$1.35
Avg CPC
Moderate, varies by niche
2.4%
CTR
2.2%
Conv Rate
2.5x
Avg ROAS
Lower first-purchase ROAS, but LTV changes economics
$35
Avg AOV
$48
Avg CPA
Source: SUBTA Industry Report 2025
Different campaign types have vastly different CPCs for ecommerce. Here's what to expect:
Product-focused ads with high purchase intent. Best for catalog-based advertising with visual products.
Blends Shopping, Search, Display, and YouTube. CPC varies widely based on where Google shows your ads.
Your brand name keywords. Cheap CPCs but don't let PMax cannibalize these—run separately for control.
Generic product keywords. High competition drives up CPCs. Only profitable with high AOV or strong conversion rates.
Retarget cart abandoners with specific products. Low CPC because you're targeting warm audiences.
Focus your budget on these high-converting keywords:
Direct subscription intent
Subscription-format seeking
Comparison with purchase intent
Gift buyers have specific intent
Brand-aware, high conversion
Lower CPCs = more clicks for your budget = better ROAS. Here are proven strategies:
[Brand] + [Niche] + Subscription Box + [Frequency] + [Key Value Prop] Well-structured titles improve Quality Score and lower Shopping CPCs by 15-25%.
Create separate campaigns for Winners (high ROAS), Potentials (volume), and low performers. Bid aggressively on winners, conservatively on the rest.
Run branded keywords in a separate Search campaign. This prevents PMax from claiming credit for cheap brand clicks and inflating your actual CPC.
Fix disapproved products, add GTINs, include all recommended attributes. Higher feed quality = better auction eligibility = lower CPCs.
These keywords drain your budget with low purchase intent:
Churning customers, terrible retention
Freebie seekers, no LTV
Already subscribed, researching current box
Price-sensitive = high churn
No commitment intent
As you scale, your CPC dynamics change. Here's what to expect at each phase:
Foundation
$1,500-3,000/month
Establish LTV tracking, separate gift vs. self, validate retention by source
Growth
$5,000-10,000/month
Scale winning segments, add prepaid-focused campaigns, expand remarketing
Scale
$15,000+/month
Lookalike audiences of high-LTV subscribers, seasonal gift pushes, YouTube brand content
Common Mistakes
7 costly Google Ads mistakes for subscription boxes
Best Keywords
High-converting keywords to target
Budget Guide
How much to spend on Google Ads
ROI Calculator
Expected return on ad spend
2025 Benchmarks
Industry performance metrics
Subscription Boxes Audit
Complete subscription boxes Google Ads guide