A paid-search software and education brand, now part of LocaliQ, best known for its widely cited Google Ads benchmark studies of CTR, CPC, and conversion rate by industry.

Are WordStream benchmarks reliable?

They are a useful directional reference drawn from aggregated advertiser data, but they are broad averages — read the methodology and date and compare against your own account.

Is WordStream the same as LocaliQ?

WordStream is now part of LocaliQ, Gannett's marketing-solutions brand, where much of the benchmark content now lives.

Growth Marketing Glossary

WordStream

proper noun

The source of the Google Ads benchmark table half the industry has screenshotted.

Source mark — WordStream

Type: PPC software & education
Owner: LocaliQ (Gannett)
Known for: Google Ads industry benchmarks
Primary site: localiq.com

Forms & parts of speech

WordStream · proper noun (a source)

A named publisher of marketing benchmark data.

"Per WordStream, average CTR and CPC vary widely by industry."

What it is

WordStream began as a paid-search management software company and became best known for its educational content — especially its recurring Google Ads benchmark studies that report average click-through rate, cost per click, and conversion rate by industry.

It is now part of LocaliQ, the marketing-solutions brand owned by Gannett.

What it measures

Its most-cited output is search-advertising performance by vertical — CTR, CPC, conversion rate, and cost per lead across dozens of industries — drawn from aggregated advertiser data across its platform and network.

Cadence and how to use it

WordStream and LocaliQ refresh their search-advertising benchmarks periodically, often annually. Use the industry tables as a directional sanity-check for a Google Ads account, and always read the methodology and date, since aggregated averages hide wide variation by account and intent.

RGM cites WordStream and LocaliQ figures as one input among several in its benchmarks compendium.

Worked example. An account manager benchmarking a new Google Ads account against WordStream's industry CTR and CPC averages finds the account's CPC well above the vertical median.

That prompts a useful question — is the targeting too broad, the Quality Score low, or the competition genuinely pricier — rather than a verdict. The benchmark frames the investigation; the account's own economics decide the target.

Failure modes to watch. Treating WordStream's industry averages as targets rather than reference points; ignoring how broadly each industry bucket is defined; and comparing figures from different years as if conditions were unchanged.

Usage trends

Search interest for this term over the last five years:

View interest-over-time on Google Trends →

Common questions

What is WordStream?: A paid-search software and education brand, now part of LocaliQ, best known for its widely cited Google Ads benchmark studies of CTR, CPC, and conversion rate by industry.
Are WordStream benchmarks reliable?: They are a useful directional reference drawn from aggregated advertiser data, but they are broad averages — read the methodology and date and compare against your own account.
Is WordStream the same as LocaliQ?: WordStream is now part of LocaliQ, Gannett's marketing-solutions brand, where much of the benchmark content now lives.

Related tools & calculators

toolRGM benchmarks compendium

Resources & people to follow

referenceLocaliQ / WordStream — search advertising benchmarks
referenceRGM benchmarks compendium — paid search ranges

Curated, non-competitor resources verified per term.

Sources

referenceWordStream — primary site
referenceCited by the RGM benchmarks compendium
trendsGoogle Trends — "wordstream"