The money question
What is a good CPC?
By Oliver Wakefield-Smith, Digital Signet. Updated July 2026.
Two different questions hide in there. "Is my CPC normal?" is answered by your industry's benchmark. "Is my CPC good?" is answered by your break-even. This page does both, in that order.
Good CPC = below (profit per customer x conversion rate)
Everything above that line loses money on the average click, whatever the benchmark says.
Test 1: is it normal for your industry?
2026 medians, USD as sourced LocaliQ, 2026 data. A £2.40 CPC, about $3 at recent exchange rates, sits below the $5.42 cross-industry average and well under home services' $8.33. Panic about a number is premature until you know its band.
Place your own number with the find-your-CPC calculator, or read the full benchmark board.
Test 2: is it below your break-even?
Normal is not the same as profitable. The sharper test: multiply profit per customer by conversion rate. Three worked ceilings at a 5% conversion rate:
£50 profit / customer
£150 profit / customer
£400 profit / customer
A £2.50 break-even makes a £2.40 CPC marginal. A £20 break-even makes the same £2.40 a bargain. Same click price, opposite verdicts. Run yours in the break-even calculator.
Quick answers
Is a £2.40 CPC good?
It depends on the industry and your economics. £2.40 sits below most 2026 US industry medians (which run $1.63 to $9.87 per LocaliQ), and it is good in the profit sense if it is under your break-even CPC.
What makes a CPC good?
Two tests: benchmark position (is it normal for your industry?) and unit economics (is it below profit per customer times conversion rate?). Only the second decides profitability.
Can a high CPC still be profitable?
Yes. Legal keywords average $9.87 per click in 2026 (LocaliQ) and firms still buy them, because one case's profit covers hundreds of clicks. High CPC with high customer value beats cheap clicks that never convert.
If your number fails test 1, start at why is my CPC so high. Cross-industry averages for context: $5.42 CPC, 8.18% CVR LocaliQ, 2026 data.