I know LinkedIn Ads has a reputation for being expensive, and at first glance, the data backs that up. Across the client accounts I analyzed, LinkedIn’s average CPC was $11.12, compared with $5.45 on Google Ads.
But that simple comparison misses the more useful story. When I compare the cost of reaching new, high-intent B2B buyers, the gap gets much smaller. Non-branded Google Search campaigns averaged a $12.48 CPC, while comparable LinkedIn prospecting campaigns averaged $13.94.
To understand how LinkedIn CPCs really compare with Google Ads across campaign types and industries, I reviewed more than $700,000 in LinkedIn ad spend and compared it with CPC data from the same accounts on Google Ads.
What I included in this analysis
I focused on CPC and performance data from clients that had active campaigns on both LinkedIn Ads and Google Ads over the past year.
The main questions I wanted to answer were straightforward: What CPCs are we actually seeing? Do CPCs change by ad objective and industry? And how do those costs compare with Google Ads?
For LinkedIn Ads, I analyzed more than $700,000 in spend across 63,000+ clicks and 8.1 million impressions.
The clients fell into two main business categories: B2B SaaS, which represented approximately 97% of spend, and professional services.
I looked at LinkedIn CPCs by ad set objective and business category. For Google Ads, I pulled CPC data from the same client accounts across branded search, non-branded search, Demand Gen, and display campaigns.
Client names are withheld. The date range for this analysis was May 2025 through May 2026.
LinkedIn looks more expensive, but the comparison needs context
LinkedIn’s blended average CPC across all objectives was $11.12. Google’s blended average CPC across all campaign types was $5.45. On the surface, LinkedIn costs about twice as much per click.
There is an important caveat. In Google Ads, a large share of those lower-cost clicks came from display campaigns, which averaged $0.89 per click, and branded search, which averaged $1.71 per click. Both are naturally less expensive because display generally reaches lower-intent audiences, while branded search captures people already looking for your company.
When I narrow the comparison to the cost of reaching new, high-intent audiences, the difference becomes much less dramatic.
- Google Ads non-branded search averaged a $12.48 CPC across the clients in this study.
- LinkedIn prospecting campaigns, excluding retargeting and using lead generation, website conversion, or website visit objectives, averaged a $13.94 CPC.
I used those LinkedIn objectives because they most closely represent high-intent direct-response campaigns, which makes the comparison with non-branded search more useful.
When I compare the cost of reaching a new audience, LinkedIn is still more expensive, but it is not twice as expensive. In practical terms, I am looking at roughly $12 CPCs on Google and $14 CPCs on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn CPCs change a lot by objective
One of the clearest findings in this data set is how widely LinkedIn CPCs vary by campaign objective.
- Website visits: $6.75
- Brand awareness: $8.34
- Website conversions: $4.84
- Engagement: $4.45
- Lead generation: $31.29
- Video views: $71.43
Lead generation campaigns, where LinkedIn lead gen forms capture contact information directly inside the platform, cost nearly five times more per click than website visit campaigns.
That higher CPC can still make sense because these campaigns often convert at much higher rates than ads that send people to a website or landing page.
Here is the full breakdown of CPCs by campaign objective:
The number that jumps out most is video views. CPCs for those campaigns look extremely high, but cost per view is the more relevant metric there, so CPC alone can be misleading.
If I were planning a LinkedIn campaign focused on click volume or site traffic, I would budget for CPCs in the $6-$8 range. For lead gen ads, which in my experience often produce stronger conversion rates and better lead quality, I would plan for $30+ CPCs.
LinkedIn CPCs also change by industry
The two business categories in this analysis showed noticeably different CPC profiles on LinkedIn.
- B2B SaaS: $11.02 average CPC on $681,000 in spend
- Professional services: $15.25 average CPC on $23,000 in spend
I would be careful not to overstate that comparison because the spend levels were very different. B2B SaaS had a much broader mix of campaign types, which likely affected the average CPC. The professional services campaigns also used very specific targeting, which may have pushed CPCs higher.
B2B SaaS CPCs by campaign objective:
Professional services CPCs by campaign objective:
One interesting twist is that lead gen CPCs in professional services were lower than website visit CPCs. Lead gen CPCs were also much lower for professional services than they were for B2B SaaS.
If I were budgeting for a professional services firm on LinkedIn, I would factor in $15-$20 CPCs. For B2B SaaS, I would plan for a wider range, roughly $7-$35, depending on the campaign objective.
How this compares with Google Ads
The pattern is fairly consistent across channels. Professional services had higher CPCs than B2B SaaS in this data set. Even when I compare only non-branded search between the two industries, the CPCs are closer, but professional services still comes out higher.
Here is the breakdown of Google CPCs by campaign type:
What I would budget for LinkedIn Ads
Your targeting will have a major impact on CPCs and budget needs, but I use this data as a practical planning framework.
Minimum viable budget: $3,000-$5,000 per month
Below this level, I would not expect enough traffic to drive meaningful lead volume or conversions. You may still be able to get started, but trend-spotting will be slow, and you will probably be limited to one or two campaigns.
Testing and learning: $5,000-$10,000 per month
At this level, I would expect enough budget to run two or three objectives, launch more campaigns, test creative and audiences, and generate more meaningful lead volume.
Scaling: $10,000+ per month
With this budget, I can run always-on brand awareness and thought leadership campaigns alongside lead gen and website visit campaigns. I can also support event registrations, test more advanced list-targeted campaigns, and use retargeting without starving direct-response efforts.
For B2B SaaS or professional services companies with an ACV above $20,000, I would rarely recommend starting LinkedIn with less than $5,000 per month. A single closed deal worth $30,000-$50,000 in ACV can justify meaningful investment, even at a $500+ CPL, as long as the pipeline quality is there.
The B2B channel mix I recommend
For most B2B clients, I do not see LinkedIn and Google as either-or channels. I use them for different jobs.
Use Google Ads and Microsoft Ads for intent capture
Non-branded search reaches buyers who are actively researching. Branded search and remarketing are lower-cost and essential. If someone is searching for your category keywords, I want your brand to be visible.
I also use Demand Gen and Performance Max where they make sense to fill gaps and support brand awareness.
Use LinkedIn Ads for audience-led demand generation
If the ideal customer profile is highly specific, such as VP-level decision-makers at mid-market SaaS companies, LinkedIn’s targeting is hard to replace. No other platform gives me the same ability to reach that kind of professional audience at scale.
Run both channels in parallel
The strongest setup is to run both channels together. Google captures existing demand. LinkedIn helps create new demand and keeps the brand visible to the exact buyers I want in the pipeline.
Why I still think LinkedIn is worth the higher CPCs
LinkedIn is more expensive than Google on a raw CPC basis. But when I compare the platforms more fairly, with both reaching cold, qualified B2B buyers, the gap narrows significantly.
Higher CPCs can still be worth paying if they put the brand in front of the right customers earlier in the decision-making process. Over time, that can be more valuable than relying only on high-intent keywords after buyers have already narrowed their list of options.
The best scenario is for the brand to become an active part of the buyer’s decision, shaping the narrative before competitors do it instead.
My take is simple: I use LinkedIn Ads to build intent and tell the story, and I use Google Ads and Microsoft Ads to capture intent. The right budget depends on targeting, but I want enough spend to generate at least 100 clicks per month. Anything less usually means spending money without giving the system enough data to learn from.
Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
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