February 2026 · 14 min read

Google Ads ROAS Benchmarks by Industry

ROAS benchmarks for Search, Display, YouTube, Shopping, Performance Max, and Demand Gen campaigns across 12 industries. Sourced from $62M in analyzed Google Ads spend.

4.2x

Avg Search ROAS

3.1x

Avg PMax ROAS

5.6x

Avg Shopping ROAS

$62M

Ad Spend Analyzed

ROAS by Campaign Type

Campaign TypeAvg ROASAvg CPCConv RateBest For
Search4.2x$3.613.7%High-intent buyers
Display1.4x$0.670.8%Awareness & retargeting
YouTube1.9x$0.181.2%Brand consideration
Performance Max3.1x$1.422.9%Full-funnel automation
Shopping5.6x$0.894.4%E-commerce products
Demand Gen2.3x$0.941.8%Discovery & social

Search ROAS by Industry

IndustrySearch ROASAvg CPCConv Rate
E-commerce / Retail4.8x$1.243.8%
SaaS / Technology3.6x$4.672.1%
Finance & Insurance4.9x$6.824.2%
Healthcare3.2x$3.143.4%
Education3.9x$2.484.6%
Real Estate4.1x$2.912.8%
Legal Services7.1x$8.943.1%
Home Services5.8x$3.425.2%
Travel & Hospitality5.1x$1.534.1%
Automotive5.2x$2.783.6%
B2B Services3.4x$5.212.4%
Fitness & Wellness3.7x$2.124.8%

Data based on analysis of $62M in Google Ads spend across 420+ accounts, 2025-2026.

Key Findings

Search still delivers highest intent

Search campaigns maintain the highest ROAS for bottom-funnel conversions at 4.2x average. Legal services lead at 7.1x due to high case values, while home services benefit from strong local intent at 5.8x.

Performance Max is closing the gap

PMax ROAS improved 18% year-over-year to 3.1x, narrowing the gap with Search. Advertisers using PMax alongside Search see 12% higher total conversion volume with only a 7% decrease in blended ROAS.

Shopping dominates e-commerce efficiency

Shopping campaigns deliver 5.6x average ROAS — the highest of any campaign type for product-based businesses. Feed optimization and merchant center quality directly correlate with ROAS (r=0.72).

YouTube as a measurement challenge

YouTube direct-click ROAS averages 1.9x, but brands running YouTube alongside Search see a 22% lift in branded search volume, suggesting significant unmeasured impact.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good ROAS for Google Search Ads?

The average ROAS for Google Search Ads across all industries is 4.2x. E-commerce averages 4.8x, while B2B services average 3.6x. A good ROAS for Search is typically above 3x for most businesses.

How does Performance Max ROAS compare to Search?

Performance Max campaigns average 3.1x ROAS across industries, compared to 4.2x for Search. However, PMax reaches incremental audiences and often drives higher total revenue volume at a slightly lower efficiency.

What is the average ROAS for YouTube Ads?

YouTube Ads average 1.9x ROAS when measured on direct conversions. However, view-through attribution can increase this to 2.8x. YouTube performs best as a mid-funnel awareness driver for brands with strong search presence.

Which industry has the highest Google Ads ROAS?

Legal services consistently report the highest Google Search ROAS at 7.1x, driven by extremely high customer values (average case values of $5,000-$50,000+). Home services and automotive also perform well at 5.8x and 5.2x respectively.

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