CPC
CPC (cost per click) is the amount you pay for one click on an ad.
In detail
Average CPC depends on competition, ad quality and landing page experience. Improving relevance often buys the same position for less.
CPC alone says nothing about profitability — only cost.
Example
Spending €480 for 200 clicks means an average CPC of €2.40.
Why it matters
It converts budget into a traffic forecast and sets the ceiling for what a conversion can cost.
Common mistakes
- Chasing the lowest CPC and buying irrelevant traffic.
- Comparing CPCs across markets with different competition.
Related questions
Related articles
- Google Ads: 10 Common Mistakes That Waste Your Budget
The recurring reasons paid search budgets disappear without results — and the fix for each one.
Related guides
- The Complete Google Ads & SEA GuideGuide
Paid search from first principles: account structure, keywords and match types, ads, landing pages, bidding, tracking and profitability.
Related terms
- PPC
PPC (pay-per-click) is any advertising model where you pay only when someone clicks your ad.
- CPA
CPA (cost per acquisition) is what you pay, on average, for one conversion.
- Quality Score
Quality Score is Google Ads' 1–10 diagnostic of expected click-through rate, ad relevance and landing page experience.
- Ad Rank
Ad Rank is the value Google uses to decide whether your ad shows and in which position.
Related questions
- How much should I spend on Google Ads?
Work backwards from value, not from a benchmark. If you know what a customer is worth and roughly how many clicks it takes to win one, you know the most you can afford per click.