LinkedIn Ads CPC benchmarks: How costs compare with Google Ads

LinkedIn Ads has a reputation for being expensive. The data supports that at first glance.

Across the client accounts analyzed for this study, LinkedIn’s average CPC was $11.12 compared with $5.45 on Google Ads.

However, that comparison doesn’t tell the whole story.

When we compare the cost of reaching new, high-intent B2B buyers, the gap narrows considerably. Non-branded Google Search campaigns averaged a $12.48 CPC, while comparable LinkedIn prospecting campaigns averaged $13.94.

To see how LinkedIn CPCs compare with Google Ads across campaign types and industries, I analyzed more than $700,000 in LinkedIn ad spend and CPC data from the same accounts on Google Ads.

What’s included in this analysis

I looked specifically at CPC and performance data for clients who had active campaigns on both LinkedIn Ads and Google Ads over the past year.

The questions to answer:

• What are the real CPCs we’re seeing?
• Do CPCs differ by ad set objective and industry?
• How do these CPCs compare with those on Google Ads?

For LinkedIn Ads, I analyzed more than $700,000 in spend across 63,000+ clicks and 8.1 million impressions.

Clients fell into two main business categories:

• B2B SaaS (approximately 97% of spend)
• Professional services.

I looked at CPCs by ad set objective and by business category.

In Google Ads, I pulled CPC data for the same client accounts across branded search, non-branded search, Demand Gen, and display campaign types.

Client names are withheld. The date range for this analysis was May 2025 through May 2026.

LinkedIn is more expensive at first glance, but the comparison is more nuanced

LinkedIn’s blended average CPC across all objectives was $11.12. Google’s blended average CPC across all campaign types was $5.45.

On the surface, LinkedIn costs about twice as much per click.

There’s a big caveat, though. On Google Ads, a large portion of those clicks comes from display ($0.89 average CPC) and branded search ($1.71 average CPC). Both tactics are inherently low-cost because you’re either fishing in low-intent waters (display) or capturing searches for your own brand name.

However, if we look at the cost of reaching new, high-intent audiences, the CPC gap starts to close.

• The average CPC for Google Ads non-branded search across clients in this study was $12.48.
• On LinkedIn Ads, the average CPC for prospecting campaigns (excluding retargeting) with lead generation, website conversion, or website visit objectives was $13.94.

I chose these objectives because they most closely represent high-intent direct-response campaigns, putting LinkedIn on more equal footing with non-branded search.

When comparing the cost of reaching a new audience, LinkedIn isn’t much more expensive. We’re looking at $12 CPCs on Google and $14 CPCs on LinkedIn. LinkedIn still costs more, but it’s no longer double the price of Google.

LinkedIn CPCs vary widely by objective

One interesting finding in this data set is the range of CPCs across LinkedIn ad objectives:

• Website visits: $6.75
• Brand awareness: $8.34
• Website conversions: $4.84
• Engagement: $4.45
• Lead generation: $31.29
• Video views: $71.43

Lead generation campaigns, where LinkedIn’s lead gen forms capture contact information directly within the platform, cost nearly five times more per click than website visit campaigns. 

Given that these campaign types typically have much higher conversion rates than ads that drive traffic to a website or landing page, the higher CPC is easier to justify.

Full breakdown of CPCs by campaign objective:

One thing that really jumps out in this table is that video views have extraordinarily high CPCs. However, cost per view (CPV) is the more relevant metric for those campaigns, making the CPC somewhat misleading in isolation.

If you’re running LinkedIn and optimizing for click volume or site traffic, budget for CPCs in the $6-8 range. If you’re running lead gen ads (which, in my experience, tend to have much higher conversion rates and strong lead quality), plan for $30+ CPCs.

LinkedIn CPCs also vary by industry

The two business categories in the data showed notably different CPC profiles on LinkedIn:

• B2B SaaS: $11.02 average CPC (on $681,000 spend)
• Professional services: $15.25 average CPC (on $23,000 spend)

One thing to note is the difference in total spend between the two sectors. B2B SaaS had a much wider mix of campaign types, which likely influenced the CPC trend. The professional services campaigns also used very specific targeting that may have contributed to their higher CPCs.

B2B SaaS CPCs by campaign objective:

Professional services CPCs by campaign objective:

Interestingly, the CPC for lead gen campaigns in professional services was lower than for website visit campaigns. When comparing industries, lead gen CPCs in professional services were also much lower than lead gen CPCs in B2B SaaS.

If you’re a professional services firm using LinkedIn, factor in $15-$20 CPCs when planning your campaign budget. For B2B SaaS, plan for a much wider range, from roughly $7-$35, depending on the campaign objective. 

How does this compare with Google Ads?

The trends are pretty consistent across channels. Professional services still has higher CPCs than B2B SaaS in this data set. If we’re comparing only non-branded search between the two industries, the CPCs are closer, but professional services still comes out higher.

Breakdown of Google CPCs by campaign type: 

What should your LinkedIn Ads budget be?

Your targeting will have a huge impact on your CPCs and budget requirements, but here’s a practical framework based on this data:

Minimum viable budget: $3,000-$5,000/month

Below this level, you’re unlikely to generate enough traffic to drive meaningful lead volume or conversions. It will probably be slow going when it comes to identifying meaningful trends, but you’ll at least be in the game. You’ll probably only be able to run one or two campaigns.

Testing and learning: $5,000-$10,000/month 

This is likely enough budget to run two or three objectives, launch more campaigns, test creative and audiences, and generate statistically meaningful lead volume.

Scaling: $10,000+/month

At this level, you can run always-on brand awareness and thought leadership campaigns alongside lead gen and website visit campaigns, support event registrations and other marketing initiatives, and experiment with more sophisticated list-targeted campaigns and retargeting. You’ll be able to run direct-response initiatives alongside brand-building efforts.

For B2B SaaS or professional services companies with an ACV above $20,000, I’d rarely recommend starting LinkedIn with less than $5,000 per month. The economics of a single closed deal worth $30,000-$50,000 in ACV can justify significant investment, even at a $500+ CPL, if the pipeline quality is there.

What is the right channel mix for B2B?

I recommend the following approach to most of our B2B clients:

Use Google Ads and Microsoft Ads for intent capture

Non-branded search catches buyers who are actively researching. Branded search and remarketing are lower-cost and essential. If someone is searching for your category keywords, you need to be there.

We also leverage Demand Gen and Performance Max where it makes sense to fill gaps and support brand awareness.

Use LinkedIn Ads for audience-led demand generation

If your ideal customer profile is highly specific — for example, VP-level decision-makers at mid-market SaaS companies — LinkedIn’s targeting is what you’re looking for. No other platform lets you reach that type of professional audience at scale.

Run both in parallel

This is the strongest setup. Google captures existing demand. LinkedIn creates new demand and keeps your brand visible to the exact buyers you want in your pipeline.

Why LinkedIn is worth the higher CPCs

LinkedIn is more expensive than Google on a raw CPC basis, but when you compare apples to apples (both platforms reaching cold, qualified B2B buyers), the gap narrows significantly.

While CPCs can be higher, the investment is often worthwhile if you can get in front of your target customers early in the decision-making process. That’s more effective over the long term than relying solely on high-intent keywords after buyers have already narrowed their list of solutions.

The ideal scenario is for your brand to become an active participant in the decision-making process, shaping the narrative instead of letting competitors do it for you.

My take is to use LinkedIn Ads to build intent and tell your story, and use Google Ads and Microsoft Ads to capture intent. The budget will depend on your targeting, but you should be able to afford at least 100 clicks per month. Otherwise, you’re spending money on ads without giving the system enough data to work with.