One of the most common questions we get from Australian eCommerce brands is simple. How do our Google Ads results compare to others in the market?
The answer depends heavily on what industry you are in and what types of Google Ads campaigns you are running. Search and Shopping perform quite differently. In this guide, we break down the current Australian benchmarks for both channels, across key eCommerce verticals.
Key Metrics to Watch
There are three key metrics we look at when benchmarking campaigns:
- Click-through rate (CTR)
- Cost per click (CPC)
- Conversion rate
Fashion and Apparel
Fashion is one of the most competitive eCommerce categories in Australia. Performance benchmarks tend to look like this:
Search
- CTR: 3.0% to 6.0%
- CPC: $0.80 to $2.00
- Conversion rate: 2.0% to 4.0%
Shopping
- CTR: 1.5% to 3.5%
- CPC: $0.50 to $1.50
- Conversion rate: 1.5% to 3.0%
Winning in this space comes down to strong creative, high-quality visuals, and optimised product feeds.
Beauty and Personal Care
Beauty is a fast-growing category on Google Ads, especially for subscription-based products. Typical benchmarks are:
Search
- CTR: 4.0% to 8.0%
- CPC: $1.00 to $2.50
- Conversion rate: 3.0% to 6.0%
Shopping
- CTR: 2.5% to 5.0%
- CPC: $0.70 to $1.80
- Conversion rate: 2.5% to 5.0%
The best performing brands in this space focus on high intent search terms and strong value offers on Shopping.
Supplements
Supplements is one of the strongest performing verticals on Google Ads in Australia. Benchmarks typically look like this:
Search
- CTR: 5.0% to 10.0%
- CPC: $1.50 to $3.50
- Conversion rate: 4.0% to 8.0%
Shopping
- CTR: 2.5% to 5.0%
- CPC: $1.00 to $2.50
- Conversion rate: 3.0% to 6.0%
Careful feed management is critical in this space due to advertising restrictions. Subscription models help drive strong repeat purchase rates.
Home and Living
Home and living typically has longer purchase cycles and higher average order values. Here is what we typically see:
Search
- CTR: 2.0% to 4.0%
- CPC: $1.00 to $3.00
- Conversion rate: 2.0% to 4.0%
Shopping
- CTR: 1.0% to 2.5%
- CPC: $0.70 to $2.50
- Conversion rate: 1.5% to 3.0%
Retargeting plays a big role in converting traffic in this vertical.
Pets
Pet brands continue to perform very strongly on Google Ads. Australian pet owners show high loyalty and repeat purchasing behaviour. Typical benchmarks:
Search
- CTR: 4.0% to 7.0%
- CPC: $1.00 to $2.50
- Conversion rate: 4.0% to 7.0%
Shopping
- CTR: 2.5% to 5.0%
- CPC: $0.80 to $2.00
- Conversion rate: 3.0% to 6.0%
Shopping campaigns that promote subscription offers usually see the highest conversion rates.
Final Thoughts
Benchmarks are useful as a reference, but they are not the full story. Your actual performance will depend on many factors, including product margins, brand strength, site conversion rates, and audience targeting.
It is also important to optimise Search and Shopping separately, as they require different strategies and creative approaches. Many brands in Australia still treat them as one channel, which often limits performance.
