UK PPC benchmarks 2026: what a Google Ads click costs, by sector
This is GrowthLine's own dataset of what a Google Ads click costs across 23 UK trade and professional-services sectors, pulled from UK Google Ads data (DataForSEO) in July 2026. It's built to be linked to and cited — read the method and limits section before you quote a number from it.
Trades: search volume, CPC and modelled cost per enquiry
Twelve UK trade sectors, sorted by monthly search volume — highest demand first. Cost per enquiry is the low top-of-page CPC divided by that sector's modelled conversion rate. See the method section below for what that assumes and where it can go wrong.
| Sector | UK searches / month | Low top-of-page CPC (£) | Average CPC (£) | Cost per enquiry (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbers | 113,400 | £4.67 | £13.95 | £29.19 |
| Electricians | 98,380 | £2.31 | £6.72 | £15.40 |
| Locksmiths | 78,400 | £5.68 | £30.58 | £23.67 |
| Driveways & paving | 45,920 | £1.19 | £3.24 | £11.90 |
| Builders & extensions | 43,600 | £1.68 | £5.52 | £18.67 |
| Roofers | 40,420 | £4.14 | £6.66 | £34.50 |
| Heating & boiler engineers | 33,400 | £4.72 | £14.15 | £33.71 |
| Pest control | 18,820 | £1.92 | £4.97 | £10.67 |
| Removals | 16,700 | £4.92 | £7.59 | £37.85 |
| Windows & glazing | 15,300 | £3.06 | £11.42 | £34.00 |
| Landscapers & gardeners | 15,000 | £1.10 | £2.65 | £10.00 |
| Painters & decorators | 12,000 | £1.58 | £4.69 | £13.17 |
Source: UK Google Ads data (DataForSEO), July 2026.
Professional services: search volume, CPC and modelled cost per enquiry
Higher client values move both the click price and the modelled cost per enquiry here. Same method, same sort order — highest search volume first.
| Sector | UK searches / month | Low top-of-page CPC (£) | Average CPC (£) | Cost per enquiry (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dentists & clinics | 364,100 | £2.34 | £9.06 | £21.27 |
| Vets | 174,900 | £1.34 | £6.77 | £8.38 |
| Care providers | 92,100 | £2.12 | £6.05 | £19.27 |
| Estate agents | 61,800 | £7.79 | £28.18 | £70.82 |
| Solicitors & law firms | 56,200 | £8.93 | £32.01 | £89.30 |
| Opticians | 50,400 | £2.02 | £4.56 | £15.54 |
| Recruitment agencies | 40,300 | £0.74 | £2.73 | £6.73 |
| Financial advisers | 30,900 | £6.00 | £18.56 | £66.67 |
| Accountants | 16,300 | £5.86 | £21.41 | £53.27 |
| Surveyors | 12,400 | £2.80 | £9.28 | £25.45 |
| Architects | 7,600 | £1.93 | £6.73 | £21.44 |
Source: UK Google Ads data (DataForSEO), July 2026.
Method and limits
The click-cost and search-volume figures above are UK Google Ads data (DataForSEO), tracked in July 2026 — the same dataset behind GrowthLine's sector calculators. Two cost-per-click figures are shown for each sector: a low top-of-page bid, the kind of starting estimate a tool like Google's own Keyword Planner surfaces before you've placed a bid, and an average CPC — what advertisers actively competing for that sector's clicks paid on average over the same period. The gap between the two is the auction at work: what you actually pay is set in real time by your bid against everyone else's, as Google's own guidance on bidding basics sets out, so a well-optimised account can sit closer to the low figure than a new one still finding its feet.
Cost per enquiry, the fourth column in each table, is worked out from the other two: cost per enquiry = low top-of-page CPC ÷ modelled conversion rate. The conversion rate is a planning assumption for a well-built landing page rather than something DataForSEO measured, and it's sector-specific — it ranges from 9%–24% across the trades table and 9%–16% across professional services. Change the conversion rate and the cost per enquiry moves with it, which is why the formula is published here rather than just the output.
Three limits worth stating plainly. Your own cost per click will differ from the sector figure here by location and by your Quality Score, which Google sets from your ads' expected clickthrough rate, ad relevance and landing page experience — a strong account can beat the average shown, and a weak one can miss it badly. The searches-per-month figures are UK totals across each sector's core commercial terms, not a guarantee of what's available in any one town or region. And this page models enquiries only: it does not forecast close rates, client counts or revenue, because none of those live in a click-cost dataset — they depend on your offer, your price and how fast you follow up.
How to use these figures
If you run a trade business, find your sector in the table above and take its low and average CPC into the trades PPC calculator, which turns a click cost into clicks, enquiries and cost per enquiry against your own budget. If your trade isn't one of the twelve listed, the general Google Ads cost calculator runs the same sums for any sector.
For solicitors, accountants, dentists and the rest of professional services, the professional services PPC calculator does the same job with a client value in place of a job value, because a won client is usually worth more than one job. And because cost per enquiry and cost per lead are the same number under a different name, our guide to judging your own cost per lead covers what to compare it against.
If you're weighing up whether to run Google Ads at all, what Google Ads costs in the UK sets out the wider picture beyond a single sector's CPC. And if you want your own numbers rather than a sector average, a free PPC audit reports your actual click cost, conversion rate and cost per enquiry in writing.
Benchmark FAQs
Where does this data come from?
Every search-volume and click-cost figure on this page comes from UK Google Ads data (DataForSEO), tracked in July 2026 — the same dataset behind GrowthLine's sector calculators. The conversion rate used to model cost per enquiry is a stated planning assumption rather than a measured figure.
Why is the average CPC so much higher than the low top-of-page bid?
The low figure is closer to a starting bid estimate. The average is what advertisers actively competing for that sector's clicks paid once they were bidding to hold a visible position. What you actually pay is set by a live auction between your bid and your Quality Score, so a well-optimised account can sit closer to the low figure than a new one still finding its feet — see the method section above for the sources behind that.
Can I use these figures to forecast my own leads or revenue?
No. This page models cost per enquiry only: click cost divided by a stated conversion rate. It stops there deliberately — turning that into close rates or revenue depends on your offer, your price and how fast you follow up an enquiry, and none of those live in a click-cost dataset. For a forecast built on your own numbers, a free PPC audit works from your account's real data instead of a sector model.
How do I cite this page?
Please do — that's what it's for. Link to growthline.co.uk/uk-ppc-benchmarks-2026/ and use the source line above: "Source: GrowthLine UK PPC Benchmarks 2026, growthline.co.uk/uk-ppc-benchmarks-2026/ — UK Google Ads data (DataForSEO), July 2026." We update the page in place when the underlying data refreshes, so the URL stays stable.
William Thomas runs GrowthLine, building and managing Google Ads accounts and landing pages for UK lead-generation businesses.
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