Vendor reportLocaliQ, 2026

In 2026, search ads averaged a 6.64% click-through rate, $5.42 per click, an 8.18% conversion rate and $66.69 per lead

Channel validation

$66.69

was the average cost per lead for search ads in 2026, with a 6.64% click-through rate, $5.42 per click and an 8.18% conversion rate (LocaliQ client campaigns on Google and Microsoft Ads)

Reader Note:: These are overall averages across 13,474 search campaigns that LocaliQ ran for its clients on Google and Microsoft Ads between April 2025 and March 2026, so they reflect LocaliQ’s client mix and platform rather than the whole market. Compared with the year before, the numbers barely moved: CTR −0.3%, cost per click +3.04%, conversion rate +8.78% and cost per lead −4.88%. A conversion, or lead, is whatever action each advertiser tracks, such as a form fill or a call. The report does not say which countries the campaigns ran in.
Evidence:: Observed behaviour
Vendor interest:: Moderate — This comes from a company with a commercial interest in this market, so it is not a neutral source.
Sample:: 13,474 LocaliQ customer search advertising campaigns running from April 2025 through March 2026; campaign data from accounts using LocaliQ's platform, with aggregate budget split roughly 80-85% Google and 15-20% Microsoft. US campaigns only, and each industry subcategory included at least 52 unique active campaigns. The published figures are medians rather than means, calculated that way to limit the effect of outliers, even though the report labels them averages throughout.

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Comparing yourself against a similar segment, and choosing what to test next.

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Saying that one thing caused another, or predicting what you would get.
This is an aggregated or average number that covers very different cases. Real results in a particular segment may differ.
This comes from a company with a commercial interest in this market, so it is not a neutral source.

4.4x

How much better an AI search visitor converts compared to an organic search visitor, on average

of Google searches that showed an AI summary ended with a click on a link inside that summary (US, March 2025)

20% of Gen Z and 17% of Millennials discover new brands through influencer endorsements, vs 12% of Gen X and 5% of Boomers

Share of each generation who discover new brands via influencer endorsements
Generation	Share who discover brands through influencers (%)
Gen Z	20%
Millennials	17%
Gen X	12%
Baby Boomers	5%

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11.4%

of shopper sessions in the US involved an AI tool as of June 2026, up 2.3 percentage points from a year earlier

is the short-term ROI index for influencer campaigns in the UK, right on the market average with 4.5% of short-term sales (excluding campaigns that produced no result)

21–26%

of consumers in the US, UK, and Germany report using AI tools to research products online, per Statista's 2026 Global Survey (Jul 2025–Jun 2026).

In 2026, search ads averaged a 6.64% click-through rate, $5.42 per click, an 8.18% conversion rate and $66.69 per lead

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