How much to spend on Google Ads? Work out your budget
Choose whether you want leads or sales, your industry and country, and enter your ticket size and margin. The calculator estimates your monthly spend, what each lead or sale costs and whether the numbers add up, using real Google cost-per-click data.
How it works
- 01
Cost per click
From our cost-per-click library: Google’s estimated bid for your industry and country (searches from September 2025 to August 2026). The expected scenario uses the midpoint; the cautious one, the high value, and the optimistic one, the low value.
- 02
Cost per conversion
Cost per click divided by the website conversion rate. For leads, it is also divided by the close rate to get the cost per sale.
- 03
Max profitable cost
Ticket × margin × purchases per customer per year. If each sale costs more than that, the spend loses money.
- 04
Spend
Conversion target × cost per conversion. In budget mode it works the other way round: budget ÷ cost per click = clicks. The daily budget is the monthly one divided by 30.4, as Google calculates it.
- 05
Minimum to learn
Google recommends evaluating automated strategies with at least 30 conversions in 30 days.
- 06
Search volume
We compare your target with the searches for the main keywords we surveyed. If they are not enough to confirm it, we suggest checking it in Google’s Keyword Planner with the searches you have in mind.
Sources
- Semcial cost-per-click library — Google Keyword Planner data, collected and processed by Semcial.
- Google Ads Help: About Target CPA bidding — Evaluate with at least 30 conversions in 30 days.
- LocaliQ / WordStream: Search Advertising Benchmarks 2026 — Reference click-through and conversion rates by industry (US data).
Frequently asked questions
How much should I spend on Google Ads per month?
It depends on the cost per click in your industry, what share of visitors convert and how many sales or leads you want. As a practical reference, the budget should cover about 30 conversions a month: with fewer, Google has little data to optimise.
What is the minimum budget for Google Ads?
Google does not set a minimum, but with a very small budget campaigns do not gather enough data. The calculator estimates the minimum for an automated strategy to learn: the cost of about 30 conversions a month.
How do I know if Google Ads is profitable for my business?
Compare the cost per sale with what each sale earns you: ticket × margin, times the number of times a customer buys again. If the cost per sale is lower, the numbers work.
What is break-even ROAS?
It is the minimum return to avoid losing money: 1 divided by your margin. With a 40% margin, you need revenue of at least 2.5 times your ad spend. If customers buy again, the break-even point for the first purchase drops accordingly.
How do I know there is enough demand for my target?
The calculator compares your target with the searches for your industry’s main keywords, which are a sample and not the whole market. To confirm it, enter the searches you have in mind in Google’s Keyword Planner: it shows how many times a month they are made in your country or area.
What happens in the first month?
In the first days Google is learning: it tests searches, times of day and bids, and results vary more. It is best to evaluate with a full month of data and not change the budget or strategy every day.
If I double the budget, do I double the results?
Not necessarily. As you grow you compete for more expensive searches and positions, so the cost per lead usually rises. It is best to increase gradually, for example by 20% at a time, and measure before the next increase. Demand also changes with the time of year.