Glossary

CPC

Media cost divided by the number of clicks generated.

Media BuyingFoundationAlso called: Cost Per ClickSource: IAB Tech Lab

Definition

Media cost divided by the number of clicks generated.

Why it matters

CPC is the standard efficiency metric for click-driven channels like search and social, and the number most budget conversations start with.

Key consideration

A click is not an outcome. A low CPC with a high bounce rate is worse than a higher CPC that converts — CPC should never be reported without a downstream metric alongside it.

Related terms

Related benchmarks

APAC benchmarks for this metric are broken out by market and channel.

See CPC benchmarks →

Run the numbers

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Practitioner notes

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