Cost per Click (CPC)
The average advertising cost paid for each click.
Cost per click measures the advertising spend associated with each click. It is useful for understanding traffic costs before a visitor converts. CPC can describe a bidding arrangement or the average realized cost shown in a campaign report; those are related but not identical concepts.
Example: A project-management SaaS spends $900 on a search campaign that generates 300 clicks. Its average CPC is $3. If another campaign charges $6 per click but brings visitors who purchase four times as often, the more expensive traffic could still deliver better customer acquisition economics.
Watch out: Cheap clicks are not automatically valuable clicks. Check geography, search intent, fraudulent activity, and whether the landing page fulfills the advertisement’s promise. An estimated keyword CPC from a research tool is not a guaranteed price for your account. Actual costs depend on the auction, targeting, competition, and your campaign settings. Pair CPC with a clearly defined conversion cost.
Further reading: Ahrefs: marketing metrics.
Related: CPA, search intent.