The State of Google Ads Q1 2026 Benchmark Report
Performance trends in Google Ads are becoming more nuanced, with shifts happening across formats, metrics, and account types.
Optmyzr brings together benchmark data and expert perspectives to help you interpret these changes with confidence. Featuring insights from industry experts like Frederick Vallaeys, Jyll Saskin Gales, Kirk Williams, Aaron Levy, Andrew Lolk, and Joe Martinez, it goes beyond surface-level observations to highlight what actually matters for advertisers today.
The data reveals that CVR dipped while CTR climbed and impressions fell year-over-year as AI Overviews and evolving SERP layouts reshaped available ad inventory. The platform is delivering the same output from a smaller impression pool which means each impression is now carrying more weight than it used to.
The report covers five full quarters of performance data across spend tiers, business models, campaign types, and seven industry verticals.
This edition of the report includes:
Why accounts with a spend of $10K–$50K/month are delivering higher ROAS than their counterparts and what makes the advantage structural.
How Google's migration of Video Action Campaigns to DemandGen is distorting Video metrics, and what the real DemandGen CPA story actually looks like.
Which vertical posted the highest ROAS improvement year-over-year and which is under the most cost pressure heading into Q2.
What declining impressions alongside stable clicks means for how advertisers should think about scaling in an AI-shaped SERP.
Five-quarter trend tables across Search, Performance Max, Shopping, DemandGen, Display, Local Services, and Video with YoY performance breakdowns for each.
How leading experts are approaching the current Google Ads landscape.
Download and explore the benchmarks, understand the trends, and make more informed decisions for your campaigns.
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