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Channel
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Paid search benchmarks
Google Search, Performance Max, Bing/Microsoft Ads. Highest-intent demand-capture. AI Overview disruption is reshaping click economics in 2026.
Share of digital ad spend: ~40% of US digital ad spend (2026)
Channel snapshot
Brand CPC $0.40–2.20, non-brand $1.80–6.40 DTC / $8–45 B2B. Avg DTC CPA $45–125.
How to operate this channel
Operator playbook
- Always separate brand and non-brand into different campaigns.
- Use offline conversion imports for long sales cycles.
- Audit search-term reports weekly; PMax masks query data.
- Bid on commercial-intent queries less affected by AI Overview.
- Pair Performance Max with a brand-only campaign to prevent cannibalization.
Platforms in this channel
Google SearchPlatform deep-diveGoogle Performance MaxPlatform deep-diveGoogle ShoppingPlatform deep-diveMicrosoft Ads (Bing)Platform deep-dive
Want to model your spend in this channel? Use the CPM calculator, ROAS calculator, and budget allocator to plan allocation.