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Vendor reportTinuiti, 2026

US Google text-ad click prices moved in opposite directions by keyword type in Q2 2026: non-brand rose 4% year over year while brand fell 1%

Bidding & pacing

SeriesY/Y CPC Growth (%)
Brand-1%
Non-Brand4%

Google US Text Ads Y/Y CPC Growth, Brand vs Non-Brand, Median Advertiser (Q2 2026)

Reader Note:
The two move apart because they are bought in different conditions: a brand's own name draws little competition, non-brand terms draw more of it every year. A 4% rise against a 1% fall is a five-point spread on a base the report never prints — it publishes changes, not levels, so neither price itself can be recovered from it. Measured on the median advertiser among Tinuiti-managed programmes that stayed active on a consistent strategy, so this is the movement among surviving accounts rather than across the market.
Evidence:
Observed behaviour
Vendor interest:
High — This comes from a company with a commercial interest in this market, so it is not a neutral source.
Sample:
Anonymized performance data from Tinuiti-managed advertising programs representing over $4 billion in annual digital ad spend; sample restricted to programs that remained active and maintained a consistent strategy over the periods studied; mostly same-client growth.

Good for

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

Not for

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

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