In 2024, the average cost-per-click (CPC) across Google Ads rose by 19%, marking the steepest annual jump in recent years. Similarly, Facebook also saw its CPC increase for 80% of industries.
This spike isn't temporary; it reflects deeper changes in auction dynamics, cut-throat competition, and constantly changing algorithms. It’s already becoming expensive to advertise online, and if your CPC is too high, you’d sweep through your ads quickly without seeing any real impact.
There can be a number of reasons behind a sudden or even slow rise in CPC. In this article, we’ll uncover the underlying causes and list 10 strategies to bring your ad campaign’s CPC down to a healthy level.