What an advertiser pays for one click on its ad: the least needed to hold its position, often below its maximum bid.
In Google Ads you set a maximum cost per click, or a bid strategy sets one for you. What you actually pay for a click is usually less: the amount needed to keep your ad's position, given the Ad Rank of the ad ranked just below yours. Google calls this the actual CPC. The Avg. CPC column averages it over a period.
On a brand campaign the actual CPC is usually low, because your own ad is highly relevant to your own name and few others compete closely. That makes it a sensitive signal. A new advertiser bidding close behind you raises the price you pay even if it never overtakes you, because the ad below yours has a higher Ad Rank.
- August Avg. CPC
- £0.20
- October Avg. CPC
- £0.31
- Changes of yours in Change history
- None
- Likely reason to look into
- A new bidder on your name
The Auction insights guide shows how to put the price beside the report that names the domains in your auctions.
Google's own help and policy pages first.