The State of Google Ads Q3 2026 Benchmark Report
How did Google Ads hold up on the way into peak season? We analyzed 20,000+ accounts and 250,000+ campaigns from Q3 2025 to Q3 2026 to find out, with a closer look at e-commerce than ever before.
Top PPC practitioners read the data section by section and say what they would do about it: Frederick Vallaeys, Ann Stanley, Wijnand Meijer, Anu Adegbola, Aaron Levy, Brooke Osmundson, Bia Camargo, Julie Bacchini, Brad Geddes, and Mery Hayles.
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Click-through rate (CTR) rose in every segment, yet return on ad spend (ROAS) slipped for a second straight quarter just as retailers headed into their busiest season.
The report shows where that gap is widest, from lead gen and e-commerce accounts to campaign types, devices, spend tiers, verticals, and, for the first time, countries. As Frederick Vallaeys, Co-founder and CEO of Optmyzr, puts it: "A click is an invitation to compete, and winning it takes more than showing up."
Inside the Q3 2026 edition
Why click-through rates rose everywhere while returns slipped
How this year's pre-peak run-up compares with last year's, quarter by quarter
Standard Shopping vs. Performance Max Retail, and which one is closing the gap
The cost gap that opened between lead gen and e-commerce, and what one expert says to check before blaming competitors
Which e-commerce budget band leads on ROAS, and why it's also the one under the most pressure
Country benchmarks for the first time, comparing five markets: the US, UK, Germany, Australia, and the Netherlands
Put your own numbers next to the benchmarks for your segment, and plan Q4 with the expert reads in hand.
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