, Collectibles and Gifts: 8.28%. Animals and Pets: 7.49%. Beauty and Personal Care: 6.75%. Apparel, Fashion and Jewelry: 6.64%. Furniture: 6.57%. Home and Home Improvement: 6.47%.
They are US search numbers only. Do not use them for other countries.
Shopping and Performance Max Have No Number Here
That report does not cover Shopping or Performance Max, and we found no benchmark for them. So we print none. For those campaigns, compare each product with its own past weeks.
A Better Test Than Any Benchmark
Search campaigns come with Google's own check. Quality Score has a part called expected clickthrough rate. Google rates it Above average, Average or Below average, against other advertisers over the last 90 days. Checked 5 November 2026.
Use it as a hint, nothing more. Google calls Quality Score a diagnostic tool, not a key performance indicator.
Then look at sales. With cost-per-click bidding you pay for every click, so a high CTR on a vague ad can cost you more and sell nothing. A lower CTR on a clear ad with the price up front can make more money.
Related questions
Keep Going
- What Is the Fastest Way to Fix Low Click-Through Rate on Google Shopping?
- How Much Does It Cost to Bid on Keywords in Google Ads?
- Why Did My Cost per Click Suddenly Spike on an Account That Was Already Running Fine?
- What Does It Mean When Google Ads Says My Campaign Is Limited by Budget?
- Who Should Own the Google Ads and Merchant Center Accounts When I Hire an Agency?
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