Cost per click (CPC)
What is cost per click?
Cost per click (CPC) is the amount an advertiser pays each time someone clicks their search ad. In keyword research, a keyword’s CPC is the average recent price of a click on it in Google Ads. SEO tools show it as a rough signal of commercial value: advertisers bid more on searches that lead to sales.
CPC is set by an auction, so it depends on how many advertisers want the keyword, how much a customer is worth to them, and the quality of their ads. It varies by country and changes over time. Insurance, legal and finance keywords are known for high CPCs because one customer is worth a lot; informational searches like "what is a mortgage" usually cost less to advertise on than "mortgage broker near me".
Why cost per click matters for SEO
You do not pay CPC for organic clicks, but the number is still useful. A high CPC is a sign that a keyword has commercial or transactional intent, so ranking for it organically could be valuable. It is also the basis of traffic value, which estimates what your organic traffic would cost if you bought it as ads.
Low or zero CPC does not mean worthless. Many informational keywords have no advertisers but still build an audience, links and trust that lead to sales later.
How to use CPC in keyword research
- Add CPC as a column when comparing keywords with similar volume and difficulty.
- Prioritise high-CPC keywords that match what you sell, since they tend to signal buyers.
- Check the intent on the results page; a high CPC with an informational SERP needs a different page.
- Remember CPC is a recent average in one market; check it for the country you serve.
Cost per click example
Two keywords with similar volume: "accounting software for small business" (CPC well above the niche average) and "what is double entry bookkeeping" (low CPC). The first is likely to attract people choosing a product; the second attracts learners. Both can be worth a page, but they need different pages and different expectations.
Cost per click FAQ
Does CPC affect organic rankings?
No. CPC is an advertising price. Google’s organic rankings are separate from its ads auction, and buying ads does not improve organic positions.
Why is CPC high for some keywords?
Because many advertisers compete for them and a customer from that search is worth a lot. Legal, insurance, finance and B2B software keywords are typical examples.
Related SEO terms
Traffic value estimates what a site’s organic traffic would cost if you bought the same clicks with search ads, using each keyword’s CPC.
Commercial intent is when a searcher is researching before buying, comparing products, brands or services with searches like "best" or "vs".
Transactional intent is when a searcher is ready to act: buy, book, sign up or download, with searches like "buy", "price" or "order".
Paid search results are ads shown on search results pages, labelled Sponsored on Google, where advertisers pay when someone clicks.
Search engine marketing (SEM) is promoting a website in search engines. It usually means paid search ads, and sometimes means SEO plus ads together.
Keyword research is finding the search terms your audience uses, then judging which ones are worth targeting by demand, difficulty and intent.