Cost Per Click Calculator: CPC and Cost per Sale
Divide ad spend by clicks to get your average CPC, see how many clicks a budget buys at a given price per click, or follow the click through to cost per conversion. It prices the click itself; impressions-based buying is covered by the CPM calculator.
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Formula
CPC = ad spend / clicksClicks = budget / CPC, rounded down to whole clicksConversions = clicks x conversion rateCost per conversion = CPC / conversion rate
Worked example
900 spent on 600 clicks with a 3% click-to-conversion rate.
- CPC = 900 / 600 = 1.50
- Conversions = 600 x 0.03 = 18
- Cost per conversion = 1.50 / 0.03 = 50
Budget view: 600 at 1.50 per click buys 600 / 1.50 = 400 clicks.
Another example
- Budget view: 250 at 0.40 per click buys 250 / 0.40 = 625 clicks.
- At a 2% click-to-conversion rate that is 625 × 0.02 = 12.5 conversions, so each costs 0.40 / 0.02 = 20 (250 / 12.5).
When to use it
Use it to check what your ad platform report really averages, to turn a daily budget into expected clicks, and to see whether a cheap click is a cheap customer. A low CPC with a poor conversion rate can cost more per sale than a dearer click.
Rules of thumb
Typical CPCs vary enormously by industry, keyword competition, country and network, from a few cents on some social and display placements to many dollars for competitive search terms. Compare with your own accounts, and always compare CPC with cost per conversion.
Common mistakes
- Using the maximum bid instead of actual spend divided by actual clicks.
- Judging campaigns on CPC alone.
- Counting link clicks in one report and all clicks in another.
How it differs
CPC prices a click. CPM prices a thousand impressions, CTR links the two (CPC = CPM / (1,000 x CTR)), and conversion rate decides what a click is worth. The CAC calculator then adds non-ad costs.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate cost per click?
CPC is ad spend divided by clicks. 500 spent for 400 clicks is 500 / 400 = 1.25 per click.
How many clicks will my budget get?
Divide the budget by your CPC and round down to whole clicks. 600 at 1.50 per click buys 400 clicks; 100 at 0.30 buys 333.
How do I find cost per conversion from CPC?
Divide CPC by the share of clicks that convert. At 1.50 per click and a 3% conversion rate, each conversion costs 1.50 / 0.03 = 50, so 600 clicks give 18 conversions for 900.
Why does the CPC I pay differ from my maximum bid?
Ad platforms usually charge an auction price at or below your maximum bid, so the average you actually pay can be lower. Use your real spend and click totals here for an accurate average. If you use this to make spending or investment decisions, treat the result as an estimate from the numbers you entered and check it with a qualified adviser.
What is a good CPC?
There is no single good CPC, because it depends on industry, keyword competition, country and ad network. A click that costs 2.00 is cheap if it converts at 10% (20 per conversion) and expensive at 1% (200 per conversion). Judge CPC against your conversion rate and order value.
CPC vs CPM: which should I choose?
Pay per click makes you pay only when someone visits, so it suits direct-response goals. CPM buys reach and suits awareness. To compare them, convert CPM to CPC: a 4.00 CPM at a 1% CTR works out to 4.00 / (1,000 × 0.01) = 0.40 per click.
What is the cost per click formula in Excel?
Use =spend/clicks. For 900 spent on 600 clicks, =900/600 gives 1.50. For the clicks a budget buys use =ROUNDDOWN(budget/cpc,0), and for cost per conversion use =cpc/conversion_rate.