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What is the average PLA (product listing ads) CPC rate paid by category?
Hello and thank you for asking Wonder! I understand that you are seeking the average CPC for PLAs by category. On the attached spreadsheet, I have provided approximate CPCs for PLAs, using available data. These figures are provided for 16 different industries.
METHODOLOGY
During my research, I found that information to this level of granularity is not available. CPC figures are almost always provided for regular AdWords campaigns, rather than PLAs. PLAs tend to not even be considered when CPC rates by industry are released.
Google actually provides this information as part of the PLA campaign dashboard, though. You can customize the columns shown and there is a section for competitive metrics. One of these metric options is to show the Benchmark Max. CPC.
While there was not information that was specific to the CPC rates for PLAs by industry, there were rates for AdWords campaigns in general. To contextualize this for PLAs, I found a number of sources that all agreed that CPC rates for PLAs are lower than regular campaigns. Additionally, I located how much less this is. Three sources quoted different, but similar, figures; these are 23%, 20%, and 36%. Taking the average of this gives us 26%.
With this information, I was able to approximate PLA CPCs using data from regular campaigns. On the attached spreadsheet, there is a column for the overall CPC rate and then one that adjusts it to be 26% less for PLAs. The further requested granularity was not available.
CPC REASONING
There are a number of factors that can affect the CPC rates. Legal services have high rates due to the overall expense and competitiveness in the industry. For advocacy and non-profits, it is believed that these are under $2 due to the fact that use of the Google Grants program, which offers free advertising to non-profits, doesn't allow a max CPC that is higher than $2. Of the highest CPCs overall, many of them are finance-based, such as loans, mortgages, and credit. Education is another topic with some of the highest CPCs, with keywords like degree and classes. A major factor that goes into CPCs is their search volumes, which is the main reason these keywords are in the top 20. Another major factor is the competitiveness in the industry and for any keywords. However, there are cases of high-volume categories having lower CPCs. This occurs in industries that have very slim margins, which limits the amount that can be spent on advertising.
OTHER PLA STATISTICS
Of the top 20 retailers, which includes companies like Walmart, Amazon, and Best Buy, their average CPC for PLAs is $1.63. Additionally, for the top 2500 retail keywords used in PLAs, the average CPC is $1.46.
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Overall, while exact figures are not provided for the CPC breakdown by industry for PLAs, there is data available that allows us to get approximate values. Across 16 industries, average CPCs range from $0.14 (dating & personals) to $4.35 (legal).
Thank you for asking Wonder! Please let us know if we can help you with anything else!