CPC (Cost Per Click)
Use the CPC (Cost Per Click) Calculator →What is CPC (Cost Per Click)?
CPC (Cost Per Click) is the amount a publisher earns each time a visitor clicks an ad on their page. In Google AdSense, the CPC shown in your reports is the net figure - your share after Google's revenue split. Google keeps approximately 32% and pays publishers approximately 68% of what advertisers spend on content ads.
CPC varies enormously by niche and geography. Finance, insurance, and legal keywords can produce CPCs of $5-50+, while entertainment and lifestyle keywords typically yield $0.05-$0.50. A single click from a US-based visitor on a finance keyword can be worth more than 100 clicks from a low-income-country visitor on a general content page.
When to use CPC (Cost Per Click)
Use CPC alongside CTR to calculate your Page RPM and forecast AdSense earnings. When optimising for revenue, improving CPC (by targeting higher-value content) is often more impactful than improving CTR, since a 2x CPC increase doubles earnings without needing any more traffic.
Worked examples
| Niche | Average CPC Range |
|---|---|
| Finance / Insurance / Legal | $1.00 - $50+ |
| Technology / Software | $0.50 - $8.00 |
| Health / Medical | $0.50 - $5.00 |
| Lifestyle / Food / Travel | $0.10 - $1.50 |
| Entertainment / Gaming | $0.05 - $0.50 |
Common pitfalls
The CPC in your AdSense reports is an average across all clicks in a period. Individual clicks vary widely - one click might earn $0.02 and the next $4.50 depending on which ad was served. Do not base strategy on a single click's value. Also note that CPC is not the same as CPM: CPC is per click, CPM is per 1,000 impressions.
Frequently asked questions
How do I see my CPC in Google AdSense?
Log into AdSense, go to Reports, set your date range, and add CPC as a column via the columns icon. You can filter by ad unit or country to see which placements and geographic markets earn the most per click. The figure shown is your net share - approximately 68% of what the advertiser paid.
Why is my CPC so low?
Low CPC usually means your content targets low-value keywords, your audience is from low-advertiser-spend geographies, or your ad placements attract low-competition ad inventory. The most impactful fix is to create content in higher-CPC niches (finance, tech, health) targeting US, UK, Canadian, or Australian audiences.