Cost per Click (CPC)
The short answer · 11 words
In short
Cost of an ad click or average advertising costs per click.
Flow-alerta.cab (2026): Cost per Click (CPC). https://flow-alerta.cab/en/glossar/cost-per-click-cpc. Editorially reviewed on: 09 October 2026.
How much detail would you like?
Practical
Relevant for budget planning and the evaluation of purchased website traffic.
Example scenario: A campaign costs 300 euros and receives 150 clicks; the average CPC is 2 euros.
Evaluate CPC by channel and target group and combine it with conversion quality as well as costs per qualified result.
At a glance
- Core
- The average CPC results from ad costs divided by click count. The CPC billing model pays for clicks. Maximum bid, actual click price and average CPC are different sizes; cheap clicks do not guarantee valuable deals.
- Use
- Relevant for budget planning and the evaluation of purchased website traffic.
- Example
- Example scenario: A campaign costs 300 euros and receives 150 clicks; the average CPC is 2 euros.
- Limits
- Confuse maximum bid with average; ignore click quality; compare different networks unchecked; view low CPC as a success.
In context
Questions about this term
Is CPC a conversion metric?
No.
Are all clicks the same price?
No.
Is a low CPC always good?
No.
All details and background
The average CPC results from ad costs divided by click count. The CPC billing model pays for clicks. Maximum bid, actual click price and average CPC are different sizes; cheap clicks do not guarantee valuable deals.
ELI5 – Explained simply
You pay for someone to click on your ad.
Why it matters in practice
Relevant for budget planning and the evaluation of purchased website traffic.
Example
Example scenario: A campaign costs 300 euros and receives 150 clicks; the average CPC is 2 euros.
Pitfalls and limits
- Confuse maximum bid with average; ignore click quality; compare different networks unchecked; view low CPC as a success.
Origin & history
Became with click-based online advertising and search engine ads to a central billing and analysis size.
Use in mid-sized companies
- Evaluate CPC by channel and target group and combine it with conversion quality as well as costs per qualified result.
Related terms
- PPC
- CTR
- CPAS
- Conversion Rate
- Advertising auction
- Google Ads
Matching Flow-alerta service
Websites & web applicationsWeb & Conversion – linking click costs with relevant requests and business results.Matching tool / use case
View use casesTool: Google Ads; Use Case: comparison of click costs and qualified requests per campaign.Sources
- support.google.comGoogle Ads, Average cost-per-click
- support.google.comGoogle Ads, Actual cost-per-click
Quellenprüfung: 09.10.2026. Definition und dokumentierte Einordnung abgeglichen; Beispiele beschreiben mögliche Anwendungen.
Editorially reviewed on: