Free · Upload a CSV · No signup
By Benchmarketing Research Team Reviewed by Performance Marketing Editorial Reviewed March 2026 · observations Q1 2023 – Q4 2024Cross-category averages · Google Shopping Ads · 2026
1.35%
Avg CTR, product listing ads
Product category drives significant variance in Shopping performance. High-impulse categories (Health & Beauty, Toys) achieve higher CVR; Electronics has lower CVR due to longer consideration cycles.
| Category | CTR | CPC | CVR | ROAS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apparel & Accessories | 1.52% | $0.64 | 1.80% | 3.50x |
| Electronics | 1.18% | $1.24 | 1.42% | 2.80x |
| Home & Garden | 1.44% | $0.78 | 2.10% | 3.40x |
| Health & Beauty | 1.61% | $0.72 | 2.35% | 3.80x |
| Sports & Outdoors | 1.38% | $0.81 | 1.95% | 3.20x |
| Auto Parts | 1.22% | $0.98 | 1.68% | 2.95x |
| Toys & Games | 1.55% | $0.58 | 2.20% | 4.10x |
Source: WordStream 2024. Data reflects Google Shopping / PLA campaigns only.
| Metric | Shopping | Search |
|---|---|---|
| Avg CTR | 1.35% | 6.11% |
| Avg CPC | $0.89 | $4.22 |
| Avg CVR | 1.91% | 7.04% |
| Avg ROAS | 3.20x | 2.87x |
| Ad format | Image + price + title | Text only |
| Bid control | Product group / SKU | Keyword level |
Shopping has lower CTR and CVR than Search, but higher ROAS because lower CPC offsets the volume difference. For ecommerce, Shopping typically drives 60–70% of Google Ads revenue.
Product feed quality is the #1 lever
Shopping ad CTR is determined by product title, image, price, and rating - not ad copy. Optimize titles (brand + product type + key attributes in first 70 characters). Feed quality impacts both CTR and eligibility.
Competitive pricing drives impression share
Google's Shopping algorithm factors in pricing competitiveness for ad ranking. Products priced 10%+ above competitors see significantly lower impression share. Monitor price competitiveness in Merchant Center.
Product ratings filter high-quality traffic
Products with 4.0+ star ratings (Google Seller Ratings) achieve CTR 17% higher than unrated products. Collecting reviews actively - via Google's review collection tool or third-party platforms - is a direct Shopping performance lever.
Margin-based bid segmentation
Avoid bidding the same Target ROAS across all SKUs. High-margin products can sustain lower ROAS targets (more aggressive bidding). Low-margin products need higher ROAS targets. Segment by margin tier for 15–25% efficiency improvement.
Feed optimization first. Bidding second. Everything else is a distant third.
Audit and optimize product titles systematically
Conduct a title audit: leading with brand (for brand searches), then product type, then key attributes (color, size, material, model). Google uses title matching for keyword relevance. Weak titles = poor matching = low impression share.
Segment campaigns by margin or performance tier
Create separate campaigns for best sellers, high-margin products, and clearance items. Best sellers get maximum visibility bidding. High-margin products get aggressive ROAS targets. Clearance gets minimal spend. Never manage all SKUs with one ROAS target.
Use custom labels for strategic segmentation
Apply custom labels in your feed for seasonality (sale items, new arrivals), margin tier (high/medium/low), and performance tier (hero/regular/long-tail). These labels let you apply different bid strategies by segment without restructuring campaigns.
Add negative keywords to Shopping campaigns
Shopping campaigns do not use keywords, but they still match to search queries. Review the Search Terms report weekly and add irrelevant queries as negatives. Brand vs. non-brand separation is critical - use negative keywords to prevent Shopping from spending on branded queries if you have separate branded Search campaigns.
Test Performance Max alongside Shopping
For accounts with 50+ monthly conversions, run Performance Max alongside standard Shopping as an experiment. PMax typically outperforms standard Shopping by 10–20% on ROAS when feed quality is strong, but standard Shopping offers more control for specific SKU-level management.
The median ROAS for Google Shopping Ads is 3.20x - higher than Google Search (2.87x) because product queries have strong purchase intent. Top quartile Shopping advertisers achieve 5.4x. Your break-even ROAS depends on gross margin; target at least 20% above break-even as your minimum threshold.
Every statistic on this page traces to a named source below. Benchmarketing does not publish anonymous "studies show" figures. Rows labeled Benchmarketing are our own aggregated, curated benchmark data.
No account needed. At most one email a week, only when something moves.
Export a Google Shopping report and see your numbers plotted against the ranges on this page.
Get started freeInvite-only right now · 14-day free trial when you join
These benchmarks are drawn from a multi-source benchmark cohort aggregated across industries and regions, covering the period Q1 2023 – Q4 2024. Figures on this page come from the Benchmarketing benchmark dataset: thousands of curated benchmark observations spanning channels, industries, and US metro areas, refreshed on a published schedule. Every statistic traces to a named source — no anonymous “studies show.” Data is sourced from:
The Benchmarketing 4-Band Method reads every marketing metric against four percentile bands — P25 (bottom quartile), median, P75 (top quartile), and elite (top ~10%) — for a specific industry and channel, instead of a single cross-industry average. Averages blend brand and non-brand campaigns, $500/month and $500,000/month accounts, and unrelated industries into a number almost nobody actually has.
Benchmarks reflect median values across large sample sets. Your industry, business model, and account maturity will cause variation. Use P25/P75 ranges to understand realistic distribution.
Read full methodologyWritten by
Benchmarketing Research Team
Data & Analytics
Reviewed by
Performance Marketing Editorial
Senior Review
Last updated
Reviewed March 2026
Observation period: Q1 2023 – Q4 2024
Google Ads Benchmarks
Full campaign type data
Performance Max Benchmarks
PMax vs Shopping comparison
ROAS Benchmark
Return on ad spend data
CPC Benchmark
Cost per click comparison
Ecommerce Benchmarks
Full ecommerce vertical data
ROAS Calculator
Calculate your Shopping ROAS